Atmosphere

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

Taozen: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Portugal, Spain, Colombia and Brazil

Taozen is a traveling retreat organizer founded by Carla Rubí and Fred Billyard that runs ayahuasca (yagé) retreats led by Siona elder Taita Victoriano Piaguaje Yaiguaje at rented venues in Portugal and near Barcelona, plus trips to Putumayo, Colombia, and Acre, Brazil, including a New Year retreat by the Atlantic near Peniche, Portugal, for up to 15 guests at €1,750, per its Retreat Guru page. It names its Indigenous ceremony leaders and describes doctor-assisted intake and ongoing integration gatherings. Against that, it has no reviews anywhere, no contraindications, on-site medical staff or emergency plan are published, the screening doctor is unnamed, kambo has been offered on consecutive mornings alongside nightly ayahuasca, and its listings recycle pages with mismatched tribes, dates and venues.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A renovated house over the Atlantic at São Bernardino, Atouguia da Baleia, near Peniche, about an hour from Lisbon; other venues near Barcelona, in Putumayo, Colombia, and at the Yawanawá center Mawa Yuxyn in Acre, Brazil.
• Approach: Three yagé ceremonies with Siona elders, rapé circles, yoga, integration circles and talks with the elders; kambo, tarot and massage are paid extras.
• Suitable For: People wanting Indigenous-led ceremonies in Europe with a structured preparation and integration program. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: €1,750 for the New Year retreat from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, per its program page; other programs run from €850 for a Barcelona weekend to €4,444 for a private cabin in Brazil. The deposit is refundable until a day before and full payment until 30 days before; the deposit amount is not shown.
• Overall Assessment: Named Siona elders and a thoughtful integration offer, offset by no track record, thin medical disclosure, kambo alongside ayahuasca and unreliable listings. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Taozen has no reviews on any of its Retreat Guru center, program or teacher pages, and none were found on BookRetreats, Google, Tripadvisor or AyaAdvisors. 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 Taozen, Carla Rubí, Fred Billyard, Taita Victoriano Piaguaje Yaiguaje and Abuela Maria Lidia Payaguaje.

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

Visiting Huni Kuin and Yawanawá guests were not searched individually.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Carla Rubí describes herself as an environmental lawyer and a “certified Jungian psychedelic preparation and integration specialist” without naming the certifying body, per her teacher profile, and Fred Billyard describes more than eight years with entheogens, per his profile. Taita Victoriano is described as heir to Siona and Cofán knowledge and son of Taita Laureano Piaguaje, per his profile (all unverified); he also works with other organizers, including Aslepay Shamanic Center. No company or tax number is named.

Screening and medical support. The New Year program includes “intake and safety screening with a doctor’s collaboration”, but the doctor is unnamed and no contraindication list, on-site medical staff or emergency protocol is published. A September 2025 program offered up to three kambo sessions in three days alongside nightly ayahuasca. Peniche has a hospital a short drive from São Bernardino (our estimate).

Listings. The New Year retreat is titled Siona while its web address names the Yawanawá, the center page describes a Brazilian venue, a Colombia “10-day” dieta is described as seven days, and group size is given as 15 and 20.

Status. Operating, with a Brazil trip under way in November 2026 and retreats listed through May 2027; it says it was founded in 2022, and the earliest dated program found was in September 2025.

Legal context. Portugal decriminalized personal drug possession in 2001, but DMT is controlled and activities with ayahuasca sit in an unclear zone with inconsistent enforcement, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask to see the intake form before paying, since its contents are not 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

Yagé served by Taita Victoriano and the Siona elders; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A coastal village on Portugal’s Atlantic coast, cool in winter.
• Rooms: Six double or twin rooms, four with private bathrooms.
• Style: Siona ceremony hosted by a Western couple, with yoga, astrology and Jungian integration.

Practical guidance: Fly to Lisbon (LIS) and take a regional bus toward Peniche; no transfer is offered.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you value Indigenous-led ceremony in Europe. Ask in writing for the screening questions and contraindication list, the doctor’s name and role, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan, the kambo schedule and price, the venue’s address, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Taozen presents itself as a husband-and-wife project bringing Amazonian elders to European guests and guests to the Amazon. 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 consider skipping kambo during the ayahuasca days. After you return: Use the online integration sessions and 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 Retreat Guru. 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.