Lighthouse! Ayahuasca Reteat

Lighthouse Ayahuasca Retreat is a small ayahuasca centre in the rainforest near Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, where Shipibo healers lead the ceremonies. Owner Joshua Fredricksson runs it with a resident team that includes a caretaker and a chef.

Approach

Each week of a stay holds three ayahuasca ceremonies, three private consultations with the maestro, yoga, sound therapy, a flower bath, a jungle walk and a trip on the Amazon river. A five-day kambo week with Maestro Keyth, hapé ceremonies and plant dietas are optional, and preparation or integration weeks without ceremonies can be added. The maestros include Huber (Kestenyoi), a Shipibo-Konibo healer from a family of plant healers, Urias, who began ceremonial training at sixteen, Maestra Lilia, and Jairo, who has worked with ayahuasca for nearly three decades. During ceremonies, members of the team act as guardians for the guests.

Practical details

Stays run from one to six weeks, for no more than eight guests. A week costs $999 with a standard room and shared bathroom, $1,299 with a larger room, a private bathroom and one integration session, or $1,499 in one of two enhanced suites with three integration sessions and a visit to Monkey Island. A $100 deposit by PayPal holds a place, and the rest is paid in cash on arrival. Meals use whole foods such as seasonal fruit and vegetables, grains, eggs and fish.

Care and safety

Applicants register with a form that covers mental and physical health, then have a video interview. The centre keeps the right to refund and turn away a guest, even after payment, if it judges the retreat could do more harm than good. Team members are trained in first aid, guests receive guidance on diet and preparation before they arrive, and the centre stays in touch with them afterwards.