Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
The mission of Yosi Ocha, The Peruvian Institute of Shamanism and Natural Medicine, since its foundation in 2014, has been to establish a brand of excellence in the preservation of authentic Shipibo shamanic practices. Maestro Heberto García, who is today one of the most recognized shamans among the Shipibo descendants, preserves this indigenous tradition with great rigor. The centre was named after his grandfather and mentor, Yosi Ocha, known as the last Meraya, a title granted to curanderos that attained the highest level of shamanism.
Today we pride ourselves on offering the most complete combination of original Shipibo shamanic treatments available. The centre is the ideal refuge for those who seek deep healing and transformation through a personalised program, or wish to be trained in the fascinating art of shamanism following the ancient Shipibo tradition. Maestro Heberto makes a holistic diagnosis of each guest and designs a tailor-made program taking into account his or her individual objectives.
The passengers are free to choose the starting date and duration of their stay. Many centres offer retreats with fixed start and end dates for cost savings reasons, but in Yosi Ocha we believe that such rigidity does not favour the personalised treatment approach and goes against the central shamanic spirit that values the healing and promotion of integral well-being above any consideration of personal benefit.
Yosi Ocha is located in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, about 20 km southeast of Iquitos, in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Park. The diverse ecosystem in this magnificent part of the jungle includes majestic trees of impressive sizes, streams of reddish water and distinctive white sands that contribute even more to the enchanting beauty of the place.
Once a year, Maestro Heberto travels to Europe (Holland, Spain, etc.) to conduct intensive 3-days healing retreats. These retreats are an excellent opportunity to carry out deep personal work in a safe and loving environment, while discovering his unique approach to the medicine and healing.
Add Review
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Rowan
October 23, 2025 at 3:12 amAfter spending time at this center, it is obvious why it has all 5 star reviews!
I spent 4 weeks here and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.
Onikano is run in a way that makes all it’s guests feel safe and welcomed in such a warm and loving way. You definitely feel like you are part of the family and fully supported on the healing journey.
I chose this center because it is smaller than others and because it is run by a beautiful Shipibo family that genuinely cares about the guests they receive and the preservation of their rich ancestral traditions.
Everything is taken care of here in such a good way, from booking your trip (Barbara is happy to help accommodate and answer any questions) to the amazing food and the clean bungalows.
But the best thing is the amazing maestro and maestra’s that we get to work with. They are all of the highest quality of medicine people, and you can feel the love and beauty in how they help facilitate the healing journey!! The work they do is unbelievable.
This center is truly special. I am forever grateful for the time that I spent on such sacred land!
I will definitely be returning.
Note: This review was edited to remove mention of another website, but has otherwise been left in its original form.
inter
September 15, 2025 at 4:55 pmMy Ayahuasca Retreat Experience at Onikano : MAY 2025
Two years ago, I experienced Ayahuasca and San Pedro in the Andes Mountains while visiting Cusco. It was a profound spiritual awakening that changed my life, and since then I have been committed to working on myself.
In December 2024, I received a vision that I would embark on another journey. After reading posts and watching videos about Maestro Heberto Garcia, one video in particular caught my attention. Guided by my intuition, I finally made the journey and spent two weeks fully immersed in the experience in May 2025.
———————
Arrived at Onikano
———————
Upon arrival, you are picked up at Iquitos Airport or from your hotel in Iquitos and transferred to Onikano. The facilitator assists you immediately and explains the plan for the journey before settling you into your bungalow.
You are then given a personal consultation and plant dieta. My consultations with Maestro Heberto Garcia were insightful, deeply meaningful, and profoundly healing. From the very first day, during the one-on-one diagnostic session using Tobacco Mapacho , Maestro Heberto was able to identify areas of focus and guide my personal healing journey.
The food during my stay was absolutely delicious, nourishing both body and spirit. I had the privilege of participating in ancient Shipibo rituals, including tobacco Mapocho ceremonies. I learned the aura-cleansing plant and flower baths, which brought a profound sense of renewal, and enjoyed mud baths guided by Maestros Eunice. I also learned and experienced teacher plant dietas taught by Maestros Eunice and TIA, which provided deep insights and supported my ongoing healing. Altogether, these practices created a holistic and transformative experience that I will carry with me long after the retreat.
————————–
Ceremony experiences
—————————
Some ceremonies were deeply meaningful, others focused on cleansing, and others brought visions. The ceremonies were powerful.
Maestro Heberto Garcia, Maestra Eunice and Tia Ercilia each sing dedicated icaros for every participant during the ceremonies, creating an absolutely beautiful experience.
I experienced intense purging, which brought release on the last ceremony. Maestro Heberto Garcia, Maestras and the facilitator guided me with care throughout each day of the retreat.
My experiences were emotional, visionary and helped with release and healing. Over time, my relationship with the medicine evolved. At the final ceremony, I received profound guidance and insights.
