Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
Traditional Amazonian Healing with Ayahuasca & Master Plant Diets in Europe
Sinchi Runa is an intimate master plant center, dedicated to provide and nurture a safe, compassionate, and sacred space in which one can experience genuine healing and spiritual awakening.
Our mission is to help each individual reconnect with their true essence by awakening the capacity of wisdom that resides within their heart.
We specialise in Intensive Retreats, Personal Treatments and Deep Immersions with Ayahuasca & Master Plants to heal from Addiction, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and other physical/emotional affliction.
Our center is founded and directed by Maestro Curandero Sanango, whose decades of experience is based in a deep understanding of traditional Amazonian medicine, with contributions from eastern disciplines such as meditation, knowledge of work with mantras and Hatha yoga.
RECONNECTING WITH YOUR TRUE ESSENCE
Sinchi Runa has over thirty years of of in-depth experiential work with Ayahuasca and a variety of shamanic master plants and natural entheogens. Our specialised individual processes treat, from the root level, suffering and trauma that expresses itself through depressions, addictions, anxieties, compulsions and other physical/emotional afflictions.
Sinchi Runa is a word in Quechua that means “Warrior of light”. For us, true healing means awakening the master that resides within each individual. Awakening the inner master and intelligence allows us to reach the source of all healing.
This deep and vulnerable process of reconnecting to true selves and our deepest essence allows us to reinvent ourselves as the masters of our own existence, capable of meeting each challenge with wisdom, grace and ease.
All our afflictions, such as depression or addiction, are symptoms of underlying conflicts and disharmonies. From the deepest space of the soul, our processes address these conflicts so that true, lasting transformation can take place.
In a safe and sacred shamanic context, our work aims for a total transformation and reinvention of oneself, in which one can leave aside even considering oneself “an addict” or “sick”, and live a life of fullness and purpose beyond these limiting beliefs.
SINCHI RUNA OFFERS TWO MAIN TYPES OF PLANT PROCESS
• PERSONAL TREATMENTS & DEEP IMMERSIONS with master plants designed to heal from difficult afflictions and/or deep self-exploration (start dates flexible)
• INTENSIVE AYAHUASCA & MASTER PLANT RETREATS typically lasting 7 to 14 days
Facilities
We are located in the beautiful quiet countryside of Andalucia, approximately 1 hour from the airports of Faro (Portugal) and Sevilla (Spain).
Our retreat venue is immersed in nature where true plant work can take it. We are in a forest garden surrounded by a natural reserve in the Andulucian countryside. It is a tranquil and beautiful place, ideal for deep work with Ayahuasca and reconnecting with yourself.
You wake up to sounds of nature and birds, and with various beautiful nature walks available in the surrounding area, with plenty of space for reflection in the quiet of nature.
Preparation & Safety
Safety & Care are our highest priorities, as well as proper preparation to be able to work deeply with the plants.
For all our processes participants must fill a health & medical questionnaire to ensure their safe participation in a process with plants.
In cases of the use of contraindicated pharmaceuticals, substances or health conditions, we will assess how to proceed on an individual basis. In many cases, we are able to make suitable adjustment in the preparation for those with contraindications to safely participate.
In all cases where needed, we have online preparatory online consultations to safely prepare you for a retreat or process and give personalized preparation regimens for the individual case to begin from home. We are able to assist you in the process of leaving contraindicated medications in a safe manner that also prepares you physically and emotionally for a process.
All participants must follow the standard preparatory regimen & diet (which we provide you when you sign up), and in the of a Personal Treatments and Deep Immersions it will always begin with an online consultation with Maestro Sanango to assess the approach to healing and plant work for your personal case.
We will provide you all the necessary details upon sign-up for preparation for the retreat and practical matters (such as what to bring or how to get here).
A SAFELY GUIDED PROCESS
Real and lasting healing manifests itself when the heart begins to integrate the lessons learned and settle in the understanding we’ve been given. This is a profound and vulnerable process, of opening to our internal light and shadows, healing our pain, learning to trust and re-define ourselves and who we are in the world, while cleansing the heart of the “hardness” we once built as an attempt to protect ourselves.
