Caya Shobo

Caya Shobo is a Shipibo ayahuasca retreat centre in the community of Varillal, 14 kilometres along the road from Iquitos to Nauta in the Peruvian Amazon. Friends who had practised master plant dietas with Shipibo maestros since 2009 opened it in 2016, and the Shipibo tribal leadership council, Coshikox, endorses its work.

Approach

Each stay centres on a master plant dieta (sama), with the plants chosen for each guest, alongside ayahuasca ceremonies in a maloka. The twelve-day retreat has eight ceremonies; the five-day retreat has four and an introduction to the dieta, with a diagnosis and treatment plan. Flower baths, plant extracts, private talks with the healers and teaching on Shipibo tradition fill the days between. The centre says its onanyas, among them maestros Arturo and Lucinda, come from Shipibo medicine families and have at least 25 years of healing experience. A team of 20 Western facilitators supports them.

Practical details

Groups are capped at 12 guests. The twelve-day retreat costs $2,960 in a standard room with a private bathroom, $3,185 in a jungle tambo with a shared bathroom and $3,450 in a deluxe tambo; the five-day retreat costs $1,650 to $1,910. Meals, Wi-Fi and laundry are included, and the facilitators speak English, Spanish, Russian and German.

Care and safety

Before arrival, the team reviews each guest’s medications, substances and physical or psychological conditions for anything that rules out ayahuasca or the other treatments. Guests follow a restricted diet from at least 10 days before arrival until they leave. The centre works with one shaman per four guests and two or three facilitators per retreat, keeps first-responder kits with anti-venom and has emergency contacts with clinics in Iquitos. After the retreat, guests can join an online integration forum and regular Zoom group calls.