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

Munay Medicine: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca and San Pedro Retreats in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Munay Medicine is a self-described luxury ayahuasca, San Pedro and kambo retreat founded by David Walton at the Tambo del Caminante guesthouse in Huarán, between Calca and Urubamba in Peru’s Sacred Valley, that sold three, six and nine-night stays for up to eight guests, with nine nights at $2,250, per its AyaAdvisors listing and an undated FAQ. Guests praised caring hosts, private rooms and airport pickup. Against that, ceremonies were led by its Western founder with no named curandero or lineage, no contraindications, medical staff or emergency plan were published, it claimed the plants help depression, and nothing dated after 2018 was found.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Tambo del Caminante, on the Calca to Urubamba highway in Huarán, Sacred Valley, about 50 km from Cusco, Peru. A 2018 review said the founder planned a new retreat in Portugal, and the site’s last title referred to Monchique, Portugal (unverified).
• Approach: Ayahuasca brought from the Amazon, San Pedro prepared on site and kambo, with guided meditation, counselling, energy healing and massage.
• Suitable For: Readers researching the center’s history; current operation is unconfirmed. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $2,250 for nine nights single or $4,050 for a couple, with Cusco airport pickup on nine-night stays, per its FAQ; AyaAdvisors lists $750 to $2,700. No deposit or refund policy was published.
• Overall Assessment: Well-reviewed hosting, offset by founder-led ceremonies without a stated lineage, no published medical safeguards, unsupported health claims, clustered reviews and no activity found since 2018. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

AyaAdvisors shows 4.9 from 50 reviews, 49 of them five-star, with visible reviews from 2018 praising warm staff, food and rooms and noting altitude insomnia. Tripadvisor lists it as a “Specialty Hotel” with 13 five-star reviews, most posted in a few days in September 2017. One AyaAdvisors review is one star; its text was not visible. 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 Munay Medicine, Tambo del Caminante and David Walton, and Portuguese sources for Munay Medicine in Monchique.

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

The founder’s name is common and staff are known by first names only, 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. David Walton describes a Buddhist background and a former career as a company director, and claims no shamanic training or lineage, per a promotional Ecohustler profile (unverified). Reviews say he led the ceremonies himself. No company or tax number was found.

Screening and medical support. The FAQ asked guests only to disclose prescription drugs “for specific advice”; no contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol was published. Hospitals are in Cusco, about 50 km away.

Health claims. The operator said the plants help with depression, stress and anxiety, and its promotional profile said they cure depression. These claims are unsupported.

Status. The last dated review is from July 2018, and its website no longer resolved in November 2026. Whether it operates in Portugal is unconfirmed. Treat it as possibly closed.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, its traditional use is national heritage, and there is no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS. In Portugal DMT is a controlled drug and serving ayahuasca carries legal risk, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

A center that markets ayahuasca for depression without a published contraindication list may attract people taking antidepressants. 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 brought from the Amazon by a long-standing supplier, per its FAQ; the supplier is not named. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Cool, high Andean valley with gardens and mountain views.
• Rooms: Six private rooms in the guesthouse.
• Style: Western-led ceremonies with meditation and counselling.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cusco (CUZ) and allow time to acclimatize to the altitude.

Should You Book?

Only with caution, and it may no longer operate. If you find it running, ask in writing where it operates now, who prepares and serves the medicine and their training, the screening questions and contraindication list, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan, the refund terms, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Munay Medicine presented itself as a luxury retreat for people with “a Western mindset” seeking personal transformation. 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 check the law in the country where the ceremony takes place. 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

Book Your Ceremony

No current booking page was found; its last listing is on AyaAdvisors. 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.