Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual

Llanchama, Peru

We are an ayahuasca retreat healing center, operating as a lodge in the Amazon rainforest. We are located 90 minutes outside of Iquitos, Peru near the small village of Llanchama along the Nanay River.

We provide traditional Shipibo medicine services wich includes: healing and learning diets, master plant medicine, and traditional Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies.

Once you are here, you will meet with our shaman master healer Ricardo Amaringo, and with the asistance of a profesional translator, you can explain him your intention for the healing procces.

Your treatment will then be tailored to your personal needs, often including further treatment with a master plant. Furthermore, in traditional style, you will then adhere to a strict healing diet developed to promote the healing work of the curanderos and our medicinal plants.

Once on the diet, you will be invited to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies four times a week, for further ceremonial healing under the guidance of Ricardo and his assistants shamans. In ceremony, you will be further treated by the curanderos through the traditional healing song, called icaros.

The day after every ayahuasca ceremony, with the exception of Fridays, there is a group discussion led by Ricardo to review experiences in the ceremony and the progress of all of our participants, apprentices and visitors.

In some cases, further treatment techniques are also indicated, including healing plant preparations for bathing and vapor treatment, or cataplasm.

Traditional treatment requires time, so visitors are encouraged to visit us for one week or more. Group programs are often designed for 10 days or 2 weeks and more advanced treatment can take one/two months or longer.

For particular individuals, we also offer traditional diets for learning under the guidance of Ricardo. This level of training is best discussed in person with Ricardo himself.

We charge an all-inclusive daily fee for our services, which covers transport from the Iquitos airport, private room, modern bathrooms and showers, diet meals, laundry service, electricity, wifi internet, traditional medicine and experienced international facilitator staff support.

If you are interested in visiting, please email us to establish contact and verify availability at our center. From that point, we can plan your visit!

Reviews (144)

4.7 out of 5
Overall 4.7
  • travmapacho
    February 6, 2015 at 12:00 am

    This center is excellent and Ricardo is a fantastic shaman. His icaros are among the most amazing you are ever likely to hear – very powerful too.

    This center is also very comfortable with great accommodations that are basic and dont detract from the setting, but help you stay comfortable. Really excellent food as well.

    Only possible critique I can make is that sometimes Ricardo seems a little busy or distant, but this doesnt detract from the effectiveness of his healing. Maybe he is just a quiet guy. When he does laugh and open up a bit, the whole room lights up though – he has a very infectious laugh!

    I had some of my deepest ever ceremonies here and Ricardo healed my wifes chronic back pain – really good medicine.

  • Lance Veit
    January 15, 2015 at 12:00 am

    I recently completed a 28 day stay at the Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual ayahuasca retreat. It was my first time at such a place and I rate it an outstanding experience. The staff at Nihue Rao is excellent: Dr. Joe [last name removed by request] is a California based MD and part owner of the retreat. He and Cvita Mamic, another co-owner and counselor along with Martina and Emilie, made me feel welcome and provided all the guests with daily interaction and expertly facilitated the ayahuasca ceremonies. Ricardo Amaringo is the head shaman at Nihue Rao and sings Icaros that range from the powerfully profound to the energetic and enlightening. This is the real deal, folks. The retreat is safe, secure and waiting to welcome you.

  • cartercdc
    September 16, 2014 at 12:00 am

    I should have written this review some time ago for Nihue Rao, but my silly American life got in the way. Anyhow, I just returned from my second trip to Nihue Rao, this time I brought my girlfriend with me. This is by far the safest, most cost effective, clean, and caring center in Iquitos. It?s clear some of the others have a profit motive (Blue Morpho) and just don?t care about the people that pass through. Nihue Rao is way different. First and foremost, you have an actual American Dr., Dr. Joe there to help. He helps comfort your fears from a medical perspective and also spiritually. It is clear that if you are reading this review you are searching for the proper center to experience ayahuasca. It is a very powerful medicine that requires due diligence because there are many centers in Iquitos springing up all the time. I highly recommend Nihue Rao because they actually care! Life affirming and altering, this experience will change your life and each day you let pass by pre-ayahuasca is something you?ll regret later. Sack up, book the trip! Thank you for everything Nihue Rao!
    Tom Stephens aka Charlie
    Los Angeles, CA

  • Kopite248
    September 14, 2014 at 12:00 am

    I am still in transit home from my time at Nihue Rao but feel I need to give my love for this amazing retreat.

    I arrived on a Sunday with my older sister and was greated straight away with a lot of warmth from the people running retreat and the people who were there for healing. The retreat is very well organised, from retreat tours, talks, food preparation and one on one assisitance from leaders such as Joe [last name removed by request], who made me feel very protected.

    The Shamens have a great power and this is felt during ceremonys and one on one Iceros. This combined with how the retreat is run has given me an experience that I will never forget. I have learnt many lessons, made life long friends and feel I now have a lot of clarity to confront blockages in my life.

    Myself and my sister Maria will love to return and feel again what we felt those 6 days. To anyone who wants to feel a deep connection and learn life lesson, Nihue Rao is the place to experience it.

    To everyone at Nihue Rao thank you with all my heart.

    Chris & Maria

  • KatieLaw
    August 2, 2014 at 12:00 am

    My husband and I just recently came back from a trip to Peru through Pulse Adventure Tours and had the opportunity to stay at Nihue Rao for 6 days for healing. The centre is the perfect place to experience a sincere and deep healing. The area is so quiet, calm, and relaxing. After an intense ayahuasca session one of my favourite things to do was lay around in one of their many hammocks and just rest.

    Joe, Cvita, and Ricardo truly do care about each person that comes to the center and treat them more like family than anything else. They are so personable, kind, and attentive. While there we were able to spend time and get help from Joe’s cousin, Francisco as well – another truly amazing person.

    There really is nothing to worry about when staying there – meals are prepared for you, there is laundry service available, showers, and wi-fi for a few hours a day. We were so at ease and comfortable there that we didn’t want to leave.

    The healing was remarkable. I wasn’t sure what to anticipate for my first ayahuasca experience and now I can hardly put it into words. If you’re looking for some answers and intense healing, Nihue Rao is the place to go. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else and I will return sometime next year for sure.

    You will not be disappointed! If you feel the medicine calling you, call Nihue Rao.

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