————
Integration:
————
There was a structured integration process that included post-ceremony sharing circles. Before my departure, I also had a one-on-one session with Maestro Garcia and the facilitator, who provided valuable explanations, guidance and recommendations. In the days following the ceremonies, I spent time in reflection. The facilitators emphasized that integration is essential — Ayahuasca can show me the way, but it is my responsibility to do the work afterward.
Since returning home, I’ve begun journaling more consistently, meditating regularly, and making small but meaningful changes in my daily life. The facilitator recommended practices such as meditation, breathwork, yoga and spending time in nature. I have also incorporated regular energy-cleansing baths into my routine that I learned through Aura-Cleansing Baths, as recommended by Maestra Eunice and the facilitator.
—————–
Final Thoughts
—————–
My experience at OniKano in the Amazon rainforest was truly remarkable, especially as it was my first time in the region. Entering with respect, humility, and preparation is essential.
The bungalows were comfortable and clean, conveniently located near the daily sanctuary for plant baths, the master trees, the Maloca, and the kitchen. The food during my stay was absolutely delicious, nourishing both body and spirit. I had the privilege of participating in ancient Shipibo rituals, including tobacco Mopacho ceremonies. I learned the aura-cleansing plant and flower baths, which brought a sense of renewal, and enjoyed mud baths guided by Maestros Eunice. I also learn and experienced teacher plant dietas led by the Maestras, I am deeply grateful to have met Maestro Heberto. His wisdom and guidance were essential to the healing process. During ceremonies, he was supported by the Maestras and facilitators, who were incredible in facilitating some of the ceremonies, organizing daily plant and mud baths, and ensuring that everyone was well cared for throughout the retreat. Barbara works remotely, but she is very caring and responsive, quickly addressing any administrative queries.
The facilitator was wonderful, always available to assist with any questions. She carefully planned and communicated all the activities throughout the journey.
Together, the team created a safe and transformative environment that allowed me to fully engage in the process. I would certainly choose to return to this path, though only when I feel truly called. I highly recommend committing to a minimum program of three weeks for those considering this journey.
Nicola
August 31, 2025 at 5:41 pmNot safe for teenagers and children.
It’s a great place and I had a pleasant time there.
My dad and I went there together.
I was totally going badonkers after my second retreat with ayahuasca.
I don’t really get the aspect of healing, for me I felt ayahuasca made me weaker more sensitive and left me without any clue of what to do next. Also my anxiety increased and I felt disconnected to friends and family. It’s like I lost love for half a year.
A lot of things were staring to feel quite existential.
So I would say the experience there is great, just the aftermath is challenging.
Please get yourself a therapist for when you come back, or before you take the retreat!!!
Otherwise I hope my friends over there are alright and everybody I met there:)))
Good…, thanks a lot <3
Bye
GreyStar
August 12, 2025 at 1:58 pmIt’s been a couple of weeks since I returned form Onikano and I’m finally sitting down to share my experience. It was my first time trying Ayahuasca and I did a lot of research before deciding on Onikano. In general I don’t recommend Ayahuasca as it is so intense but if you feel called like I did then I think Onikano is a beautiful place to have your first experience. Yes, there are nicer more expensive retreats but I think part of the experience is to rough it within reason. The Huts have everything you need and it’s so hot I didn’t miss not having a hot shower at all. The food is simple and nourishing, you are giving your body a break from your normal diet, which also helps the healing process. Soup night was my favorite dinner. The grounds were rustic and beautiful, seemingly a perfect balance to live in harmony with the jungle. I loved being able to walk barefoot in the jungle for a week along the white sand pathways. The teacher trees are special and it’s recommended to visit them everyday. I personally had special connection to Wimba but they are all Amazing.
Everyone I met at Onikano seemed to be on another level of consciousness, they were so open and full of love, it was one of the best parts about being there. The focus at Onikano is healing and putting in the hard work to heal. The facilitator kept reminding me that we are not on holiday we are here to work! Haha. Having the support of everyone else there helps you, and bonds you as you all heal together.
Heberto mentioned during my intake consultation that when someone comes for one week he must combine the recommended three weeks into one and its difficult. I didn’t understand that at the time, but I get it now as my first week was getting to know the medicine and was mainly about cleansing. I think one week is a good starting point and I don’t know if I could have handled another 2 weeks this time around but when I go back I will definitely stay longer.
The ceremonies were intense, I had a lot of resistance to the medicine I think my ego was fighting for dear life to stay in control. If you have resistance like me I would recommend Hape, which lit me up and forced me into what I would consider a complete dissolution of my ego. It allowed me to humbly stand there naked in the presence of Mother Aya and ask for guidance. For me it was also physically intense, it burned and my inner world was on fire along with intense purging and shaking. My body was not happy, the red emergency lights were flashing but it’s what I needed to understand. Sometimes you need to be broken down before you finally get it. As intense as it was physically it also facilitated profound healing that was priceless.
