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

Onaya Peru Travel & Healing (formerly Onaya Retreat): An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Santa Teresa, Peru

Former name. This retreat previously traded as Onaya Retreat. Our profile under that name, Onaya Retreat, keeps the earlier record.

Onaya Retreat, now trading as Onaya Peru Travel & Healing, is a small ayahuasca retreat at Playa Sahuayaco in Santa Teresa District, Cusco, on the Salkantay trek route near Machu Picchu, according to its Retreat Guru page. It is managed by Svetlana Santillan, who describes herself as a psychotherapist and ayahuasca integration guide. Groups of up to seven sit three or four ceremonies with Shipibo healers, with a doctor-reviewed intake, a month of integration support and Cusco airport pickup, from $995 for five days. It rates 5.0 from 25 reviews across three Tripadvisor listings. Against that, no healer or medical staff member is named in full, Santillan’s credentials are self-described, no contraindications or emergency plan is published for a site about seven hours by road from Cusco, no legal entity was found, and reviews arrived in bursts.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Playa Sahuayaco, a village at about 2,200 m in Santa Teresa District, La Convención, Cusco, per the operator; no GPS is published. Two 2026 reviews describe a retreat held in the Sacred Valley. Unverified.
• Approach: Three or four ayahuasca ceremonies with Shipibo healers, psychotherapist preparation, floral baths, yoga, integration circles, and coffee farm and hot springs trips; some packages add Machu Picchu or the Salkantay trek.
• Suitable For: People wanting a small retreat combined with travel, after getting healer names, contraindications and an emergency plan in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: Five days $995 plus a $45 medicine fee, per its Retreat Guru listings, or from $925 on BookRetreats; seven days $1,495; seven days with Machu Picchu $1,895; the Salkantay package $900 plus a $1,399 medicine fee. Retreat Guru says the deposit is “fully refundable until 1 day prior”; BookRetreats refunds no deposit inside 30 days.
• Overall Assessment: A small, well-reviewed retreat with screening and integration claims, offset by unnamed healers and medical staff, no published contraindications or emergency plan at a remote site, no legal entity and bursty reviews. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers describe a small, family-like group, feeling safe, Svetlana’s personal support and trip planning, healthy organic food, the healer’s icaros and good value.

The negative feedback. None found beyond insects.

Who is writing the reviews. All ten reviews on the 2023 listing were written within eight weeks, several in near-identical generic wording, and at least five 2025 reviews were written within two weeks for stays spanning nine months, consistent with review-request campaigns. Three Tripadvisor listings exist for one operator. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English, Spanish and Russian-language news for reports involving Onaya, Svetlana Santillan and its healers.

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

Healers are not named in full, so no healer was checked individually. In January 2025 the US Embassy in Lima advised Americans not to use ayahuasca, saying retreat facilities are not regulated, as Marijuana Moment reported. 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. The operator says a doctor reviews a medical intake, a psychologist is on site and “medical support” is available when needed; an older listing claimed an on-site nurse. No one is named, and no contraindication list, emergency protocol or nearest hospital is published. Santa Teresa is about seven hours by road from Cusco, per Bookaway.

Who runs it. Santillan says she trained in clinical psychology and has over ten years of experience, per her Retreat Guru bio, but lists no degree or license. One review names the healer only as “Maxi.” No Peruvian company, tax number (RUC), website or social account was found. It is not Onaya (onaya.io), the research group led by psychiatrist Simon Ruffell, or Onanya Healing Centre near Pucallpa.

Legal context. Peru declared traditional ayahuasca knowledge and use national cultural heritage in 2008 while distinguishing it from commercial use, as Andina reported; there is no licensing regime for retreats.

Corrections to our earlier profile. No source calls Svetlana the founder; she is described as its manager. Prices are published, from $925 to $1,895, and our $2,500 sidebar figure appears on no listing. Retreat Guru shows no reviews, so earlier praise there is unconfirmed. The claim that healers are fairly compensated remains unverified. “Medical professionals on site” is the operator’s claim, with no names. The location near Machu Picchu in the hills of Santa Teresa, Shipibo healers, therapist preparation, health screening, dietary preparation, guided integration and Tripadvisor praise are confirmed from operator listings and reviews.

🆘 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

Ayahuasca served by Shipibo healers. It combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Floral baths are also used.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A village on the Salkantay trek at about 2,200 m in the high-jungle valley of Santa Teresa, per Tierras Vivas.
• Rooms: Shared doubles with indoor bathrooms or singles with outdoor bathrooms; hot water.
• Style: Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies with psychotherapy-led integration and sightseeing.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cusco; airport pickup and ground transport are included.

Should You Book?

Possibly, for a small retreat, after getting the healers’ names, medication contraindications, medical staff and an emergency plan in writing, along with the refund terms of the platform you book through. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The earliest dated guest evidence is from 2022. By 2024 the listing was renamed Onaya Peru Travel & Healing and described as a women-led travel agency in Cusco. Reviews also mention a trek guide and assistants who support guests during ceremonies. 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 program includes a month of 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

Programs are listed on the center’s Retreat Guru 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.