Atmosphere

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

El Mundo Magico: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Iquitos, Peru

El Mundo Magico, also trading as The Magical Earth, is a UK company founded by Francesco Sammarco that runs ayahuasca retreats, master plant dietas and apprenticeships at its Ayahuma jungle venue on the edge of the Allpahuayo-Mishana reserve near Iquitos, Peru, managed locally by Clever Hoyos Rengifo, with vegetalista and Shipibo healers including Don Guido and Don Armando and five ayahuasca ceremonies a week, per its program page. It publishes full prices, screens out antidepressants and some psychiatric conditions, and requires evacuation insurance. Against that, it serves toé (Brugmansia) and camalonga every week, names no medical staff or emergency plan at a site without electricity, keeps the deposit if guests cancel, and has almost no independent reviews; its Colombian yagé program has been suspended since at least 2022.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A 70-hectare rainforest venue with private bungalows near Iquitos, Loreto, Peru; no village or GPS is published. A former program in Putumayo, Colombia, is listed as suspended.
• Approach: Five ayahuasca ceremonies a week plus one toé and one camalonga ritual, plant baths and master-tree dietas, with San Pedro programs also offered.
• Suitable For: Experienced travelers seeking traditional jungle dietas who arrange their own medical screening. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: In British pounds, 1,105 to 1,170 for one week of ayahuasca, 2,360 to 6,185 for dietas and up to 22,885 for a 26-week apprenticeship, per its cost page. The 400 deposit is not refunded if the guest cancels, and no refund schedule for the balance is shown. Iquitos pickup and full board are included.
• Overall Assessment: A long-running operator with transparent prices and a basic screen, offset by weekly toé and camalonga without named medical support, a remote site without electricity and thin independent reviews. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

An unclaimed AyaAdvisors listing shows 5.0 from three reviews, mostly from 2018 and 2019. Its own site hosts about 250 curated testimonials praising Don Guido, Don Armando, the host family and the food, with mild notes about hard conditions. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. 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 El Mundo Magico, Francesco Sammarco, Clever Hoyos Rengifo and its Colombian taita, Bonifacio Gabino.

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

Most of its named healers were not searched individually, so this absence offers limited assurance. In 2025 the US Embassy in Peru warned citizens about deaths, assaults and robberies at unsupervised ceremony centers around Iquitos, per Infobae; the alert did not name this center.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. The UK company El Mundo Magico Ltd says Sammarco founded it after a 2000 ceremony and that the Peruvian venue is run by Sacharuna E.I.R.L., whose director is Hoyos, per its team page (unverified). Its healers include vegetalista Don Guido and Don Armando and visiting Shipibo maestros, per its shamans page. Its venue has changed at least once since 2017.

Toé and camalonga. Toé is Brugmansia, and the site says it may be drunk as fresh juice; camalonga is Thevetia peruviana. Both are toxic plants (unverified), and they are scheduled weekly alongside ayahuasca, described as voluntary.

Screening and medical support. Guests complete a medical questionnaire and a Peruvian health declaration, and the eligibility page excludes antidepressants, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. No medical staff, emergency protocol or hospital distance is published, and the site has no electricity or hot water. Hospitals are in Iquitos (unverified).

Status. Operating in Peru, with pages updated in 2026; the Colombian program is listed as “temporarily suspended”.

Legal context. Peru declared traditional ayahuasca use national cultural heritage in 2008, per Psychedelic Alpha, and has no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask whether you can decline toé and camalonga and what medical help is available on site. 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 prepared by its healers, plus toé, camalonga and master-tree preparations. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hot lowland rainforest outside Iquitos; transfers must leave by mid-afternoon before dark.
• Rooms: Private bungalows with en-suite toilets and showers, without electricity or hot water.
• Style: Traditional vegetalista and Shipibo ceremonies with long dietas.

Practical guidance: Fly to Iquitos (IQT); airport or hotel pickup is included.

Should You Book?

Possibly, for experienced travelers who want a traditional dieta and decline the toxic plants. Ask in writing who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency and evacuation plan, the hospital route, and the refund terms for the balance. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

El Mundo Magico presents itself as a family-run bridge between Amazonian healers and foreign guests since 2000. 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

Programs are 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.