Maestro Sanango and our team of experienced facilitators, being deeply acquainted and dedicated themselves to a continous process of healing and awakening, are present to guide you through every step, from preparation to integration, to ensure the lessons from the plants can take real root in your life.
Sharing circles, Q&As, and private consultations with Maestro Sanango are a central part of the retreat to enable and facilitate the healing work. Our facilitators & therapists are always available to assist in the unfolding of this delicate process with sensitivity, warmth, understanding, knowledge and care.
This retreat is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the stillness of nature, the ancient wisdom of Amazonian Shamanism and the loving guidance of the plant world; a place to rediscover your true self and inner strength, and be reborn aligned in love and purpose.
We will be honoured to share this magical process of healing and remembering with you and hope to serve you on your journey.
Add Review
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Claim listing
Recent Reviews
Review of Harambe Detox Centre by I’m glad that iboga gave you the healing you came for Read More from Harambe Detox Apr 22, 17:16
stephenndoca
March 4, 2025 at 9:18 amI stayed at Sinchi Runa a year ago for a 10 day retreat, and more recently left after a 3 month deep immersion stay. I don’t know how to sum up all that was learned, understood, let go of, and more, in writing, for fear it being too long and putting you all to sleep!
I would say that since I grew out of being a baby, and could eat and drink by my self, my time at Sinchi Runa was the most vulnerable I’ve been. I’m very thankful to them that it was their care I was vulnerable. I could give so many examples of where I’m thankful that Sanango was ‘taking’ or ‘leading’ (I’m not exactly sure the word for it) the ceremony, but one that springs to mind was in an Ayahuasca ceremony, I was panicking! I asked for help, and Ananda and Sanango came to my aid and helped me process what I was going through. I recall many challenging Kambo ceremonies (In fact I think they all were) but two in particular, in hindsight, I feel blessed that it was Arjuna by my side. Arjuna was a great teacher to me, being in his presence, watching how he interacts with others, and hearing him speak in group sharing taught me a lot, in particular about my pride.
Initially, in my consultations with Sanango and Ananda, I was apprehensive to be open because I was cautious around Ananda, and this is nothing against Ananda, it was a reaction I am learning to step out of. I started to trust Ananda, I tried to leave no stone unturned in these consultations, because it became apparent that it was a privilege to have these two know me, all of me. That they were offering help if I was reaching out for it. I don’t want to portray Sanango as a mythical figure, a guru, or something along those lines, partly because I know he doesn’t want that, but it also doesn’t feel right to me. He is the wisest person I’ve come across. Every time I had the chance to speak to him I felt excited. Through my eyes He is brilliant. It seems to me He knows a lot about Love. I can’t fully express what it meant for me to have Sanango as my teacher, or ‘curandaro’. He is upholding or maintaining great teachings, or spirits, forces, at Sinchi Runa.
Ananda (tough act to follow) was a great teacher to me and I think he had a great understanding of my ‘process’ and what I was going through. I felt loved by Ananda and he too took great care in protecting my process. We also had a few good laughs. I would say the moments of social interaction with everyone at SinchiRuna were lovely.
The food was top notch, Fiona was cooking most of the time whilst I was there, and she is an amazing cook. I noticed how much care was taken in the cooking of the food, and the prep. My portion sizes were always to my desire, and I think I overate most of the time. Fiona was also significant in my journey, she’s great, and so comforting and caring, she made so much effort to protect and care for my ‘Process’. I’m not sure if this is her intention but she really made me feel at home.
I felt the crux of my work was in my ‘Diets’ or ‘Dietas’. Up to now these Dietas have been the most challenging chapters of my life, and without a doubt the most rewarding, if the reward is ‘spiritual growth’ or knowledge of the unconscious, in my case. In the Dietas I developed an understanding around deep questions such as: what is pride, what is humility, what is compassion, what is gratitude, in what conditions do these arise. An understanding of who I am, and why I behave the way I behave. What am I doing in the human experience, and so on, and I really could go on. The diets were the most significant periods of learning in my life, and it was hard earned, it was also a learning of how to come out of suffering, my understanding arose from my coming out of my suffering. And so these diets were a rollercoaster of suffering, enlightenment, more boredom than I knew I could handle. It was very draining, very emotional and very rewarding.