If Ayahuasca is like a sprint then San Pedro is like a marathon. I took 3 Tablespoons and it lasted about 24 hours for me. It wasn’t too intense but its constant, I felt like my inner world was a bright cartoon and I had many wonderful insights throughout the day. I will admit though, after about 12 hours I was ready to come down and it had other plans. It comes in waves and is perfectly manageable. Also, everyone is different in how they experience it, one of the guys there always has profound experiences with SP. For me I will probably stick to 1 or 2 tablespoons next time.
Some people complain that Heberto leaves halfway through the ceremony but I personally didn’t find that to be an issue at all. His sister who is also a very capable Maestro takes over after he leaves and the facilitators are there the whole time. The ceremony is also a deeply personal process at least for me and I barely even noticed him leaving. As someone who runs a business myself I also can appreciate the practicality of sharing responsibilities as you offer 5 ceremonies every week all year long. They also criticize the dose and how it became a competition to do more medicine. Once I was there I quickly realized that there are so many variables and how the individual person is feeling is a big indicator of how much medicine you should take for that ceremony. Everyone is on their own healing journey and they might require different types or amounts of medicine. I never felt there was a competition to do more. Actually, the goal is to get to a point where you can do less medicine and still have a profound experience. Unfortunately, if you are like me you need more medicine to break through your ego to start healing.
If you decide visit Onikano, don’t forget to look up at the amazing stars after dinner, you’ll be in Awe.
Note: This review was edited to remove mention of other websites and for over-capitalization, but has otherwise been left in its original form.
pabs
August 1, 2025 at 7:45 pmFirst off, let me say, I have tremendous gratitude for everyone working at the retreat: Maestro Heberto, Ercilia, Eunice, Doro, and Herminia, among others, for the level of care they provided throughout this experience. I was freaking out before arriving, as I had no previous experience with aya, but the minute I set foot in Onikano, I felt immediately safe and comfortable, its like life made sense while I was there. The center has a really good energy and you feel it the moment you arrive. The nature is sublime, premises have exactly what you need and the food was amazing, I was expecting it to be much more bland due to the dieta, but every meal felt like a treat.
About my experience:
I spent a week in Onikano in February, mostly wanting to heal on OCD issues and Self-Love. I’m not a very spiritual person, and certainly not good at giving up on control, but I convinced myself to do ayahuasca after seeing great results with close friends. I was freaking out before my first ceremony, but after the first one, fear was gone and I enjoyed every minute of my week at Onikano (except San Pedro Day, which I believe its not for me lol).
My experiences were profound, not necessarily easy, but certainly necessary. I felt Maestro Heberto really knew what he was doing and was treating everyone like a doctor, connected to each and every one of us and our needs. We were all connected in ceremony, we were all one. I don’t really know how to describe the experiences or whether it’s relevant, but what happened there was definitely the most profound experience I’ve ever had on my life. I connected with my deceased grandma, died and then resurrected, and then die again, it was definitely a ride and not an easy one.
The 4 ceremonies were all very different, first one I felt I did not connect with the medicine, as I didn’t see much, however, after a few months might have been the most relevant one. A lot of its makes sense after a few months I guess.
One caveat for me and that not many people talk, is about what happens after a retreat, the famous ‘integration process’. If you decide to go this healing route with abuelita, you need to be prepared for everything that unloads after the retreat, as it hasn’t been easy for me at all. In my experience, I was really vibing high after all my ceremonies in the retreat, even after some difficult ones, like I overcame some specific fear or discovered some sort of higher truth, but after I left the retreat, the 1st two weeks were amazing, and then I felt sort of going down, energy drained and my OCD suddenly increased. I’m currently accompanying the process with my psychotherapist, who’s been amazing at making sense of all these emotions and sensations, and yes, despite how painful its been, this follow-up process feels like growth, but hasn’t been easy and you need to be prepared for that, as I wasn’t. I felt after the retreat like I didn’t need therapy anymore, as everything made sense now, and no. The fall was hard. the past few months feel like I’m unloading a lot of past emotional baggage, while it feels healthy and some necessary work, at the same time its been very energy consuming and not the easiest of processes, and its been like this for at least a few months now. Maybe next time, I really need to do the recommended two weeks? Maybe it’d be a good idea to incorporate integration sessions? I don’t know…
As you can see, I’m still trying to make sense of this spectacular experience, so removed from anything I’ve known or done. Either way, all emotions and energies are mine, and you just gotta be accountable for them. Right now, I haven’t been able to get rid of fear, but some good has come from this experience, e.g. I stopped drinking alcohol all of the sudden after the retreat ( and I used to drink quite a lot), alcohol doesn’t make much sense for me after what I saw on the ceremonies and breaking this habit has been very helpful for my integration process.
In conclusion, If you got the call, I can only recommend Onikano and Maestro Heberto for your healing journey.