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

Laura Caputo (Amazon Healing Journey): An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Iquitos, Peru

Laura Caputo is an energy-work facilitator who, with co-facilitator Alex Eberle, sells a 14-day “Amazon Healingjourney” retreat with four or five ayahuasca ceremonies led by ayahuasquero Don Viejo (César Agustín Rivas) and Nina Caspi at his camp about an hour by boat from Iquitos, Peru, for up to 12 guests at €2,590, per its Retreat Guru program page. The ceremonies are led by the son of a well-known ayahuasquero and include river transfers and follow-up. Against that, it has no reviews or website, the camp’s location is not published, and no screening, contraindications, medical staff, emergency plan or consent policy is published for a program that mixes ceremony with tantra and energy work.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: The camp of Don Viejo Rivas, about an hour by boat from Iquitos and a short walk or mototaxi ride, Loreto, Peru; it is probably near Tamshiyacu (unverified).
• Approach: Four or five ayahuasca ceremonies, herbal baths, a parasite cleanse, individual sessions with the curanderos, energy healing and tobacco cleansing; Alex Eberle also advertises kambo.
• Suitable For: People wanting a facilitated group trip to a traditional camp who can screen themselves. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: €2,590 for 14 days, 24 January to 6 February 2027, including river transfers, lodging, meals and ceremonies; flights and the Iquitos hotel are extra. The deposit is refundable until a day before and full payment until 60 days before; the deposit amount is not shown.
• Overall Assessment: Ceremonies with a named mestizo lineage, offset by no track record, an undisclosed location, no published medical safeguards or consent policy, and a contradictory listing. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Laura Caputo has no reviews on her Retreat Guru page, and none were found elsewhere. 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 Laura Caputo, Alex Eberle, Don Viejo (César Agustín Rivas) and Nina Caspi.

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

The organizers 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. Laura Caputo describes more than 17 years in energy work, mediumship, master plants, yoni egg practice and “authentic Tantra”, per her teacher profile, and Alex Eberle describes NLP, hypnosis, tobacco cleansing and kambo, per his profile (both unverified). Ceremonies are led by Don Viejo, described as César Agustín Rivas, son of the ayahuasquero and sculptor Agustín Rivas Vásquez, subject of the book Amazon Magic, and his partner Nina Caspi. No website, company or tax number appears.

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff, emergency protocol or consent policy is published. Hospitals are in Iquitos, roughly one and a half to two and a half hours away (our estimate).

Listings. Amenity tags show a pool, spa and sauna while the text describes “clean and basic accommodation”, and the listing says the boat goes down the Amazon although the likely site is upstream.

Status. Taking bookings for January 2027; no past retreats are documented.

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 screening or medical staff, guests must screen themselves carefully. 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 Don Viejo and Nina Caspi; 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 near the Amazon River.
• Rooms: Basic camp lodging with mosquito nets and electricity.
• Style: Mestizo ayahuasquero ceremonies combined with European-led energy work.

Practical guidance: Fly to Iquitos (IQT) and book your own hotel there before and after the camp.

Should You Book?

Only with caution. Ask in writing for the camp’s exact location, the screening questions and contraindication list, the consent policy for bodywork and energy work, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and travel time to a hospital, the deposit amount, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The organizers bring groups from Europe to a long-running family ceremony camp. 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: Use the follow-up call offered 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

The retreat is listed on 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.