I do not know of any other facility with the depth of wisdom, knowledge, and care as Sinchi Runa, I don’t think places such as Sinchi Runa are easy to come by, and for me it feels it’s a privilege and a great stroke of luck to have come by Sinchi Runa.
deeh4.0
February 2, 2025 at 6:08 amNYE 2025 Retreat @ Sinchi Runa
What an incredible, somewhat indescribable experience the New Years Eve Retreat @ Sinchi Runa (Spain) was. The setting within itself was beautiful and extremely serene being that it was a silent retreat. The amenities were clearly described and extremely well put.
The staff are all brilliant, shining human beings. From the Maestro himself, Mr Sanango’s humour and ease of presence. To Ananda the 2nd hand man.. to Arjuna, Paul, Helge, Mikeala and Andrea… each of them brought a special energy and aura to the retreat.
Words can’t thank you all enough for this life-changing retreat. It certainly won’t be the last time we cross paths.
Victor
January 16, 2025 at 10:52 amI was at Sinchi Runa in April 2024 for a 7-day retreat with Ayahuasca and Kambo. Now more than half a year later I can still say it was one of the most important healing experiences of my life.
I’ve struggled with trauma and shame for years, and despite various efforts with “western” ways, nothing has come close to the healing I found there. The retreat opened up pathways within myself that I didn’t even know existed, that allowed me to finally confront and release traumas that had been holding me back for so long.
The team there is exceptional, full of love and care, and Maestro Sanango’s presence is unlike anything I’ve experienced – there’s an innate compassion and depth to him that words can’t really capture. He brings a calm wisdom that makes you feel seen, understood, and held from the start. Whether during ceremonies, integration circles, or personal consultations, his guidance was priceless. My Ayahuasca ceremonies were very challenging, and the integration circles were absolutely essential for me – they gave me the space to process, reflect, and ultimately make sense of the intense experiences I had gone through.
The retreat center is beautiful, set in a serene nature environment that feels like a perfect escape to find peace and do inner work The accommodations are comfortable, and the natural beauty of the place instantly puts you at ease. The team creates a warm and supportive space, making you feel safe to go deep into the work, knowing you’re fully cared for at every step.
Overall, I can’t recommend this experience highly enough. It’s not easy work, but if you’re looking for real, lasting transformation, this retreat can truly change your life. It did mine.
Freyja
January 3, 2025 at 6:18 pmI made the wrong choice and it is impossible to describe in full detail with words, the full negative psychological emotional and physical impact whilst being there, and the aftermath of immersing myself in a cult- like experience in combination with extremely potent psychedelic plants.
This is a warning to innocent people who might be tempted to go there because of Sinchi Runa’s extraordinary professional marketing skills. Also a record of my own personal experience. No doubt my review will soon get swamped out by Sanangos devotees of this quite literal cult.
I attended what was advertised as an authentic Ayahuasca retreat, marketed as a deep spiritual journey based on traditional Amazonian ceremonies led by a genuine indigenous Shaman. However, my actual experience was far from the advertised promise and left me feeling deeply disillusioned and betrayed.
First, the retreat’s advertising was deliberately deceptive.
They made a big deal about the ceremony being held with a genuine Shaman rooted in the Amazonian tradition, but what I encountered was something closer to a Hari Krishna cult masquerading as a genuine Ayahuasca retreat. There was no authentic shaman, and the ceremonies lacked the spiritual depth or authenticity you would expect from such an experience.
The “leader,” who posed as a Hindu guru, had no visible connection to Amazonian spiritual practices. Instead, he seemed more like a manipulative figure, promoting his personal cult through a veneer of Hindi philosophy.
One of the most jarring aspects of this retreat was the incredibly misleading nature of the testimonials and reviews I read beforehand. All of the reviews I found seemed overly polished, as though they were either written by the same hand or by members of the group itself. Afterwards I realized there was no genuine feedback on their own literature reflecting what I ultimately encountered. I could not leave a review elsewhere, as once signed up you are directed to transfer your money directly to their bank account.
And any negative or critical feedback was conspicuously absent, making it hard to anticipate the true nature of what I was walking into.
