Ayahuasca $100 - $180

Onikano

Name: Onikano
Price range: $100 - $180
Rating: 4.9

Iquitos, Peru

4.9 (99 reviews)

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The mission of Yosi Ocha, The Peruvian Institute of Shamanism and Natural Medicine, since its foundation in 2014, has been to establish a brand of excellence in the preservation of authentic Shipibo shamanic practices. Maestro Heberto García, who is today one of the most recognized shamans among the Shipibo descendants, preserves this indigenous tradition with great rigor. The centre was named after his grandfather and mentor, Yosi Ocha, known as the last Meraya, a title granted to curanderos that attained the highest level of shamanism.
Today we pride ourselves on offering the most complete combination of original Shipibo shamanic treatments available. The centre is the ideal refuge for those who seek deep healing and transformation through a personalised program, or wish to be trained in the fascinating art of shamanism following the ancient Shipibo tradition. Maestro Heberto makes a holistic diagnosis of each guest and designs a tailor-made program taking into account his or her individual objectives.
The passengers are free to choose the starting date and duration of their stay. Many centres offer retreats with fixed start and end dates for cost savings reasons, but in Yosi Ocha we believe that such rigidity does not favour the personalised treatment approach and goes against the central shamanic spirit that values the healing and promotion of integral well-being above any consideration of personal benefit.
Yosi Ocha is located in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, about 20 km southeast of Iquitos, in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Park. The diverse ecosystem in this magnificent part of the jungle includes majestic trees of impressive sizes, streams of reddish water and distinctive white sands that contribute even more to the enchanting beauty of the place.
Once a year, Maestro Heberto travels to Europe (Holland, Spain, etc.) to conduct intensive 3-days healing retreats. These retreats are an excellent opportunity to carry out deep personal work in a safe and loving environment, while discovering his unique approach to the medicine and healing.

Reviews (99)

4.9 out of 5

Overall 4.9

GreyStar
August 12, 2025 at 1:58 pm

It’s been a couple of weeks since I returned form Onikano and I’m finally sitting down to share my experience. It was my first time trying Ayahuasca and I did a lot of research before deciding on Onikano. In general I don’t recommend Ayahuasca as it is so intense but if you feel called like I did then I think Onikano is a beautiful place to have your first experience. Yes, there are nicer more expensive retreats but I think part of the experience is to rough it within reason. The Huts have everything you need and it’s so hot I didn’t miss not having a hot shower at all. The food is simple and nourishing, you are giving your body a break from your normal diet, which also helps the healing process. Soup night was my favorite dinner. The grounds were rustic and beautiful, seemingly a perfect balance to live in harmony with the jungle. I loved being able to walk barefoot in the jungle for a week along the white sand pathways. The teacher trees are special and it’s recommended to visit them everyday. I personally had special connection to Wimba but they are all Amazing.

Everyone I met at Onikano seemed to be on another level of consciousness, they were so open and full of love, it was one of the best parts about being there. The focus at Onikano is healing and putting in the hard work to heal. The facilitator kept reminding me that we are not on holiday we are here to work! Haha. Having the support of everyone else there helps you, and bonds you as you all heal together.

Heberto mentioned during my intake consultation that when someone comes for one week he must combine the recommended three weeks into one and its difficult. I didn’t understand that at the time, but I get it now as my first week was getting to know the medicine and was mainly about cleansing. I think one week is a good starting point and I don’t know if I could have handled another 2 weeks this time around but when I go back I will definitely stay longer.

The ceremonies were intense, I had a lot of resistance to the medicine I think my ego was fighting for dear life to stay in control. If you have resistance like me I would recommend Hape, which lit me up and forced me into what I would consider a complete dissolution of my ego. It allowed me to humbly stand there naked in the presence of Mother Aya and ask for guidance. For me it was also physically intense, it burned and my inner world was on fire along with intense purging and shaking. My body was not happy, the red emergency lights were flashing but it’s what I needed to understand. Sometimes you need to be broken down before you finally get it. As intense as it was physically it also facilitated profound healing that was priceless.

If Ayahuasca is like a sprint then San Pedro is like a marathon. I took 3 Tablespoons and it lasted about 24 hours for me. It wasn’t too intense but its constant, I felt like my inner world was a bright cartoon and I had many wonderful insights throughout the day. I will admit though, after about 12 hours I was ready to come down and it had other plans. It comes in waves and is perfectly manageable. Also, everyone is different in how they experience it, one of the guys there always has profound experiences with SP. For me I will probably stick to 1 or 2 tablespoons next time.

Some people complain that Heberto leaves halfway through the ceremony but I personally didn’t find that to be an issue at all. His sister who is also a very capable Maestro takes over after he leaves and the facilitators are there the whole time. The ceremony is also a deeply personal process at least for me and I barely even noticed him leaving. As someone who runs a business myself I also can appreciate the practicality of sharing responsibilities as you offer 5 ceremonies every week all year long. They also criticize the dose and how it became a competition to do more medicine. Once I was there I quickly realized that there are so many variables and how the individual person is feeling is a big indicator of how much medicine you should take for that ceremony. Everyone is on their own healing journey and they might require different types or amounts of medicine. I never felt there was a competition to do more. Actually, the goal is to get to a point where you can do less medicine and still have a profound experience. Unfortunately, if you are like me you need more medicine to break through your ego to start healing.

If you decide visit Onikano, don’t forget to look up at the amazing stars after dinner, you’ll be in Awe.

