Frequently asked questions

When does the retreat start, and when does it end?

We pick up our guests on Monday at 11am downtown Iquitos, at our pick-up spot (1 block from Plaza de Armas). You will be dropped off on Sunday around noon, enough time to catch the 2.20pm flight from Iquitos to Lima.

If you have the opportunity, we always recommend a 2-week retreat for several reasons, as this extended stay offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance your overall experience and healing journey with Mother Ayahuasca. For most people, it takes a few ceremonies before establishing a good connection with the medicine. By staying for 2 weeks, you don't need to feel stressed if you don't connect during the first few ceremonies, which is more common than people think. While you can certainly achieve some meaningful healing work in one week, a 2-week retreat provides more time for you to delve deeper, explore your intentions, work through challenges, and engage in profound self-discovery.

Why La Luna del Amazonas?

When the Discovery Channel researched over 50 ayahuasca centers in the Iquitos area, they prioritized two key factors: Safety and Authenticity.

Their team and insurance company had an extensive list of safety requirements, and they sought an authentic experience that truly represented the essence of the ayahuasca tradition.

We may not boast the luxurious amenities of some Western-owned centers, such as fancy building materials, jacuzzis, or air conditioning. Instead, our center prides itself on providing an authentic experience grounded in the natural world and the expertise of our renowned village shamans, who work exclusively with white magic. The beauty of our retreat lies within our hearts, the surrounding nature, and the humble buildings that house our community.

We offer individual rooms with private bathrooms and showers, comfortable beds, and safe, mosquito-screened buildings. The magic and healing that take place in our temple stem not from a fancy, shining floor but from our deep, traditional connection to Pachamama and the individual shamanic limpiezas performed during each ceremony.

In addition, we hold great respect for our lineage and tradition, working with one medicine at a time. Unlike some places that offer a variety of medicines simultaneously, we believe in the wisdom of the native traditions that caution against mixing the energies of power plants or animals, such as Kambo. Although the idea of combining medicines might seem appealing, these native traditions have been developed over centuries for a reason – to maintain the purity and effectiveness of each individual healing experience.

We honor Ayahuasca as the mother of all teaching plants and believe in the power of working with her alone to facilitate a profound and transformative journey for our guests.

How many guests are you expecting for this duration?

We will accept maximum 10 guests in the ceremonies.

We keep the groups small and familiar, but more important, the shamans will give you personal attention and give you an individual shamanic limpieza (energetic cleanse) in each and every ceremony and during the whole retreat. If exceeding 12 participants in the ceremony room, there would be too much energies to manage, and the shamans would not be able to do their work, and would rather just serve medicine and sing songs.

How to prepare prior to my retreat?

Please read about our Ayahuasca retreats, and our medical guidelines!

Once you have paid the reservation fee and your spot is secured, you will receive a confirmation and welcome email, with some tips and tricks on how to prepare.

What are the accommodations like (ie bed, bathroom, etc)

It's important to have your own private space when working with Ayahuasca, since the purification and purging process continues long after the ceremonies, and you don't want to share purging energies from someone else. Therefore, we offer individual private rooms, with additional mosquito net over your bed. Private bathroom and shower.

How many shamans/care-takers in proportion?

1-3 shamans and 1-2 facilitators.

What about the diet, there are so many different views on this?

We don't require you to follow a strict diet before your retreat, but we do encourage you to eat as healthily as possible. While you don't need to exclude salt, sugar, or oils entirely, we recommend reducing your intake if you normally consume them in high amounts. Avoiding processed foods as much as possible can help reduce physical purging and allow you to focus on mental and spiritual purging during your retreat. We strongly recommend avoiding pork meat for at least one week before your retreat and refraining from alcohol and sexual activity for 48 hours prior.

Following a diet becomes much more important once the medicine is in your body to allow it to process properly. During your retreat, you will be served a diet optimized for the medicine to work its magic. The reason for this diet is that excluding salt, sugar, and oils opens us up to absorb any energies around us. While this can be beneficial in a safe and peaceful environment like our jungle center, it can be potentially harmful if you're living in a city and exposed to various energies.

