Atmosphere

Features

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

Tambo Ilusión: An In-Depth Review for Retreats in Tarapoto, Peru

Tambo Ilusión is a yoga, vegan and detox retreat on a 14-hectare private conservation area in La Banda de Shilcayo, about 15 minutes from Tarapoto, Peru, run by Canadian yoga and Reiki teacher Johanne Delisle and her Peruvian partner Armando, that offered ayahuasca ceremonies to guests around 2017 to 2019; its current programs, from $1,290 for five days, do not include ayahuasca, per its Retreat Guru page, which still lists “Ayahuesca retreats” in its mission. It has a long, strong review record and verified owners. Against that, the past ceremonies were led by a facilitator known only as “Lucho”, no screening or medical support was ever published, and its detox program uses coffee enemas and a liver flush with unsupported health claims.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Sector Laguna Venecia, La Banda de Shilcayo, San Martín, Peru, on the Tambo Ilusión Private Conservation Area, recognized in 2010 and renewed in perpetuity in 2021, per El Peruano.
• Approach: Current programs are jungle yoga, Reiki initiation, vegan cooking and a nine-day detox with juice fasting, coffee enemas and a liver flush; past guests describe an ayahuasca ceremony added at the end of a yoga stay.
• Suitable For: People wanting a quiet yoga stay in nature near Tarapoto. Anyone seeking ayahuasca here should confirm in writing whether it is still offered and by whom. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,290 for a five-day yoga retreat, $2,050 to $2,100 for the nine-day detox, $1,080 to $1,330 for the culinary retreat and $1,090 to $1,590 for Reiki, per its detox program page; no ayahuasca price is published. Refund terms differ between Retreat Guru and BookRetreats.
• Overall Assessment: A well-established, highly rated small eco-retreat with verified ownership, offset by past ayahuasca ceremonies with an unnamed facilitator and no published safeguards, and an unscreened detox program. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Tripadvisor shows 4.9 from 133 reviews from 2017 to 2026, per its Tripadvisor page, with an older listing holding 67 more; BookRetreats shows 4.94 from 47, mostly imported from Tripadvisor, per its BookRetreats page, and Retreat Guru 5.0 from 13. Guests praise the hosts’ warmth, the vegetarian food, the yoga and the spring-fed lagoon, and mention mosquitoes and heat. The one critical review, 3 stars in July 2026, complained of street noise; management disputed that the reviewer stayed there. 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 Tambo Ilusión, Johanne Delisle and Armando Rodríguez Tynan.

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

The ayahuasca facilitator is known only as “Lucho”, so he was not individually searchable.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. The conservation area is registered to Armando Daniel Rodríguez Tynan and family, per El Peruano. Johanne Delisle describes herself as a yoga teacher since 2004, Reiki master and former accountant who has hosted guests here since 2013, per her teacher profile (unverified). A 2018 review credits “Lucho” with the ayahuasca ceremony; no lineage or training is published, and no company or tax number appears.

Ayahuasca. The center’s own mission text lists ayahuasca and master plant retreats, guests described ceremonies in 2017 and 2018, and an old Retreat Guru listing titled as an ayahuasca retreat now advertises Reiki. No current program, schedule or price includes ayahuasca.

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published, for the past ayahuasca or the detox program, which claims coffee enemas and a liver flush “will eliminate toxins”. Tarapoto’s hospitals are about 15 minutes away (our estimate).

Listings. Program lengths, room electricity, closing months and refund terms differ across its listings, and the property has two Tripadvisor and two Retreat Guru pages.

Status. Operating, with guest reviews and management replies from September 2026.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru and its traditional use has been national heritage since 2008, per ICEERS; there is no licensing regime for retreats.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

If ayahuasca is offered on request, confirm screening in advance, since none is 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 was served by a local facilitator known as “Lucho”; its source was not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Hot high-jungle forest at about 400 m beside a spring-fed lagoon, bordering the Cordillera Escalera reserve.
• Rooms: Six rustic wooden bungalows with private bathrooms, screened verandas and hammocks.
• Style: Foreign-led yoga, Reiki and vegan retreat on a conservation reserve.

Practical guidance: Fly to Tarapoto (TPP); airport transfers by mototaxi are included.

Should You Book?

Yes for a yoga or nature stay; for ayahuasca, only after confirming in writing whether it is still offered, who serves it and their training, the screening questions and contraindication list, and the emergency plan. Discuss the detox program with your own doctor first. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The owners created San Martín’s first private conservation area in 2010 and began hosting yoga guests around 2013. 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 if you took part in a ceremony. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Programs are listed on Retreat Guru and BookRetreats. 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.