After paying over €2,000 for a 10-day experience, in ‘spacious Glamping Tents’ I expected at least a well-managed, clean, professional environment. I am from Scandinavia and am used to and fond of camping in tents and outdoor life in nature. I expected at the very least a basic clean and sanitary environment. What I found was far from it. The campsite itself was in poor condition, it looked nothing like their brochure material, we were taken to a completely different place than the brochure showed, in scrubby land, with a single outside shower, an open outside kitchen, your bathroom is an outside tap on a wall, and, most disturbingly, only one outdoor toilet shared among all participants. The rationale behind this setup was supposedly to help us “release shame” around bodily functions, but the reality was unhygienic and degrading. No trowels were provided for those who needed to relieve themselves outside, which added to the discomfort and the unsanitary conditions.
Even worse still, this lack of basic hygiene was accompanied by an overwhelming sense of cult-like control. Sinchi Runa ‘leader’ was Sanango, who was supposed to be an authentic Curendero, we were told he had been immersed in the Amazonian traditions of the jungle, learning about Ayahuasca for decades. During the actual Ayahuasca ceremonies, he was quite literally leading the ceremonies by DJ’ing Hari Krishna songs from a playlist from his phone. No icaros. Just new-age Hindi mantras. This was not only jarring but profoundly inappropriate in the context of what was supposed to be an Ayahuasca ceremony. The juxtaposition of traditional sacred medicine with a playlist of pop-like spiritual songs was deeply unsettling. It became clear that this retreat was using Ayahuasca as a lure to draw people into a cultish environment rather than providing a genuine, sacred space and experience.
Throughout the retreat, the leader showed a clear preference for his inner circle, a group of followers who lived at the camp and who seemed completely enmeshed in the cult’s lifestyle. Many had shaved heads and wore robes, and their behavior indicated total devotion to the leader, who appeared to care little for the well-being or spiritual journeys of paying participants. His focus was clearly on maintaining control over his followers, and as a newcomer, I felt sidelined and manipulated.
The ceremonies themselves, which should have been the focal point of spiritual healing, were terrifying—not just because of the natural fear of taking Ayahuasca, but because the entire setup was chaotic and felt unsafe. There was no authentic spiritual guidance, no support system in place for participants, and the leader’s methods were not in alignment with any true curanderismo practices. What could have been a transformative journey turned into an emotionally and physically damaging experience.
I would strongly caution anyone considering this retreat. The advertising is disingenuous, the living conditions are unsanitary, and the spiritual leadership is exploitative. Ayahuasca is a powerful medicine that deserves respect and care, and this retreat does not provide either. Instead, it uses Ayahuasca as a tool to attract vulnerable people into a cult-like environment while providing none of the spiritual or emotional support that is essential to such a profound experience.
I came back completely traumatised, for very many months afterwards, that I had made the wrong choice, and not decided to go to a retreat with real shamans from indigenous tribes.
Note: This review was edited to remove mention of other platforms, but has otherwise been left in its original form.
Helge
October 8, 2024 at 6:10 amI spent three months at sinchiruna for a deep immersion retreat. During this time I participated in a total of five ayahuasca retreats and three master plant diets.
These three months fundamentally changed my life. I came there to heal from years of chronic physical pain and the after-effects of childhood trauma. Through the process, I was able to understand how my physical and emotional symptoms were connected and the work needed to let go of both. Healing could only take place when I understood my part of the responsibility and let go of defining myself as a victim of my circumstances.
Maestro Sanango and his team provided me with the utmost safety, love and compassion, without which I would not have been able to open up so deeply.
I won’t hide the fact that the process and the ceremonies can be tough. It’s not a camping trip. They confronted me with shadows that I didn’t want to see or feel. It was in moments like these that I was really grateful for the love and support of Sanango and his team.
I find it difficult to write anything about the plants themselves. Their power, their love is so much greater than I could describe and the way they heal is so profound that it is not easy to verbalize.
I’ve had some experience with ayahuasca and psilocybine before, but none reached the level of professionalism, depth and healing that I found at sinchiruna. Sanango’s wealth of experience, the immersion in nature, the food, the accommodation – everything is fine-tuned to support the healing and opening of the heart. And in the end, this was my most important realization: I don’t heal my body first and then open my heart. It is the opening of the heart, the feeling and the compassion that heals me and makes my life so much richer.