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

NuArc: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies in Puglia, Italy

NuArc is a small permaculture project and vegan guesthouse in the Valle d’Itria countryside of Puglia, between Martina Franca, Cisternino and Locorotondo, that hosted weekend ayahuasca ceremonies for three to five people in 2019 with unnamed facilitators, according to its own website. The project’s named people are permaculture tutor Niki Hull and a co-host named Andrew. An unclaimed AyaAdvisors listing says the facilitators travel from the Netherlands and lists $225 to $395. Against that, ayahuasca’s ingredients were added to Italy’s most restrictive drug table in 2022 and DMT was already controlled, no facilitator, lineage, legal entity, contraindication policy or emergency plan is published, there are no independent reviews, and no dated activity was found after February 2020.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Valle d’Itria, Puglia, Italy, on a six-and-a-half-acre plot with a trullo, per its guesthouse page. No village or address is published.
• Approach: “Peruvian-style” overnight ayahuasca ceremonies of up to four people, with vegan meals, Reiki and pre and aftercare.
• Suitable For: No one at present; ayahuasca is illegal in Italy and the project appears inactive. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: The operator says “Contact us for more information and prices”; AyaAdvisors lists $225 to $395. No deposit or refund policy is published. Our earlier $1,800 figure is unverified.
• Overall Assessment: A tiny, likely dormant guesthouse operation with unnamed facilitators, no published safety framework and serious legal exposure in Italy. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Three first-name testimonials on the project’s own site describe welcoming hosts, a small relaxed group, a “safe space” and a Reiki session. Our earlier profile cited positive Quora feedback from before 2020. Unverified.

The negative feedback. None found.

Who is writing the reviews. The only testimonials are self-published, and no third-party reviews exist. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English, Italian and Dutch-language news for reports involving NuArc and its named people.

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

Elsewhere in Italy, prosecutors have investigated participants after a 2024 death linked to an ayahuasca rite near Treviso, as ANSA reported; that case does not involve NuArc. Our earlier profile found no incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. Applicants complete “a short questionnaire” whose contents are not published. No contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published, and the illegal setting may discourage calling emergency services.

Who runs it. Niki Hull ran permaculture courses at NuArc in 2015 and 2016, per the UK Permaculture Association. The ceremony facilitators are never named, and no Italian business or association registration was found.

Legal context. A Ministry of Health decree published in March 2022 added the ayahuasca vine, chacruna and ayahuasca preparations to Table I of Italy’s drug law, per the Gazzetta Ufficiale; DMT was already listed when NuArc held its ceremonies. Ayahuasca is also illegal in the Netherlands, where the facilitators reportedly come from.

Corrections to our earlier profile. AyaAdvisors lists $225 to $395, not $1,800, and our $1,500 to $2,500 estimate is unverified. Groups were capped at three to five. The Quora feedback remains unverified. The Puglia countryside location, weekend ceremonies, plant-based meals, pre and aftercare and facilitators from the Netherlands, the last per AyaAdvisors only, are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindications are published. 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

The facilitators brought the brew; its source is not described. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Olive and oak countryside in inland Puglia, with rainwater cisterns and no mains water.
• Rooms: A country guesthouse for two to four people.
• Style: Small overnight ceremonies in a vegan permaculture setting.

Practical guidance: Brindisi airport is about an hour away; the hosts offered pickup from the local station or town.

Should You Book?

No. Ayahuasca is illegal in Italy, and the project shows no activity since early 2020. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The founders moved to Puglia in 2014 to build an eco-education and wellness center, crowdfunded a trullo renovation and ran permaculture courses before adding ayahuasca weekends in 2019. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go anywhere similar: 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

Book Your Ceremony

No current dates are listed on the project’s 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.