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

Feather Crown: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Santa Clara, Ecuador

Feather Crown is an ayahuasca retreat on a 23-hectare private reserve called Sacred River, on the Piatúa River near Santa Clara in Ecuador’s Pastaza province, bordering Llanganates National Park and about four hours from Quito. It was founded in 2008 by Czech organizer Jan Rostlinka, and ceremonies are led by Kichwa yachak Don Carlos Landázuri or Shipibo healer Maestro Sina (Emilio Ramírez Ríos), depending on the date. Retreats of 5 and 10 days cost $890 and $1,790, and a 30-day Shipibo dieta costs $3,700, for up to 12 guests in private rooms. It publishes a detailed health form and contraindication list, has sober helpers and a psychologist on site, and rates 4.93 from 14 reviews on Retreat Guru and 4.9 from 24 on AyaAdvisors. Against that, no doctor or nurse is named, the center says it is “not equipped to handle serious emergencies,” deposit and refund terms differ across pages, no legal entity was found, and an older privacy complaint remains unverified. We found no incidents.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Santa Clara, Pastaza, on the Piatúa River, according to its venue page. Some listings place it near Tena in Napo.
• Approach: Kichwa or Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies with individual limpias, plant baths, a sananga ceremony, optional tobacco work and purgatives, translated integration circles and a Kichwa cultural program.
• Suitable For: Adults, including first-timers, wanting a traditional, mid-sized retreat in the rainforest who accept that no medical staff are on site. Not suitable for people taking MAOIs, antipsychotics or most antidepressants, or with the heart and psychiatric conditions on its list.
• Costs: $890 for five days, $1,790 for ten days and $3,700 for a 30-day dieta, according to its prices page. Deposits of $200 to $800 are non-refundable but transferable on its own site, while Retreat Guru says deposits are refundable until a day before. Transfers from Quito cost $50 shared or $130 private, each way.
• Overall Assessment: Experienced indigenous healers, published screening and safety rules, small groups, private rooms and steady reviews since 2019, offset by no medical staff, conflicting deposit terms, no visible legal entity, near-duplicate reviews and an unresolved older complaint. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers praise the sense of safety, Don Carlos’s singing and presence, the Kichwa staff, the food, river swimming, the organized transfers and hot showers, and many call the experience life-changing.

The negative feedback. One AyaAdvisors review gives three stars; its content is not visible. A 2019 review calls the ceremonies intense and notes that there was no electricity or Wi-Fi then, since added.

Who is writing the reviews. Two AyaAdvisors reviews from 2025 and 2026, under different names, have nearly identical text. Retreat Guru shows only 5 of its 14 reviews, none after 2020, and the operator’s own site claims a 5.0 Google rating with no count shown. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English, Spanish and Czech-language news for reports involving Feather Crown, Jan Rostlinka, Don Carlos Landázuri and Maestro Sina.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found. The center publishes a rule that any touch in ceremony must be “appropriate, non-sexual and based on a practical need to help.”
• Theft and fraud: No complaints found.
• Legal action: No police action, raids or lawsuits found, and no ayahuasca enforcement in Pastaza or Napo.

Our earlier profile cited a 2016 AyaAdvisors review alleging that the center created a fake web page containing a person’s details after a query. No copy of that review was found, and the allegation remains unverified. Our earlier profile found no theft, sexual misconduct or crime.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

No medical staff. The registration form says the center is “not a medical facility” and its staff “are not licensed doctors,” and its health page says it is “not equipped to handle serious emergencies.” It does keep a vehicle and sober driver available.

Deposit and refund terms. The site gives a $200, $400 or $800 deposit depending on the page, non-refundable except if the center cancels or screening fails; Retreat Guru promises a refundable deposit. Get the terms in writing.

Who runs it. No company, foundation or tax number (RUC) appears on any page, and the rainforest fund takes donations to a personal email address. “Rostlinka” means “little plant” in Czech, and older testimonials call the founder by another name; no legal surname was confirmed. Rostlinka also owns Ritual Items, an online shop in Pastaza that ships ceremonial products such as mapacho, rapé, sananga and cacao.

Inconsistent biographies. Ages and years of experience differ across pages for Jan (39 or 44), Don Carlos (78 or 82) and Maestro Sina (73 or 75, with 35 or “more than 40” years of practice), and Jan’s training with Sina is given as five or more than 13 years. The registration form collects passport numbers with no privacy statement.

Ecuador’s legal picture. DMT is listed under Ecuadorian drug law, but ancestral ceremonial use is tolerated and unregulated, with no licensing regime, according to Mind Medicine Law. A 2023 academic paper argues that the state should not punish ancestral ayahuasca use.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Prices rose to $890 and $1,790; the $790 and $1,690 figures are outdated. Facilitators are named, the team has changed, and Maestro Sina and a 30-day dieta were added. Meals are not only vegetarian. The health requirements, website and social accounts are public. Recent AyaAdvisors reviews date from 2025 and 2026. We found no source for “over 1000 visitors,” flights via Coca, a two-week MAOI diet, a packing list, a 2023 Tripadvisor review or 2025 dates; those remain unverified.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Guests complete a detailed registration form covering blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, suicidal ideation, mental illness, addiction, medications and supplements, and prior experience. MAOIs, antipsychotics and pregnancy are excluded; many antidepressants require at least 30 days off, and guests are told to consult their prescriber. Four to five sober helpers attend ceremonies and psychologist Barbora Alegría is present. A medical post is about 15 minutes away and a hospital about 40 minutes, neither named. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

The center says it brews Banisteriopsis caapi with chacruna (Psychotria viridis) or chalipanga (Diplopterys cabrerana), with “no toé, synthetic substances or undisclosed additives,” and guests can watch the preparation. Sananga eye drops and optional tobacco and plant purgatives are also used. Erowid explains how the vine and DMT-containing leaves work together.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A private rainforest reserve in the Amazon foothills, with river bathing, a waterfall, petroglyphs and a circular ceremonial temple.
• Rooms: Bamboo cabins with private rooms, hot showers, solar power and Starlink Wi-Fi; guests are not roomed with strangers.
• Style: A traditional indigenous-led retreat for 6 to 12 guests, with Kichwa storytelling, crafts and a Shipibo textile talk.

Practical guidance: Fly to Quito and book the shared or private transfer, or take a bus to Tena or Puyo. Three meals a day are served, with meat, vegetarian or vegan options.

Should You Book?

It can suit guests who want a traditional retreat with published safety rules, with care. Ask who will lead your dates, how a medical emergency is handled and where the nearest hospital is, which deposit and refund terms apply, which company takes your payment, and how your passport details are stored, and get the answers in writing. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Jan Rostlinka says he has lived with the Kichwa since 2008 and trained as an integration therapist; he translates and serves tobacco and sananga. Don Carlos Landázuri is described as a Napo Kichwa yachak, Maestro Sina as a Shipibo onanya from the Ucayali whose son Gilmer assists, Omar Yumbo as a Kichwa assistant and guide, and Barbora Alegría as a psychologist and translator. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Complete the health form honestly and plan any medication change with your own doctor. After you return: Use the integration circles and post-retreat support, and 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

Retreats are booked through the center’s website, with dates through May 2027. Before paying, confirm the leader, emergency plan and deposit terms in writing. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed October 2026.

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