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

SankenMai: An In-Depth Review for Shipibo Ayahuasca Retreats near Pucallpa, Peru

SankenMai is a Shipibo family ayahuasca center on forest land outside the community of San Francisco on Yarinacocha lake, near Pucallpa, Peru, run since about 2011 by the López brothers, Efraín López (Neten Kea) and Walter López (Panshin Nima), that hosts groups mostly through foreign organizers at about $100 a day, per its AyaAdvisors listing and a Croatian organizer’s trip page. Its healers are publicly known and Walter López leads a Shipibo healers’ association. Against that, it publishes no screening, medical staff or emergency plan, has almost no reviews, and takes bookings through organizers with no refund terms. Efraín López was charged in Chile in 2017 over ayahuasca in his luggage; the case was dismissed in 2018.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Forest land about ten minutes from the Shipibo community of San Francisco on Yarinacocha lake, about an hour by road from Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru.
• Approach: Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies about three times a week, with saunas, plant baths, teas and individual talks with the healers.
• Suitable For: Travelers wanting a traditional Shipibo setting through an organized group. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: About $100 a day, or $1,400 for a 14-day group program with lodging and meals, plus a $200 deposit to the organizer; flights are extra. No refund terms are published.
• Overall Assessment: Recognized Shipibo healers in their own community, offset by no published safety information, almost no reviews and reliance on foreign organizers. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

AyaAdvisors shows 4.0 from 1 review from January 2017. No listing was found on Retreat Guru, BookRetreats or Tripadvisor, and 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, Spanish and Portuguese-language news for reports involving SankenMai, Efraín López and Walter López.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: In 2017 Chilean police found DMT in ayahuasca carried by Efraín López and his wife, who were charged with drug trafficking and held for several days; the case was definitively dismissed on 5 October 2018, per Meganoticias. It concerned carrying ceremonial ayahuasca abroad, not guest safety.

The third brother is known only by his Shipibo name, 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. Efraín López says he trained for 21 years under Mateo Arévalo, whose own center is listed as Don Mateo, and Walter López presides over ASOMASHK, the Shipibo healers’ association, and speaks at international conferences, per UFRN; he also promotes a separate private center, Paraíso do Panshin. No company or RUC tax number appears.

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published by the center or its organizers. Hospitals are in Yarinacocha and Pucallpa, roughly an hour away.

Listings. AyaAdvisors describes groups of four, while an organizer describes up to about 20 people per ceremony.

Status. Probably operating; a Croatian group trip is scheduled for February 2027.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, its traditional use is national heritage, and there is no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask the organizer and the healers how they screen guests and who checks medications. 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 prepared by the López family. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hot lowland rainforest near Yarinacocha lake.
• Rooms: Simple tambos on the family’s land.
• Style: Traditional Shipibo ceremonies led by a family of healers.

Practical guidance: Fly to Pucallpa (PCL); organizers arrange transport to the center.

Should You Book?

Possibly, through a trusted organizer. Ask in writing how much of your payment reaches the healers, the refund terms, the group size, the screening process, who on site is trained in first aid, and the emergency plan. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators. Do not confuse it with Mai Niti, another center near the same community.

The Team & Story

SankenMai, “the land of the medicine”, presents itself as a center fully owned by its Shipibo family. 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 buy insurance that covers evacuation. 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

The center is listed 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.