Traditionally, shamans conduct their dietas in isolation to protect themselves from unwanted energies. It's generally not a good idea to do it around people in the city or in places like airports unless you want to absorb those energies.

After your retreat, it's important to continue following some food restrictions (diet) for some time to allow the medicine to continue its process. You will receive specific post-diet restrictions from our shamans on the last day of your retreat to help integrate and incorporate the healing energies you've received from Mother Ayahuasca during your stay.

What to bring to la Luna?

Torch/Headlamp. We recommend a good headlamp with a red light option, such as Black Diamond Spot 400-R.

Rain boots and rainwear, it can get wet and muddy on the tours and trails as well on our retreat center.

We also recommend swimming clothes when we go visit the pink dolphins!

If you have clothes that you do not use, we are happy to share those to the people in the village.

Pick up, airport, leaving day, stay in Iquitos?

We will pick up the group downtown Iquitos on Monday at 11 AM. We can arrange airport pick up for an extra fee if you arrive on Monday morning, please send us an email for more information.

On your last day (Sunday) you will be back in Iquitos around 11.30 AM, but we are only about one hour away from Iquitos and can be flexible to fit your flight schedule.

Do you offer translations?

We always have English–Shamanic Spanish translators available. Other languages at the moment: Swedish.

What about vaccinations?

Talk to your vaccination doctor. Generally it's not recommended with yellow fever vaccine or anti-malaria pills. But if you continue your travels deeper into the Amazon always check with your MD.

I want to trip balls, is La Luna the right place for me?

This is a great intention for getting disappointed. La luna del amazonas is a healing center, and our shamans use the medicine for healing. While its true that ayahuasca sometimes produce visions, it's certainly not a guarantee, nor is it needed for the healing to take place. Many times the medicine work in very subtle ways balancing your auric field and your chakras. Once your energy field is restored, you can open your third eye and receive visions. This is a very individual process, for some participants it happens the first time, and for others it might take 20 ceremonies to get there. The healing from the medicine is in any case always received.

Do I need to bring sleeping bags, towels, buckets, etc?

No, our retreats include everything you need, apart from your personal items.

What days are the ayahuasca ceremonies?

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

What happens at the end of the ceremony?

We remain in silence until next day.

Does the ceremony end at a certain time or when the journey is complete?

The ceremonies usually last 3-5 hours.

Is there any aftercare or integration help?

Yes, there will always be at least 1 facilitator available for aftercare, and shamans stay when needed. There is a sharing circle the day after the ceremony as well as opportunities for 1-on+1 meetings with shaman.

Is there a diet to follow after the ceremony?

Fasting is required until breakfast the next day. All meals are ayahuasca diet. At the end of your retreat you will get an individual diet to keep for some time after.

What other plant medicines do you offer, aside from Ayahuasca?

Our shamans are not ayahuasqueros, but curanderos vegetalistas, working with many other medicinal plants from the jungle.

Many powerful plants and medicines exists in the rainforest, each with their unique energy. Traditionally natives would work with one energy at a time and allow some space in between different plants and energies. Some energies (entities) interferes with the pure energy from Mother Ayahuasca, and other plants should only be ingested in consultation with our shamans.

Do you offer master plant dietas?

Yes!

You can read more about our Master plant dietas here.

Cancellation and refund policys?

The deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel prior to the start of your retreat program, you may transfer your deposit to a different retreat. Once retreat has started we offer no refunds.

Menstruation and Ayahuasca?

If possible, it is advised that women avoid participating in ayahuasca ceremonies during their sacred menstrual cycle. The reasoning behind this is that ayahuasca is a powerful energetic medicine, and the energetic changes that occur during menstruation can for some interfere. During menstruation, the second chakra is the most active, and energy flows downward. Ayahuasca, on the other hand, brings energy upwards, starting from the root chakra.

As some women experience to be more sensitive to the medicine during their period, it can affect the size of the dose. If your period comes during the retreat, just let our shamans or a facilitator know.