Atmosphere

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

Corazón de Búfalo: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies in Panama

Corazón de Búfalo is a small Panama operator led by a facilitator known as JoshGiraff that holds one and two-night ayahuasca (yagé) ceremonies and one-night peyote ceremonies at a forest maloka about 90 minutes from Panama City, with guests sleeping in tents, from $600 a night, per its Retreat Guru page. It keeps groups small and has two warm reviews. Against that, the location and the lead facilitator’s name are not published, each ceremony night also includes kambo, sananga, rapé and “Xanga”, a smoked blend, a 2025 program added psilocybin, and no screening, contraindications, medical staff or emergency plan are published.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A forest site in Panama “1 hour and 30 minutes from the city”, with pickup from hotels; no town, province or address is published.
• Approach: Night-long ayahuasca or peyote ceremonies preceded the same day by kambo, a rapé circle, sananga, a “Xanga” session, a cebolleta ceremony and “biohacking talks”, plus a fire ritual and optional bodywork.
• Suitable For: Experienced adults wanting a short ceremony near Panama City who can screen themselves. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $600 for one ayahuasca night, $1,100 for a two-night semi-private ceremony for four and $750 for a peyote night, per its one-night program page. The deposit is refundable until a day before and full payment until five days before; the balance can be paid by PayPal or in cash.
• Overall Assessment: Small, low-cost ceremonies, offset by an anonymous lead facilitator and undisclosed location, several medicines stacked into one day, no published medical safeguards and contradictory listings. Directory evaluation: D+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Retreat Guru shows 5.0 from two reviews, dated July 2025 and September 2026; no reviews were found on Google, Tripadvisor or BookRetreats, and none of 3 stars or lower. One two-night program’s web address carries a past guest’s first name, suggesting it was built for a single client and then sold publicly. 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 Corazón de Búfalo, JoshGiraff, Rolando Egaña and Elizabeth “El Colibri”.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

Most of the team give first names or nicknames only, which limits this search.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. The lead facilitator, JoshGiraff, describes himself as “Known as the Universe” and says he learned from unnamed teachers, working with yagé, peyote and kambo, per his teacher profile (unverified); booking pages name the contact as “Josh Giraff” on one page and “Joseph Y.” on another. The team includes Cristhian, a tobacco practitioner, Elizabeth “El Colibri”, described as from Syria, Andres, a fire keeper, and Rolando Egaña, a bodyworker. Contact is a Florida phone number, and no company is named.

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published. Kambo is given on the morning of ceremony day, and its 2025 six-day plan combined two ayahuasca ceremonies with peyote and psilocybin. The nearest hospital and its distance are not stated.

Listings. Amenity tags show air conditioning, a pool and a spa while the programs describe tents in the forest; medicine is listed as both included and excluded; and group sizes range from four to 12.

Status. Bookable for open dates as of November 2026, with the most recent review from September 2026.

Legal context. No Panama law specific to ayahuasca was found; Panama’s drug offenses carry prison terms of up to 25 years, per La Prensa, and peyote and psilocybin are internationally controlled substances, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Stacking several medicines into one day with no published contraindication list or medical staff is a serious concern. 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

Yagé served by JoshGiraff and his team; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Humid tropical forest outside Panama City.
• Rooms: Tents with inflatable mattresses.
• Style: Eclectic yagé and peyote ceremony with many added practices and “biohacking” talks.

Practical guidance: Fly to Panama City (PTY); confirm the pickup, the site’s location and how to reach a hospital before you go.

Should You Book?

Only with great caution. Ask in writing for the facilitators’ full names and training, the site’s location, which medicines will be given and in what order, the screening questions and contraindication list, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and nearest hospital, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The group claims “over 30 years of combined experience”; its earliest dated activity is from January 2025. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing, plan any change with your own doctor, and decide in advance which extra medicines you will decline. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home, since no integration is described. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Programs are listed on Retreat Guru. 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.