Inin Jema

Atmosphere
Features
Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Inin Jema submits its own information.
Inin Jema: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru
Inin Jema is a Shipibo ayahuasca center in the forest about two hours by 4×4 from Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru, that its site says was founded in 2020 by maestro Guillermo Arévalo Valera and is now run by his eldest daughter, Hilda Arévalo, with a coordinator described as a French surgeon, offering 10-day retreats with seven ceremonies and plant dietas for up to 20 guests at $2,200, per its retreats page. It requires a screening interview and lists psychiatric, heart and addiction contraindications. Against that, its founder was the subject of a 2020 BBC report of an unproven sexual abuse allegation, no deposit or refund terms, legal entity, emergency plan or verifiable medical credentials are published, it is two hours from a hospital, and it has no independent reviews.
🎯 At a Glance
- Locations: A forest site in Shipibo territory about two hours by 4×4 from Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru; no village or GPS is published.
- Approach: Seven Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies per retreat with a supervised master plant dieta, plant and flower baths, interviews and themed workshops.
- Suitable For: Travelers seeking a Shipibo family setting who arrange their own medical screening and research its history. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
- Costs: $2,200 for 10-day classic or themed retreats, with longer retreats priced on request; flights and lodging in Pucallpa are extra, and the transfer to the center is not stated. No deposit or refund terms are published.
- Overall Assessment: A named Shipibo healing family and a written screening interview, offset by an unresolved allegation against its founder, thin transparency, a remote site with no published emergency plan and no independent reviews. Directory evaluation: C-.
💬 What Guests Are Saying
No reviews were found on Tripadvisor, Retreat Guru, BookRetreats, AyaAdvisors or other platforms. Its own homepage shows three short positive testimonials signed with first names or initials. 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 Inin Jema, Guillermo Arévalo Valera and Hilda Arévalo.
- Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
- Sexual misconduct: In January 2020 the BBC reported a female student’s account that Guillermo Arévalo touched her inappropriately during an ayahuasca ceremony, per Wikipedia, which notes the allegation was never proven or judged (unverified). No legal proceedings were found, and no allegation against Hilda Arévalo or Inin Jema was found. Anonymous blog comments from 2018 make similar unsourced claims.
- Theft and fraud: None found.
- Legal action: None found.
The coordinator has no published surname and was not searched. The 2018 killing of Shipibo healer Olivia Arévalo is not linked to this family by any source.
If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.
🔍 Critical Notes
Who runs it. Guillermo Arévalo is a well-known Shipibo healer who co-founded the AMETRA project and founded Espíritu de Anaconda near Iquitos, per Wikipedia; whether he still leads ceremonies at Inin Jema is not stated. The site gives Hilda’s second surname two different ways, the coordinator “Aziz” gives no surname, and no company or tax number is shown, per its homepage.
Screening and medical support. A mandatory interview checks medical and psychological fit, and the site lists psychiatric treatment, heart disorders and active addiction as reasons to postpone, but does not name SSRIs or MAOIs. The coordinator’s medical training is unverified, and no emergency or evacuation plan is published for a site two hours from Pucallpa.
Status. Probably operating; the site was updated in 2026, but no retreat dates are published and its blog posts read as generic marketing.
Legal context. Peru declared traditional ayahuasca knowledge and use national cultural heritage in 2008, per Andina, and has no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.
🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks
Ask for the full contraindication list, including SSRIs and MAOIs, before booking. 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 the Shipibo healers; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.
📍 Location, Setting & Style
- Setting: Hot lowland rainforest in Ucayali.
- Rooms: Simple single rooms with solar power and internet, per the site.
- Style: Shipibo family ceremonies with dietas and plant baths.
Practical guidance: Fly to Pucallpa (PCL) and confirm the transfer in writing.
Should You Book?
Only with caution. Ask in writing who leads each ceremony, whether Guillermo Arévalo is present, the center’s conduct policy for healers, the full names and credentials of medical staff, the evacuation plan and hospital route, and the refund terms. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.
The Team & Story
Inin Jema, which the site translates as “community of aromas”, presents itself as a center for traditional Shipibo medicine. 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
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Shipibo healing family | Unproven abuse allegation against founder |
| Screening interview and contraindications | No emergency plan, two hours from hospital |
| Published retreat price | No refund terms or legal entity |
| Single rooms | No independent reviews |
Book Your Ceremony
Retreats 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.

