Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
Our Program
At Arkana, we create the space for you to get in touch with your truth, opening your path for deeper meaning and greater fulfillment in your life. We work with ancestral medicines such as Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Bufo Alvarius, Rapé , using the traditional practices of the indigenous cultures of the Peruvian Amazon. We currently operate two centers in Peru, one in the Peruvian Amazon and a second one in the Sacred Valley (close to Machu Picchu), and one in Mexico, the choice is yours.
With great respect for the plants and the knowledge and healing that comes with them, our lineage of Shipibo shamans set the stage for truly deep and profound healing. Awaken your inner power through their sacred and powerful icaros (healing songs), and discover your connection to all things by exploring some of the 2.2 million hectare Pacaya Samiria National Reserve which is our backyard. Nourish your body and soul with fresh, clean, delicious meals that promote your Ayahuasca experience, and integrate healthy habits into your routine with our yoga classes and extensive selection of gym equipment for all levels. We believe the health of physical body sets the foundation for the health of the energetic body – Often ignored in this type of spiritual work, we find this to be an important part of the healing process, so you can begin implementing the healthy habits that will carry this work with you into your life back home. Finally, relax your mind and spirit with sound baths, meditations, breathwave sessions, and OM circles, or simply enjoy the tranquil views of both sunrise and sunset from our front porch on the banks of the Ucayali River, surrounded by lush biodiversity and the mesmerizing sounds of the jungle.
Arkana’s exceptional team of highly-trained Shipibo Master Shamans represent an unbroken lineage of plant medicine work. With a combined history of over 70 years of experience working closely with Ayahuasca and other master plant teachers of the jungle, our compassionate healers lovingly share their teachings, healing songs (icaros), capabilities, and knowledge with integrity and honor. We strive to maintain the traditional practices passed down through thousands of years of indigenous Amazonian culture, in order to continue to promote the true purpose and nature of plant medicine work.
Experiencing the medicines with us is a transformative personal journey, and so much more. We also work closely with our local community, the Amazonian village of Libertad, to ensure that our Center can benefit and give back to the people who have so generously let us into their homes and hearts. We create employment opportunities, teach free English classes, provide a space for the ladies to sell their handmade crafts, and assist in construction projects, among other things. Our latest endeavor is outfitting the entire village with free solar panels, so every house can have light and electricity. When you join us, you are helping the rainforest and the Amazon communities that live here.
Guests that come to our Center often say they feel like “part of the family” with us – that’s no coincidence, as we are one big family at Arkana! The people that are with you throughout your experience can simply facilitate your own healing journey or become an integral part of it. Our experienced, loving, and professional team of caregivers welcomes you to join our tribe, where we strive to make you feel at home and at ease, supported and cared for with all the love and compassion that is at the core of the plant medicines and people we work with.
Ayahuasca is a powerful medicine that offers us the opportunity to understand our true nature, by shining a light onto our darkness, and holding a mirror up to our fears, negative thought patterns, and self-limiting beliefs. We provide the environment and expertise of a team of highly skilled, warm, compassionate Shamans and facilitators to guide you through the process of awakening, of choosing differently, healing, and expanding. It is a slow but steady path towards freedom – from fear, from illusion, from self-constructed boundaries – resulting in a lighter, brighter, more authentic self, and the full experience of love. It is our honor to help you on this most fulfilling of all journeys: the journey back home.
We look forward to having you with us!
Lots of Love,
The Team
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Rune Stang
December 24, 2025 at 4:03 pmMy experience at Arkana was deep, challenging, and ultimately profoundly meaningful. This was not an “easy” retreat, and it is was not meant to be – at least for me. The ceremonies brought real inner battles — moments of resistance, fear, and confrontation with parts of myself. At times it was uncomfortable, intense, and demanding.
The shamans are exceptionally skilled, grounded, and humble in their approach. You can feel the lineage, integrity, and respect they carry for the medicine. The facilitators and support team were present, compassionate, and incredibly attentive throughout. Luke and Matt, thank you. They were always there when things got heavy.
The space itself feels safe, intentional, and held. Even during the hardest moments, there was a deep sense of trust, which was very important for me. Nothing felt rushed or commercial. This is a place that takes responsibility for the depth of the work they offer.
I did not leave feeling “fixed” or blissed out — I left feeling honest, lighter, and more aligned. More forgiven and forgiving. The integration is still ongoing, but two weeks into everyday life the experience has made me more calm, and its much easier to avoid situations which was difficult before.
I came for perspective, but gained much much more.
If you are looking for a genuine, respectful, and powerful ceremonial center with ayahuasca— and you are willing to face yourself — Arkana and The Amazon is truly something special.
Thank you ❤️
Collin Strickland
December 10, 2025 at 8:10 amI simply can’t recommend Arkana more. From the rooms to the staff to the food, everything was first class! The staff was friendly and very attentive, and did a very good job of anticipating our needs. The shamans were very kind and genuinely cared about helping each and every one of us, and always took time to speak with us personally whenever we needed extra consultation. I *will* be returning, and that’s the best endorsement I can give.
adammartin
December 3, 2025 at 11:15 pmArkana is, without question, the most extraordinary healing center on the planet. I’ve visited many places on this path, and none come close to the level of intention, care, and mastery woven into every detail here. The facilitators feel almost otherworldly in their wisdom and presence, and the medicines they work with are nothing short of transformative.
