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

Onanya Joni Shipibo Medicine: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies near Lisbon, Portugal

Onanya Joni Shipibo Medicine, also branded Onanya Joni Ayahuasca Europe, is a partnership based around Lisbon, Portugal, led by Sankan Usna, whose legal name is given as Geraldine Correia, with co-founder Soi Behua, two Western vegetalistas who say they work in the Shipibo and Quechua-Lamista traditions and follow Takiwasi’s methods, offering monthly ayahuasca ceremonies, weekend introductions, week-long retreats, 10-day master plant dietas and tobacco ceremonies, per its about page. It has been active since at least 2015. Against that, no venue, prices, refund terms, legal entity, medical staff or emergency plan were found, its “Shipibo” branding is used by Western facilitators, and it holds paid ceremonies in a country that prosecutes ayahuasca supply.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: The Lisbon area of Portugal, per its website; the venue is not published, and a probable French sister site suggests ceremonies in France too (unverified).
• Approach: Small-group ayahuasca ceremonies with icaros, master plant dietas in isolation, and tobacco ceremonies that include drinking tobacco juice.
• Suitable For: Experienced adults in Europe who accept the legal risk and arrange their own medical screening. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: No prices, deposits or refund terms are published on its main pages; programs require an application.
• Overall Assessment: Long-running facilitators who cite a recognized treatment model, offset by an undisclosed venue, no published safeguards, misleading “Shipibo” branding and legal exposure. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

An unclaimed AyaAdvisors listing shows one five-star review from January 2015 praising personalized icaros from two healers. No other ratings were found. 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, Portuguese and Spanish-language news for reports involving Onanya Joni, Sankan Usna, Geraldine Correia and Soi Behua.

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

Soi Behua’s legal name is not published and French-language news was not searched, 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. The about page describes Sankan Usna as the current head and both founders as “western” practitioners trained by unnamed maestros since 2006. An author named Géraldine Correia has published books on ayahuasca, but the match is unverified. The operator calls itself a partnership, and no company or association was found.

Screening and medical support. Its site has an application form and a health concerns page, but no contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan is shown on its main pages. Drinking tobacco juice carries a risk of nicotine poisoning (unverified). With no venue disclosed, the distance to a hospital is unknown.

Status. Probably operating; its sites are live with a 2025 archive page.

Legal context. Portugal decriminalized personal drug use in 2001 but DMT remains controlled, per ICEERS, and in February 2026 two people were detained at Lisbon airport with ayahuasca meant for a ritual, per Público; that case did not involve this center.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask for the health policy and venue details in writing before applying. 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 the facilitators; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Mild Mediterranean climate around Lisbon; the venue is undisclosed.
• Rooms: Not described; dietas involve several days of isolation.
• Style: Western-led ceremonies modeled on Amazonian traditions.

Practical guidance: Fly to Lisbon (LIS) and confirm the venue and transport before paying.

Should You Book?

Only with caution. Ask in writing for the venue, the price and refund terms, the contraindication rules, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan and hospital route, and how the facilitators view their legal position. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Onanya Joni presents itself as bringing Shipibo plant medicine to Europe through small groups and dietas. 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: 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

Programs are listed on its 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.