What if the clarity you’ve been seeking has been waiting for you in the Amazon? In Pucallpa, the jungle itself becomes part of the journey, surrounding you with silence, vitality, and a sense of ancient presence. Guided by experienced mestizo shamans, each ceremony is held with care, respect, and integrity. For many guests, this is more than a retreat — it becomes a meaningful turning point.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly rated — with excellent reviews from past participants.
Among ayahuasca retreats in Peru, many travelers first look toward Iquitos or Cusco. Yet those seeking depth, authenticity, and fewer distractions often feel drawn to Pucallpa, a quieter place known for traditional healing and a more grounded atmosphere.
Set in the Ucayali region, Pucallpa remains one of the last strongholds of authentic mestizo and Cocama medicine traditions. Here, ayahuasca is not treated as a commercial experience, but as a sacred practice woven into everyday life. It is in this setting that Madre Selva was founded: a lineage-based center offering small-group retreats where healing unfolds in close connection with nature.
Modern life can pull us away from ourselves — from the body, the emotions, and a deeper sense of purpose. Many people arrive in the Amazon carrying a quiet longing for more than answers; they are seeking realignment. In the jungle near Pucallpa, healing is not something you force. It is something you remember.
The facilitators and curanderos guiding the ceremonies were trained through years of apprenticeship in the forest, in relationship with the plants, silence, and the spirit world. Their work goes beyond symptom relief, helping to gently uncover the roots of pain, confusion, and disconnection.
At Madre Selva, the experience includes more than ceremonies. Guests enter a journey shaped by rest, integration, plant dietas, and immersion in nature. You are not only drinking ayahuasca — you are entering a relationship with the medicine, the forest, and yourself.
We offer three core retreat programs near Pucallpa, each designed to meet you at a different stage of your healing path. The 8-day retreat is a focused and accessible introduction to the medicine. The 11-day retreat adds a master plant dieta and more time for integration. The 15-day retreat allows for deeper dieta work, ceremony, rest, and reflection in solitude and nature.
Each program includes multiple traditional ayahuasca ceremonies led by experienced mestizo and Cocama curanderos, as well as integration circles, personal check-ins, and time in your private tambo to rest and process.
Retreats are intentionally small, usually with 6 to 12 participants, allowing for individual attention and shared group support. The center can host up to 20 guests across 20 private casitas. Group sharing, nature immersion, and post-retreat integration tools are all part of the experience.
Looking for something more private? We also offer 1-on-1 and small private group retreats upon request, with custom scheduling and dedicated support. The center can also be rented for your own retreat, with staff included and the option to organize it independently or in collaboration with the team.
Ayahuasca is a sacred plant medicine used for centuries across the Amazon basin. Traditionally prepared from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Chacruna leaves, it is used in healing ceremonies that support a deeper relationship with self, others, and nature.
Within ceremony, ayahuasca is often experienced as a conscious ally — sometimes called “la medicina” or “Mother Ayahuasca.” The journey may include visions, emotional release, ancestral memories, purging, or moments of peace and clarity. It works with what is ready to be seen, inviting you to meet both your light and shadow in a safe and sacred container.
Madre Selva is an intimate, family-operated retreat center located several hours outside Pucallpa, deep in the rainforest. Facilities include private jungle cabins with solar light and mosquito nets, a ceremonial maloca, outdoor herbal steam areas, a natural river pool, and rainforest trails for silent walks.
We also maintain ecological responsibility through low-impact systems, minimal plastic, and tiled Western-style toilets and showers. Our approach is healing in harmony with the land.
Guests come from all over the world — teachers, artists, caregivers, entrepreneurs, parents, and people in transition. Common reasons for joining include grief, burnout, major life changes, and a desire to reconnect with nature, spirit, or themselves.
Each retreat follows a gentle rhythm shaped by the jungle:
Alongside ayahuasca, guests may work with master plants through traditional dietas. This ancient practice combines solitude, a simplified food protocol, and deep energetic attunement with a chosen plant. Some of the plants used include caapi, chacruna, Bobinsana, Ajo Sacha, Chiric Sanango, Chuchuhuasi, Renaquilla, Mucura, Lupuna, Uña de Gato, and mapacho.
Each plant offers its own type of support, from grounding and cleansing to courage, emotional healing, vitality, and protection. While optional, these dietas are a powerful complement to ayahuasca and continue to work long after the retreat ends.
Pucallpa is the capital of the Ucayali region, a lush and culturally rich part of the Peruvian Amazon. From Lima, travelers take a short domestic flight to Pucallpa, then continue by 4x4 vehicle and boat into the rainforest. The journey away from the city and into the jungle is part of the retreat itself, helping you leave behind distraction and arrive more fully in presence.
To prepare, guests are asked to follow the dieta for at least 7 days before arrival: no red meat, alcohol, sugar, sex, or strong spices. We also recommend reflecting on your intention, packing light, and reducing screen time before you come.
Safety is non-negotiable. We screen each participant for medical and psychological suitability, keep groups small, train the team in emergency protocols, and provide emotional support throughout the process. Participation is always voluntary, and we never pressure anyone to take part.
8-DAY MEDICINE & ART RETREAT
Madre Selva Resort
Price
On request
Please contact the organizer directly for pricing information