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 (146)

4.7 out of 5
Overall 4.7
  • lindseywcollins
    March 17, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    This place, these people, and Ayahuasca completely changed my life. The 10-day trip and plant “dieta” I completed at Nihue Rao was one of the most significant events of my life and truly changed everything for me. I feel like a new person. Everything in my life works better.

    This was my first experience with Ayahuasca. Though I’d been interested in la medicina for a long time, I knew it could be dangerous in the wrong context or with the wrong shaman. I didn’t take the leap until I got multiple rave reviews from dear friends and friends of friends who all went to one particular center in Peru: Nihue Rao.

    I’ve continued to spread the word through my network, to whom I recommend Ayahuasca… but only under the condition that its consumed at Nihue Rao, with the dieta, ceremony, guidance and safety offered here.

    The shaman I worked with at Nihue Rao were the epitome of non-judgmental, loving, and warm. They were there to help me heal, and they did that in collaboration with the medicine in a way that I didn’t know was possible. I’m struggling with words here, but suffice it to say, this was truly the best thing I’ve ever done.

    If you’re looking for a place to consume Ayahuasca, and if you were my mom or my sister or my husband or my best friend, I would only let you go here. This is the place. Nihue Rao is full of heart, warmth, and the power to really, truly heal.

  • Natalie
    May 17, 2015 at 12:00 am

    I just returned from a week long retreat at Nihue Rao and all I can say is take me back, I’m already dreaming about my next opportunity to visit. After researching several centers before my trip, and as a woman traveling to the Amazon, I really wanted to feel safe at whichever center I chose. It was my first time taking Ayahuasca and I can’t imagine picking a better place to do it. I received a warm welcome from two staff members and some soon-to-be friends upon arrival, some of whom return to Nihue Rao time after time, like parts of a big extended family. Everyone was so nice and this was consistent throughout my stay. In just a week I made some life-long friends.

    Dr. Joe [last name removed by request], part-owner of Nihue Rao, is such a genuinely nice person. He plays a key role in helping people understand the processes they are going through, and his thoughtfulness truly shows. He and the lead shaman, Ricardo Amaringo, fully engage with us all in sharing each morning after ceremonies. I found this extremely important in better understanding the previous night’s ceremony, along with getting some advice on techniques that may help in navigating future ceremonies. The staff are all there to help in any way they can, and it’s easy to see that your healing is very important to them.

    It was also great to have healthy food prepared for us each day, all you need to do is relax and focus on what you’re there for. So let’s get to that: The ayahuasca is made fresh at the center and it’s a powerful brew, the way it needs to be in order to get the work done. The maloca is such a sacred, safe place, and I knew that my needs would be taken care of should anything come up. It’s so safe and comfortable that you’re able to focus on the medicine and just letting go. In the ceremonies we were blessed with the most amazing icaros from 3 different shamans. The icaros of the shamans are so beautiful and moving, and you can’t help feeling so grateful to be having this experience in the Peruvian Amazon, surrounded by nature and caring, loving people. This experience I hold dear in my heart and I don’t feel any hesitation telling others that may be wanting to explore the possibilities of ayahuasca that Nihue Rao is a safe, nurturing, and fun place to do this.

  • 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

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