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

Ecuatraveling: An In-Depth Review for a 3-Day Ayahuasca Tour near Puyo, Ecuador

Ecuatraveling is a Quito-area travel agency founded by Pablo Romero and Esteban Ludeña that sells a three-day “Ayahuasca Experience” at the Guayusa Runa Community near Puyo in Ecuador’s Amazon, with one ayahuasca ceremony led by an unnamed Yachak, an optional second ceremony, plant steam baths, a guayusa ritual and river excursions, per its tour page. The agency is long established and well reviewed for its other tours. Against that, the ayahuasca tour has no screening, contraindication rules, medical staff or emergency plan, tells guests to avoid “medications” for five days before arriving, does not name the shaman or say who runs the ceremony, publishes no refund terms, and has no reviews of its own.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: The Guayusa Runa Community, about 15 minutes by car from Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador, plus a 30-minute walk; the page also refers to Tena. No GPS is published.
• Approach: A Kichwa community tour with one or two ayahuasca ceremonies, a vision interpretation circle, jungle walks and cultural activities.
• Suitable For: No one until screening and the ceremony leader are confirmed in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: From $450 per person for three days and two nights (the page’s summary says $390), with lodging, listed meals, excursions and ceremonies included; transport to Puyo is not. No deposit or refund terms are published.
• Overall Assessment: An established agency, but its ayahuasca product lacks basic screening, gives risky medication advice and does not identify who serves the medicine. Directory evaluation: D+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The agency has 4.9 from 547 reviews on Tripadvisor, almost all for Galápagos, Andes and Cuyabeno trips, praising responsive owners and guides; no visible review mentions ayahuasca. Two one-star reviews from 2025 describe Galápagos problems: an undisclosed school group joining a day trip, and a hotel change, a crowded ferry and unexpected fees, with management saying third-party operators ran parts of those trips. 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 Ecuatraveling, Pablo Romero, Esteban Ludeña, community elder José Licuy and the Guayusa Runa Community.

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

The shaman is unnamed and was not searched, so this absence offers limited assurance.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Romero and Ludeña are named on its team page. The tour page does not say whether Ecuatraveling runs the ceremony or subcontracts it, and management replies to other reviews show it resells other operators’ tours. No company registration or tourism license is shown.

Medication advice. Its only health guidance is “No alcohol, red meat, medications, or sexual activity 5 days before arrival”, with no screening behind it. Stopping prescribed medicine without a doctor can be dangerous. It also excludes women who are pregnant or menstruating.

Screening and medical support. No questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan is published. The nearest hospital is likely in Puyo, roughly 45 to 60 minutes away (unverified).

Status. The agency is operating; no dated departure or review shows the ayahuasca tour has run.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is not formally legalized in Ecuador but ceremonies are generally tolerated, per TripBase; DMT is controlled under the 1971 UN Convention while ayahuasca preparations are not, per Wikipedia.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Do not stop any prescribed medication because a tour page says so; ask your own doctor first. 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 served by a community Yachak; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Amazon foothill forest along the Puyo River.
• Rooms: Traditional cabins with hammocks.
• Style: A packaged cultural tour with a community ceremony.

Practical guidance: Guests must reach Puyo by 9 a.m. on day one; transport there is not included.

Should You Book?

Not as offered. If you consider it, ask in writing who leads the ceremony and their experience, who operates it, the screening and medication rules, who is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and hospital route, and the refund terms. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Ecuatraveling presents the tour as an authentic ancestral experience with a wise and experienced shaman. 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

The tour is listed on its website. 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.