Note: This review was edited to remove mention of other websites and for over-capitalization, but has otherwise been left in its original form.
pabs
August 1, 2025 at 7:45 pm

First off, let me say, I have tremendous gratitude for everyone working at the retreat: Maestro Heberto, Ercilia, Eunice, Doro, and Herminia, among others, for the level of care they provided throughout this experience. I was freaking out before arriving, as I had no previous experience with aya, but the minute I set foot in Onikano, I felt immediately safe and comfortable, its like life made sense while I was there. The center has a really good energy and you feel it the moment you arrive. The nature is sublime, premises have exactly what you need and the food was amazing, I was expecting it to be much more bland due to the dieta, but every meal felt like a treat.

About my experience:
I spent a week in Onikano in February, mostly wanting to heal on OCD issues and Self-Love. I’m not a very spiritual person, and certainly not good at giving up on control, but I convinced myself to do ayahuasca after seeing great results with close friends. I was freaking out before my first ceremony, but after the first one, fear was gone and I enjoyed every minute of my week at Onikano (except San Pedro Day, which I believe its not for me lol).

My experiences were profound, not necessarily easy, but certainly necessary. I felt Maestro Heberto really knew what he was doing and was treating everyone like a doctor, connected to each and every one of us and our needs. We were all connected in ceremony, we were all one. I don’t really know how to describe the experiences or whether it’s relevant, but what happened there was definitely the most profound experience I’ve ever had on my life. I connected with my deceased grandma, died and then resurrected, and then die again, it was definitely a ride and not an easy one.

The 4 ceremonies were all very different, first one I felt I did not connect with the medicine, as I didn’t see much, however, after a few months might have been the most relevant one. A lot of its makes sense after a few months I guess.

One caveat for me and that not many people talk, is about what happens after a retreat, the famous ‘integration process’. If you decide to go this healing route with abuelita, you need to be prepared for everything that unloads after the retreat, as it hasn’t been easy for me at all. In my experience, I was really vibing high after all my ceremonies in the retreat, even after some difficult ones, like I overcame some specific fear or discovered some sort of higher truth, but after I left the retreat, the 1st two weeks were amazing, and then I felt sort of going down, energy drained and my OCD suddenly increased. I’m currently accompanying the process with my psychotherapist, who’s been amazing at making sense of all these emotions and sensations, and yes, despite how painful its been, this follow-up process feels like growth, but hasn’t been easy and you need to be prepared for that, as I wasn’t. I felt after the retreat like I didn’t need therapy anymore, as everything made sense now, and no. The fall was hard. the past few months feel like I’m unloading a lot of past emotional baggage, while it feels healthy and some necessary work, at the same time its been very energy consuming and not the easiest of processes, and its been like this for at least a few months now. Maybe next time, I really need to do the recommended two weeks? Maybe it’d be a good idea to incorporate integration sessions? I don’t know…

As you can see, I’m still trying to make sense of this spectacular experience, so removed from anything I’ve known or done. Either way, all emotions and energies are mine, and you just gotta be accountable for them. Right now, I haven’t been able to get rid of fear, but some good has come from this experience, e.g. I stopped drinking alcohol all of the sudden after the retreat ( and I used to drink quite a lot), alcohol doesn’t make much sense for me after what I saw on the ceremonies and breaking this habit has been very helpful for my integration process.

In conclusion, If you got the call, I can only recommend Onikano and Maestro Heberto for your healing journey.
K.berley
June 2, 2025 at 12:21 pm

I had the perfect experience during a one week stay. I understand why it is recommended to stay longer now and I only wish my current lifestyle and situation allowed me to stay longer. Everyone is so selfless and caring, so dedicated to sharing their wisdom and ensuring every guest is comfortable and safe. The translator Ones was very sweet and accommodating. The Maestro was very wise and powerful. The Maestras were also very wise, powerful and caring. I felt very safe and loved. Ceremonies were very special. The food was delicious and very nourishing. The property was very clean and well maintained. I very much recommend this place. I am sure to return one day.
HR
May 28, 2025 at 6:11 pm

I visited Onikano for 2 weeks. This was my 2nd visit, last year I spent in Onikano 1 week. Both times the experience was powerful, meaningful and healing. I allowed the medicine to do its work and was open, excited and present with the medicine, teacher trees, the healers and self.
This year I experienced the medicine in a very powerful and meaningful way. It was transformative!
The retreat felt intimate, safe, loving, caring, healing and even fun.
We had an amazing fire ritual, opening of the back portal and even a boat cruise. The Maestro and Curanderas were attentive and always there to guide us. Ines, translator, was absolutely amazing.
For me, Onikano is a sacred place for healing that can help you to lead to many transformations. I believe that the key is to being open and judgment free.
eller904
May 25, 2025 at 2:00 pm

After my third miscarriage, I chose to travel to Onikano to replenish my physical, mental and spiritual state. The Onikano team was incredibly warm and welcoming. They were attentive and deeply caring. You can feel it in their words and their actions. The experience wasn’t just the ayahuasca, it was a wholistic approach to my general well being in a very customized way. They provided a few other herbal remedies for my specific conditions. I stayed one week and left feeling rejuvenated, lighter and brighter in spirit. Fast forward a few months, I am now 18 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby.

This place isn’t for everyone, but if you’re feeling stuck, completely depleted, in need of a reboot/cleansing of energy, I highly recommend considering Onikano.