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

Evolving Stardust: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Iquitos, Peru

Evolving Stardust is a US-based retreat organizer founded by Kate Maranville-Hiser that holds an eight-day retreat with three ayahuasca ceremonies led by Shipibo curandera Juanita Romayna Valle at her Centro Espiritual Madre de Selva in Puritania, outside Iquitos, Peru, for five to ten guests at $4,200, per its Retreat Guru program page. It works at an Indigenous woman-owned center and keeps groups small. Against that, it is new with no reviews, publishes no contraindications or medical staff and excludes medical and emergency costs, offers kambo in the same week, and its deposit and refund terms differ between platforms.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Centro Espiritual Madre de Selva, Puritania, outside Iquitos, Loreto, Peru, per its BookRetreats venue page; the exact distance from Iquitos is not stated.
• Approach: One non-psychoactive vine ceremony and three ayahuasca ceremonies with Shipibo icaros, optional kambo, and hapé and cacao circles, framed as a retreat “in right relationship” with the host community.
• Suitable For: People wanting a small group at an Indigenous-owned center with a Western organizer. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $4,200 for eight days, 7 to 14 January 2027, per its BookRetreats listing; the deposit is shown as 14% on Retreat Guru and $908 on BookRetreats, and refund terms and the airport transfer differ between the two.
• Overall Assessment: An ethically framed small retreat with a named Shipibo curandera, offset by no track record, thin medical disclosure, kambo in the same week and inconsistent terms. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Evolving Stardust has no reviews on Retreat Guru or BookRetreats, and none were found elsewhere; its listings appeared around August 2026. 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 Evolving Stardust, Kate Maranville-Hiser, Juanita Romayna Valle and Leo Musibay.

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

The organizer is new and the facilitators have little online presence, 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. Kate Maranville-Hiser describes herself as the founder and a certified kambo facilitator without naming the certifying body, per her teacher profile. Juanita Romayna Valle is described as a Shipibo curandera who owns the center and leads the ceremonies, per her profile, and Leo Musibay describes Bwiti, iboga and kambo roles, per his profile (all unverified). No website or company is named.

Screening and medical support. No contraindication list or medical staff is published, and the listing excludes medical care and emergency expenses. Kambo is offered in the same week as ayahuasca. Hospitals are in Iquitos, at an unstated distance.

Listings. Retreat Guru shows the January retreat sold out while BookRetreats still sells it, and BookRetreats text tells guests to arrive on 9 November 2026, apparently left from another date.

Status. Active, with one retreat listed for January 2027.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru and its traditional use is national heritage, while retreats operate without a licensing framework, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

With no published contraindication list or medical staff, guests must screen themselves. 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 Juanita Romayna Valle; 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: Hot Amazon lowland forest outside Iquitos.
• Rooms: Simple accommodation at the host center, which describes itself as not a luxury resort.
• Style: Shipibo ceremony at an Indigenous woman-owned center, organized by a US facilitator.

Practical guidance: Fly to Iquitos (IQT) and confirm in writing whether the airport transfer is included.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you value an Indigenous-owned venue. Ask in writing for the screening questions and contraindication list, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and travel time to a hospital, the deposit and refund terms, whether the retreat is sold out, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Evolving Stardust presents its retreat as a partnership with a Shipibo woman-owned center. 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 buy travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. 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 retreat is listed on Retreat Guru and BookRetreats. 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.