Atmosphere

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

Wayra Mama: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Iquitos, Peru

Wayra Mama was a small ayahuasca center in Iquitos, Peru, led by shaman Anderson Manihuari Mendoza, whom guest reviews describe as the son-in-law of Selva Madre founder Luis Rimachi, and rated 5.0 from 5 reviews on its Tripadvisor listing, two of which name Selva Madre staff. Against that, no source confirms our earlier claim that it moved or rebranded, its ceremony site and safety practices are not published, and nothing is dated after November 2022.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Iquitos, Loreto, Peru; Tripadvisor gives a city address, and no source gives the jungle site where ceremonies were held.
• Approach: Ayahuasca ceremonies with icaros, as single-ceremony visits or retreats of about 10 days, per 2022 reviews.
• Suitable For: No one under this name until it shows current activity. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,050 to $2,000, per AyaAdvisors (2022, unverified); no deposit or refund terms were found.
• Overall Assessment: Warm reviews of a local family of healers, offset by a small 2022 review burst, no published safety information, an unconfirmed link to Selva Madre and no activity since 2022. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Tripadvisor shows 5.0 from 5 reviews, written June to November 2022 about stays from July 2021, and AyaAdvisors 5.0 from 1, praising caring shamans, clear explanations before ceremonies, a family feel and pickup in Iquitos. Four of the Tripadvisor reviews were posted within about nine weeks, and one reviewer had known the shaman for years (unverified pattern). No reviews of 3 stars or lower exist. 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 Wayra Mama, Anderson Manihuari Mendoza, Luis Rimachi and Selva Madre.

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

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Link to Selva Madre. Guest reviews from 2017 onward name Anderson as Luis Rimachi’s son-in-law and a Selva Madre healer, and two 2022 Wayra Mama reviews call the place Selva Madre or name its healers and cook. Selva Madre still lists Anderson as one of its healers, per its Retreat Guru page, and is operating, with a review dated October 2026 on Tripadvisor. No source says Wayra Mama was renamed, merged or closed. See our profile of Selva Madre Healing Center.

Who runs it. AyaAdvisors says Anderson has practiced for more than 20 years, and a review says he began with plants at 12 and trained under Luis Rimachi (unverified). No company or tax registration was found.

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol was published. Hospitals are in Iquitos.

Status. The last dated activity is a Tripadvisor review from November 2022, and the AyaAdvisors listing was last updated in August 2022. The wayramama.com domain remains online. No closure notice was found.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, but the US Embassy says centers are not regulated by the Peruvian government and advises against ayahuasca and kambo after deaths and assaults, per its January 2025 alert.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Our earlier page said Wayra Mama had moved or rebranded and pointed readers to Selva Madre Healing Center; no source confirms a move or rebrand, although the shared shaman and staff link the two. The Iquitos location matches the listings. The 1050 price matches the low end of AyaAdvisors’ 2022 range (unverified). Our earlier grade was C; the grade is now C-.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindications were 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 of fresh vine and chacruna leaf only, with no additives, per AyaAdvisors (unverified). Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Rainforest with plant and vegetable gardens, per a 2022 review; the exact site is not published.
• Rooms: Simple lodging with cold showers, per a 2022 review.
• Style: A local family of curanderos, with icaros and special diets.

Practical guidance: Guests were picked up and dropped off in Iquitos, per a 2022 review.

Should You Book?

Not under this name. For Selva Madre, read our profile of it and ask in writing which healer leads your ceremonies, how guests are screened and what happens in an emergency. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Wayra Mama hosted guests from 2021 to 2022, and its healers came from the Rimachi family circle that runs Selva Madre, per guest reviews. 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

No current dates are listed under this name. 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.