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

Marosa Healing Center: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Iquitos, Peru

Marosa Healing Center, formerly Marosa Ayahuasca Center, is a Shipibo family center near Iquitos opened in late 2019 by Maestra Angela Sanchez Rios and her son-in-law Tony Inga, according to its own website. It runs one-week to one-month retreats with four ayahuasca ceremonies a week and master plant dietas, from $1,000 to $3,600, in 11 private bungalows. It rates 5.0 on AyaAdvisors from 52 reviews praising the maestras and maestros, the family’s warmth and the food. Against that, our earlier profile reported a 2023 allegation that a hired shaman touched a guest inappropriately, which remains unverified; recent reviews describe outside groups joining ceremonies unannounced and poor hygiene; the center claims to treat cancer and autoimmune disease; and no contraindication policy, medical staff, emergency plan or legal entity is published.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: “Iquitos, Peru,” per its website; its Retreat Guru page places it about an hour from the city in the Allpahuayo-Mishana reserve. No village or GPS is published.
• Approach: Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies four nights a week with a small first dose, master plant dietas, mapacho, plant vapor and plant baths; reviews also mention kambo.
• Suitable For: Travelers wanting a traditional Shipibo dieta, after getting medication rules, an emergency plan and a no-visitors ceremony policy in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,000 for one week with four ceremonies, $1,500 for 11 days, $2,000 for two weeks, $3,000 for three weeks and $3,600 for a month with 16 ceremonies, per its retreat page, including food, transport and a private bungalow. A three-month apprenticeship costs $10,000. No deposit or refund policy is published.
• Overall Assessment: A named Shipibo family, small groups and consistent praise, offset by an unverified misconduct allegation, reports of outside guests joining ceremonies, hygiene complaints, unsupported cure claims and no published safety framework. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers praise Maestra Angela and the other maestros, the family’s warmth, good dieta food, English-speaking support, a small group and an authentic Shipibo setting.

The negative feedback. A late 2025 Google review, shown on AyaAdvisors, praises the healers but reports maggots in a shower head, unfiltered creek water, rats, a dog with a bleeding wound near the dining area, a group of 26 with its own shaman joining a ceremony unannounced, part of a ceremony led by a non-Shipibo practitioner, and a sales dispute with the owner. A November 2025 five-star review says two unannounced visitors joined a ceremony, one of whom had used cannabis that day. A 2024 review mentions unsafe pond water, water outages and a rough access road. Unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. AyaAdvisors shows every review at five stars while displaying a detailed negative Google review, and its 2025 “best in Peru” article ranks Marosa second without a stated method. A promotional directory repeats the listing with a “registered church” claim no other source supports. 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 Marosa, Angela Sanchez Rios, Tony Inga and the facilitators named on its listings.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found in news or legal records. Our earlier profile cited a 2023 Reddit comment saying a guest was seriously injured and a ceremony halted when the maloca roof broke in a storm. Unverified.
• Sexual misconduct: Our earlier profile cited a September 2023 r/Ayahuasca post alleging that a shaman named Jorge, hired by Marosa, touched a guest inappropriately during a ceremony and later in her tambo, claiming to heal her stomach, and that the guest reported it to facilitator Jordan with no follow-up confirmed. Jordan is named on the center’s site as its first apprentice and facilitator; no source names a Jorge. Unverified.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

Our earlier profile also cited a December 2022 r/ayahuascaretreats post describing a dangerous access road, a risk for emergency evacuation; a 2024 review mentions a rough road. In June 2025 a US tourist died after an ayahuasca session at a different retreat in the Alto Nanay district, as Swissinfo reported; that case does not involve this center.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. A phone interview is required before booking, but no written medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published, and no hospital is named.

Health claims. The center’s medicine page says ayahuasca works like an antidepressant “without the long-term side effects,” and its Retreat Guru pages say it treats cancer, autoimmune disease and nervous system disorders. These claims are unsupported. Toé (brugmansia) is listed among its plant vapors.

Group size and ceremony control. The homepage says no more than ten guests, AyaAdvisors says 14, and two reviewers describe outside visitors joining ceremonies without notice.

Who runs it. The founders say they previously worked at Arkana and Soltara, which was not corroborated. No Peruvian tax number (RUC) or company was found, and listings give US phone numbers.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where traditional use is national cultural heritage, but retreat centers are not licensed, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Retreat Guru places the center about an hour from Iquitos, not 25 minutes, and no source mentions a white-sand lagoon. Prices top out at $3,600 for a month on the center’s own table, not $4,000. Group size is stated as ten on the center’s homepage. Guest praise on the center’s site for “profound” ceremonies, Retreat Guru reviews calling the setting “beautiful,” Facebook group posts about feeling cared for like family, and the three Reddit reports above remain unverified. The Iquitos area, Shipibo family operation, late 2019 founding, Maestra Angela’s 20-plus years, Tony Inga’s role, retreats of one week to a month, four ceremonies a week, master plant dietas, basic amenities and the absence of verified theft or crime are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Only a phone interview is described, and the center markets ayahuasca as an antidepressant alternative. 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

Ceremonies last four to six hours and start with a small dose. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Dieta plants include ajo sacha, marosa, bobinsana, chiric sanango, noya rao and others.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Lowland rainforest outside Iquitos, reached by a rough road.
• Rooms: 11 private bungalows with three communal showers and three bathrooms, a hammock house and a maloca.
• Style: Traditional Shipibo family healing with salt, oil and sugar-free dieta food.

Practical guidance: Transport is included; pickup is on the morning of the start day, and retreats begin on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Should You Book?

Only after getting a contraindication list, the emergency plan, a policy on outside visitors in ceremonies and the names of every healer in writing. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Maestra Angela Sanchez Rios is described as a Shipibo healer with over 25 years of experience, and Tony Inga as handling operations, pickups and translation. Reviews name Maestros Fredy, Luis, Pedro and Elias, and the site names an apprentice, Brittany. 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: The center lists integration support; 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 start every Sunday and Wednesday; see the center’s retreat page. 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.