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Awakenings Ayahuasca Retreat
A Sacred Journey with Indigenous Roots
Only Retreat Certified by Ecuador’s Ministry of Health | 100% Indigenous-Owned & Operated.
Why Choose Awakenings?
• The only retreat in Ecuador certified by the Ministry of Health
• Located on sacred Tsáchila ancestral land
• 100% Indigenous-owned and operated by the Tsáchila tribe
• Medicine is prepared on-site and you are invited to participate in the process
• Small groups & personalized retreats — you choose your dates
• Your money helps local indigenous and some of the money supports the local elementary school as well; supporting many minorities in need.
Medicine and Ceremony
At Awakenings, we work with authentic ancestral medicines and offer the opportunity to participate in the preparation of Ayahuasca and San Pedro; allowing you to deposit your energy and intentions from the very beginning.
Our healing team includes:
• 4 experienced male Tsáchila shamans
• 1 female Tsáchila shaman (available upon request)
These are four generations of wisdom, born into the sacred path of medicine.
What Makes Us Different
• We live on the land, unlike other retreats that rent properties or hire outside shamans
• We run year-round with flexible dates
• No large groups — we keep it personal and safe
• Confidential integration support before and after ceremonies
• Wi-Fi available, but we encourage you to disconnect and reconnect with Mother Nature
Our Most Popular Package: 8 Days / 7 Nights – $1600 however you can do shorter or longer stays. Every journey is personalized for your needs on your time.
Includes:
• 3 Ayahuasca ceremonies
• 1 San Pedro ceremony
• 1 Kambo, 1 Sananga, and Rapé
• Private accommodations & meals
• Massage, Temazcal, reiki, sound healing
• Cultural immersions, waterfall hike, 1
Massage, preparation of cacao and more.
Additional: Cacao Ceremony, Bufo, Mushrooms, Xanga and Cannabis ceremonies available upon request.
Transport from Quito and laundry service available upon request but are not included on the packages.
Learn More About the Medicines
What is Ayahuasca?
“Ayahuasca” is the Quechua word for both the vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and the sacred tea made from it, traditionally combined with Chacruna leaves. It contains harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine. Used by Amazonian tribes for centuries, it opens portals to emotional and spiritual healing. Our vine grows on the property, and we prepare the medicine in the traditional way.
What is San Pedro?
San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi) is a sacred cactus native to the Andes of Ecuador. It carries masculine energy and helps us open our hearts and expand our connection with all life. We also grow this cactus on the land, and ceremonies are done with great reverence.
What is Kambo?
Kambo is a powerful healing ritual that uses the secretion of the giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor). Applied through small burns on the skin, Kambo detoxifies the body, boosts the immune system, and clears emotional blocks. It’s used for deep physical and energetic purification.
Your Healing Begins Here
We don’t just host retreats; we offer a path to rebirth, in harmony with Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the ancestral spirits of our land. You will not be asked to share in vulnerable settings, and everything is done with respect and care.
You are not here to escape. You are here to remember who you truly are.
Contact Us:
USA: +1 (646) 300-9646
Ecuador / WhatsApp: +593 98 044 0627
Website: awakeningsayahuasca.com
We look forward to walking this sacred journey with you.
You are the medicine. Welcome home.
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dalia
December 14, 2025 at 4:33 pmI spent three nights at the retreat and i’m deeply thankful for this time. The people are were incrediply kind and I learnt a lot from them. It was beautiful to see how they protect their traditions and pass them on to the next generation. Their knowledge is unique and deeply important, and has the potential to help many people. My two ayahuasca ceremonies were truly magical, more than I could wish for. I feel deeply blessed and thankful for that the Tsáchila shared their wisdom with me.
fromtheholyland
December 10, 2025 at 2:46 pmAn amazing place for introduction to the plants path as well as deep advanced work!
We were in the retreat in August-Spetember for a dreamy 14 days.
Being received well and treated like family is an understatement.
the huts are well and truly comfortable and the facilities are fully supportive of a wholesome and tranquil experience. Around the retreat nature flows and surrounded us like crazy.
The medicine ceremonies were powerful and life changing. Mother ayahuasca was presented masterfully and gently by Manuel and we were allowed to deepen our work and have deep experiences in further ceremonies with Juan and Yanina. The medicine connected us to worlds of insight and powerful cleansings of personal demons. The music with unique hand crafted instruments was amazing and enveloped us in the perfect background for our journeys.
