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

La Medicina: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Tarapoto, Peru

La Medicina is a Shipibo-led ayahuasca center on about 30 hectares at the edge of the Cordillera Escalera, about 20 minutes from Tarapoto, Peru, operating since about 2011 under owners who have since changed, with ceremonies led by Maestro Gabriel, Maestra Tania and other Shipibo healers, offering six to 10-day retreats and a 15-day master plant dieta for up to 12 guests from $1,860, per its website. It publishes a detailed contraindication list, requires a medical and psychological evaluation and works with a veterans nonprofit. Against that, no medical staff or emergency protocol is published, the only emergency contact is email at a site with no phone signal, guests pay all medical costs, and the owners and company are not disclosed while 75% is charged at application and the rest in cash.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: An off-grid sanctuary at the foot of the Cordillera Escalera, about 20 minutes from Tarapoto, San Martín, Peru, per its website and a Heroic Hearts Project guide; its Retreat Guru page gives the address as Yurimaguas.
• Approach: Three to five Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies with icaros, a lemongrass vomitivo, daily flower baths, healer consultations, yoga and sharing circles; the 10-day retreat ends with an “Arkana” ceremony, and a 15-day master plant dieta is offered.
• Suitable For: Adults wanting a traditional Shipibo program near a city, who meet its contraindication rules and carry evacuation insurance. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,860 to $2,860 for six days and $2,550 to $4,240 for 10 days, per its Retreat Guru program page; the dieta is listed at $2,600. Its terms require 75% by card at application and the balance “in pristine USD bills” on arrival; refunds minus $250 are available more than eight weeks out, after which only a date transfer is offered, and the full price is due for cancellations within 48 hours.
• Overall Assessment: Experienced Shipibo healers, real screening, small groups and a long record with no incidents found, offset by no medical cover or emergency plan, undisclosed ownership and strict cash-heavy terms. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Retreat Guru shows 5.0 from 13 reviews, with the visible ones dated April to September 2026 praising the maestros’ experience, the facilitators, feeling safe, food that handles vegan and gluten-free diets, integration support and the jungle setting; one guest was on a fourth visit, per its Retreat Guru page. A 2022 independent blog by a veteran funded through Heroic Hearts describes a caring team and grounds, per Travels for Chocolate. The center’s own survey claims a 9.5 out of 10 rating without a sample size. 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 La Medicina and its named maestros and staff.

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

Several staff publish first names only, which limits this search. La Medicina is not the Dos Mundos center on the Yurimaguas road, where a guest was killed in 2024 and the attacker was sentenced in December 2025, per Infobae.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Ceremonies are led by Maestro Gabriel (Niwe), who says he began master-plant training at 11, Maestra Tania (Neten Yaca) from the Shipibo village of Roaboya, who names her grandfather, uncle and cousin as teachers, Maestra Sulmira and Maestro Jorge, per its team page (unverified). Vlad is general manager and a facilitator, alongside facilitators Kasey, Matty and Michelle, all named by first name only. A staff bio refers to “the previous owners of La Medicina”, who are not named, per Matty’s profile; the current owners and company are not disclosed, and no tax number was found.

Screening and medical support. Every applicant must pass a medical and psychological evaluation, and its contraindications page lists SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, antipsychotics, stimulants, blood-pressure drugs and other medications, with mental-health history reviewed case by case. At least three facilitators are on site, but no doctor, nurse or emergency protocol is named, its FAQ gives email as the only emergency contact, and the site has no phone signal. Its terms say the center is not liable for injury and that guests pay all medical costs; travel insurance is mandatory. Tarapoto’s hospitals are about 20 minutes away.

Listings. Retreat Guru files the center under Yurimaguas rather than Tarapoto, advertises a 2027 schedule with no 2027 dates, and lists a pool, spa and Wi-Fi that its partner guide’s off-grid description does not mention.

Status. Operating, with reviews from September 2026 and a 10-day retreat open for 1 to 10 December 2026.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where its traditional use was declared national cultural heritage in 2008, and there is no licensing regime for retreat centers, per ICEERS. Prosecutors opened an investigation after a US tourist died at an unrelated Loreto lodge in 2025, per EFE via Swissinfo.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

La Medicina’s published medication list covers the main interaction risks. 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 in Shipibo ceremonies by its resident maestros; the source and recipe are not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hot, humid high rainforest at the edge of a protected range, off-grid on solar power, with a river and spring water, per its partner guide.
• Rooms: Eleven options from studios and private-bath rooms to basic forest tambos without toilets or water, per its Retreat Guru program page.
• Style: Traditional Shipibo ceremony and dieta, run by a Western team with yoga and sharing circles.

Practical guidance: Fly to Tarapoto (TPP); the center collects guests at 11:00 on day one from a designated hotel in town.

Should You Book?

Yes, for adults who meet its contraindication rules and accept its terms. Ask in writing who on site is trained in first aid, how an emergency is handled without phone signal and which hospital is used, which company you are paying, and how the cash balance is receipted. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

La Medicina says it has operated since 2011 and now runs under new owners; it partners with the Heroic Hearts Project, a veterans nonprofit. 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 insurance that covers evacuation. After you return: Use its integration guide 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

Dates are listed on its website and Retreat Guru. 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.