Peru now holds a piece of my spirit, and for that, I’ll forever be grateful to Arkana. If you’ve ever doubted that magic exists, spend time at one of their centers—you’ll leave with a very different understanding of you and of the world. The shamans are truly enchanted beings, so profoundly gifted that they don’t just guide you… they shift the very core of your soul.
Adam (Australia)
J
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 amFrom the bottom of my heart, I thank the Arkana family for creating this safe space where more people can experience the loving embrace and healing powers of Mother Ayahuasca. I am eternally grateful to the shamans for showing us the path and guiding us through this journey, Maestra Justina, Maestro Louis, Maestro Herminio, Maestra Margarita, Maestra Ada and Maestro Idael. Words cannot describe their healing icaros and loving protection, and the beauty in a family so dedicated to healing the world. Their lightness, joy and laughter makes you appreciate life. And I have so much gratitude for the facilitators (or as a friend better put, “spiritual nurses”) who showed us such unconditional love and support all day and night. Thank you Luke, Crystal, Elsa, Matt, Raimundo, Liz. The work they do is not easy and you could truly feel that they are doing this out of the pure goodness of their heart. Bless these beautiful souls and their loving hearts. The term facilitators doesn’t do them justice because what they do is so much more and it would have been impossible to go through this journey without them. The unconditional love and support that they showed us has renewed my faith and hope in humanity, we really need more people like them in this world. The wisdom in the plant medicine cannot be explained. And I am grateful to Arkana for providing such an authentic and safe environment to receive such wisdom. I have to admit that as a city girl, I was concerned about being in the jungle. But it was 100% the right decision because there is nothing like receiving medicine from the source and I felt truly connected with Mother Ayahuasca and the divine.
crusadercrew505@aol.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:20 pmThere is a place hidden deep in the Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains, where before visiting, you must first clip out of bounds. In this place, there is no time. There is no space. There is only Love. This Love erases all potential space for things like fear, trauma, and resentment to exist within. But beware: in order to get there, you must be willing to surrender everything. I went there once. The things I saw cannot be expressed in words, but this will have to do.
Once you pass through the gates of The Garden, you make a near-seamless transition into a state of being where time and space no longer behave as they did before. The entrance is situated far away from where “the action” takes place. This is significant because it means you no longer see or hear who comes and goes. They all seem to appear in The Garden out of thin air, stay for a while, and dissolve back into the ether. You did not know this person was going to be here. You don’t know how long they will stay. You are just grateful to be with them.
In this place I met The Love Bug, The Mountain, The Warrior and The Siren.
If you are lucky, you can talk to a Love Bug that calls itself Sean. The Love Bug is kind and gentle. His radiant center calls you closer to receive his wisdom. You can also hug a Mountain called Cinzia. Her fearlessness lays a protective barrier around your heart and mind, which you will need if you are going to take this journey to its fullest extent. If you think you are ready, you can inherit ancient technology from The Warrior (Matty B). His presence is still and powerful. He is pure Brahman. He taught me everything I was willing to learn. You can also be sung into dissolution by The Siren (Matty G). If she is singing, it is best to not make eye contact with her. There is a chance that her gaze may become fixed on The Warrior, and that gaze is not intended for mortal consumption. Their music cradled me during times of war.
And if you want, you can also sit with Mother Ayahuasca under the protection of The Conductors: Maestra Ada and Maestro Idael. These Holy Beings have my complete and unadulterated trust. Their presence looms over, under, and throughout The Garden.
In this place, I watched all of my false identities die a terrible death, one by one. And just as I was about to scream for help, a voice asked “Who is it that is about to scream for help?” It was at this moment that I touched the part of Myself that is indestructible. The Field of Awareness that animates each of us, that has been carrying me through this incarnation. This Awareness is Pure Light. It is self-luminous and pure. It is one without a second. To know it is to be Eternal.
My cup runneth over.
To the caretakers Bob, Logan, and Matt, though I could have done with more interaction with each of you, it is worth honoring the contributions you made to my experience at Arkana. You are all living examples of how plant medicine can put one back in touch with their inner call to serve others. I came here to deepen my compassion for others and to expand my spiritual practice. I did that, and more. Much more. This “much more” includes drinking in panoramic views of the mountains and stars, a garden of true earthly delights, and connecting with nature in a way I never knew was possible. I have never eaten cleaner or tastier food. Thank you to the chefs and the grounds keepers. I have never known purer Beings.
“Push far enough towards the Void,
Hold fast enough to Quietness,
And of the ten thousand things none but can be worked on by you.
I have beheld them, whither they go back.
See, all things howsoever they flourish
Return to the root from which they grew.
This return to the root is called Quietness;
Quietness is called submission to Fate;
What has submitted to Fate has become part of the always so.
To know the always-so is to be Illumined;
Not to know it, means to go blindly to disaster.”
-Dao De Jing