Atmosphere

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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Chakapita submits its own information.

Chakapita: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Chakapita was a small plant medicine retreat about 10 minutes from Vilcabamba on the road to Yangana, in Ecuador’s Loja province, where a curandero known as Taita Miguel served ayahuasca, San Pedro and vilca snuff to groups of up to eight, according to its Psychable listing and Tripadvisor listing. Its AyaAdvisors listing rates it 4.5 from 33 reviews dated 2015 to 2021. Against that, an April 2020 review alleges the shaman had sex with a heavily intoxicated volunteer during a ceremony, which the operator denied; three more reviews that May describe an unsafe space and guests leaving early without refunds; no screening or medical staff was published; and the same team now works under other names.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Road E682, about 10 minutes from Vilcabamba toward Yangana, Loja province, Ecuador; the same team now works near Malacatos.
• Approach: Ayahuasca, San Pedro, vilca (a snuff Psychable describes as containing DMT and 5-MeO-DMT) and tobacco, with river cleansings and excursions, in stays of 3 to 12 days plus a volunteer program.
• Suitable For: No one under this name, which shows no activity since 2021; anyone considering the successor centers should read the allegations below. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $400 for 4 days with 2 ayahuasca ceremonies, per the owner’s 2020 reply; a guest reported paying over $450 for two nights (unverified).
• Overall Assessment: A long-running small retreat with many positive reviews, offset by an unverified sexual misconduct allegation against the shaman, a cluster of safety complaints, vilca served with ayahuasca without published screening, and a name dropped for new brands. Directory evaluation: D.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Of 33 AyaAdvisors reviews, 29 give five stars, praising the mountain and river setting, small groups, Miguel’s patience and the vegetarian food. Four critical reviews were posted between April 26 and May 8, 2020. Besides the allegation below, one questioned his credentials and the value (the owner disputed the price); one reviewer left after a single ceremony, felt unsafe and said the host seemed intoxicated; and one said the host was often absent, about half the guests left early without refunds and volunteers were mistreated, per the reviews (all unverified). Seven positive reviews appeared during the same weeks while the owner posted rebuttals, which may reflect solicited reviews (unverified). If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Chakapita, Taita Miguel, Mukipa Ayllu, Corazón de Pachamama and Allpa Mama Healing.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: An April 26, 2020 review by a woman who had volunteered there alleges that the shaman, named as Miguel, had sex with her during a ceremony while she was heavily under the influence, after she had turned him down while sober, and then asked her to lie about it, per AyaAdvisors (unverified). The operator replied on May 4, 2020 that the accusations are lies, that no one at the center harassed or assaulted anyone, and that the reviewer was a volunteer asked to leave who posted the review as revenge. No police report, press coverage or legal case was found.
• Theft and fraud: Reviews in May 2020 say guests who left early were denied refunds and that volunteers were pressed to pay weekly fees above their food costs (unverified).
• Legal action: None found.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol was published, although vilca, described as containing 5-MeO-DMT, was served alongside ayahuasca. Vilcabamba has a public health center and a private clinic but no dedicated ambulance service, per Expat Exchange; hospitals are in Loja, likely about an hour away (estimate).

Who runs it. Miguel, a mestizo curandero born in Cuenca, says he learned San Pedro from Andean taitas, vilca from a Bolivian shaman and ayahuasca from Shuar healers in Gualaquiza. From about 2019 he worked with Katie, his US-born partner and apprentice. His stated experience ranges from about 20 to nearly 30 years across listings. No legal entity was found.

Probable successors. Corazón de Pachamama, on Retreat Guru near Malacatos, and Allpa Mama Healing, on Retreat Guru, with Katie as founder and Taita Miguel co-leading, share the same healers, biography, medicines and valley. A May 2020 review now shown under Corazón de Pachamama’s organizer on BookRetreats mentions finding Chakapita. No operator statement confirms the rebrand. See our profiles of Corazón de Pachamama and Allpa Mama Healing. Corazón de Pachamama now offers a $19,200 addiction program and a $6,700 anxiety and depression program with no named physician; the latter bars contact with family for the first three weeks.

Status. The latest Chakapita review is dated May 6, 2021, and no later activity, closure notice or announcement under this name was found. The successor centers list dates into 2027.

Legal context. Ceremonial ayahuasca use is broadly tolerated in Ecuador, but no framework licenses commercial retreats, per Mind Medicine Law.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Our earlier page said the center was potentially closed and being monitored for rebranding; the name shows no activity after May 2021, and the same team now works as Corazón de Pachamama and Allpa Mama Healing, which a review links to Chakapita, although no operator statement confirms it. The Vilcabamba location is confirmed, and the 400 price matches the owner’s 2020 reply. Our earlier grade was C; the grade is now D.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindications were published, and vilca was offered with ayahuasca. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca of undisclosed recipe, San Pedro, vilca snuff, tobacco, and the chakapita plant for cleansings. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: An Andean valley near Vilcabamba with rivers, waterfalls and a pool.
• Rooms: Six rooms in private or shared cabins with shared warm-water bathrooms, per Tripadvisor.
• Style: Mestizo ceremonies drawing on Andean, Shuar and Bolivian teachings, with volunteers cooking vegetarian meals.

Practical guidance: Fly to Loja (Catamayo); Vilcabamba is about an hour south of Loja city, per an Allpa Mama Healing page.

Should You Book?

Not under this name. Before booking with either successor center, ask in writing about the 2020 allegations, how guests are screened for vilca and ayahuasca, and who handles emergencies. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Reviews begin in March 2015, and Katie appears in reviews from about 2019. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

No current dates are listed under this name. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.