Wachuma was a strong and awe inspiring ceremony, Sweating (with beautiful flower baths and music) and Kambo with Tiwi and Manuel were perfect holistic moments, and working with Raw Cacao with Fernanda and Yanina was enjoying and tasty beyond belief.
Mushroom journey to the river took us to the most magical spot near the river and was an absolute joy. And Buffo ceremonies with Henry were amazingly deep and beautiful.
Food cooked by Andrea, who is the sweetest woman, was nourishing and perfectly planned around our schedule of intense work, and every little need was taken care of with regards to allergies and special request. Her traditional Fish dish was extraordinarily delicious, and we had it on our way back from the amazing cascada (waterfall) trip.
The personal touch given to every event, taking care of integration, personal treatment and communication is a solid must for such a serious undertaking and the family provide a perfect relaxing and supportive environment for deep work, as well as soft introduction for those who seek it. Everyone provides from their knowledge with generosity of heart and spirit, bringing their traditions and cultural knowledge to life and making available for seekers.
I can truly recommend it with a heart full of the love, knowledge and healing we got there.
John
November 25, 2025 at 5:25 pmI spent two nights at Awakenings Retreat and completed both Ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonies. I could not have asked for a better experience. From the very beginning, Stephanie was exceptionally helpful in arranging everything and providing all the information I needed to prepare properly before arriving.
The retreat itself is set in a beautiful location within the Tsáchila community. It’s peaceful and quiet, yet surrounded by the families who live there, so it never feels like a tourist-oriented setup. The rooms are lovely, and Stephanie makes sure you have everything you need throughout your stay. Everyone in the community that I interacted with were among the kindness people I had encountered on my South America trip.
One of the most meaningful aspects of choosing a retreat that is owned and operated by an Indigenous community is the opportunity to learn directly from Shamans who share their culture and generations of knowledge about the medicine and ceremonies. The structure of the retreat doesn’t rely on large group bookings, which allows for an incredibly attentive and flexible experience that adapts to your own needs and schedule.
I developed a much deeper appreciation for the importance of “set and setting” when working with these medicines. Before arriving, I wasn’t sure what to expect for my first experience, but looking back, I don’t think I would have had the same comfort in a large group or without the grounding of true Indigenous ceremony and education. I’m sure you can find these medicines cheaper somewhere else, but there is no way that cheaper is the better option in this instance.
All the food was fantastic and carefully curated to what was needed. While I was so content with 2 nights, there are so many options to both explore other medicines and do other activities. In hindsight I would have allowed more time.
Finally, the Shaman, Juan, put remarkable care into my integration and offered profound guidance. I’m still amazed by how much he understood about me purely from observing how I interacted with both medicines.
I’ve already been recommending this retreat to friends and family and fully intend to return when I can.
鈞堯姜
November 24, 2025 at 10:00 pmI joined a one-week retreat package, and the schedule arranged by the organizers was absolutely perfect. Besides the ceremonies, there were many rich cultural introductions and activities that made me unknowingly become part of the community.
Before coming, I was really nervous about the ceremonies, but once I arrived, it felt as if this place had magic. The sounds of nature and the kindness of the people helped me let go and feel completely at ease.
The shamans here are truly professional like monks who have trained for many years. The conversations after each ceremony always helped me elevate to another level, understand myself better, love myself more, and clear away the shadows of the past. What remained was my truest self, tightly connected with the beauty of nature.
The food was healthy, simple, and delicious. At night, the sounds of nature and the clean air allowed me to sleep incredibly well. After a week, I felt completely renewed.
I highly recommend this place. If possible, stay for more than a week. This journey changed my life, and I would love to return if I have the chance.
anastasiav
November 24, 2025 at 5:55 pmI spent 3 nights/ 2 Ayahuasca ceremonies at Awakenings and I cannot put into words how beautiful my experience was. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, I was welcomed with open arms and open hearts. This was my first Ayahuasca experience and I was really nervous but everyone there made sure that I felt safe and comfortable at any point. It was really important to me to find a place that is led by indigenous people to not support further exploitation by supporting a center that hires shamans for low wages and is owned by Americans/Europeans. This place is owned by the Tsáchila indigenous peoples only. The place itself is very safe as well, I could walk around freely at any point and even in the middle of the night without feeling unsafe. They provide private accommodation and locks which I stopped using after a couple of days because I didn’t feel like I needed it. You are staying right with them on their land, during the day you can see them working in the gardens and their children playing. They make sure to take the time for integration after every ceremony to ensure you understand everything and that your experience is positive, even when hard. I can truly recommend them.