Chaka Runa Ecovillage & Retreat Center

Ayahuasca Retreat in Shamboyacu, San Martin, Peru
View All Photos

  • Retreat Info

    About the Retreat:

    CHAKA RUNA · PERUVIAN AMAZON

    A place to slow down.
    A tradition to learn from.

    10-Day Amazon Master Plant Dieta with Ayahuasca

    Chaka Runa Ecovillage & Retreat Center offers Ayahuasca retreats and Master Plant Dietas in the Peruvian Amazon, guided by Mestizo shaman
    Don Gino.
    Our center lies on 44 hectares of rainforest near Shamboyaku in San Martín, approximately three hours by road from Tarapoto.

    Learning from the plants

    Our main programme is the
    10-day Amazon Master Plant Dieta,
    with five Ayahuasca ceremonies and daily tea from your selected Master Plant. The Dieta follows traditional dietary and behavioural commitments, with time for quiet, rest and a deeper relationship with the plants, nature and yourself.

    Don Gino remains personally involved throughout the Dieta, beginning with an individual consultation before your first ceremony. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and Italian, allowing participants to share their experiences and questions directly with him.

    Participants sit around the candlelit maloca beneath its high thatched roof, with light reflecting on the wooden floor.

    Our maloca, the ceremonial gathering space, at night.

    Your own space in the rainforest

    Between ceremonies, meals are delivered to your private tambo or glamping tent. Each has its own bathroom and warm shower. At the
    Chaka Runa Retreat Center,
    tambos are spaced along forest paths, with fine mesh in place of solid walls so you can hear the rainforest from your bed. Creeks, waterfalls and quiet places to sit form part of the surrounding landscape.

    A private tambo with a bed, raised mosquito net, wooden table and chair, and rainforest visible through the mesh walls.

    A private tambo with the forest just beyond its screened walls.

    Personal guidance and support

    Groups usually include 20–25 participants, supported by Don Gino and six to eight assistants.
    Health screening and preparation guidance
    precede the retreat, and a doctor is onsite during the Amazon Dieta. A group integration call around one month afterwards is included.

    Four Ayahuasca ceremonies take place at night. The fifth closes the Dieta during the day on day ten, with the return to Tarapoto the following morning.

    Plan your Amazon Dieta

    Explore upcoming dates and find the accommodation that suits your stay.


    View dates, accommodation & prices →

    Description of Services:

    What your Amazon Dieta includes

    Plant medicine and ceremonial work

    The core of the programme is a traditional Mestizo Master Plant Dieta, with daily tea from your selected plant and five Ayahuasca ceremonies guided by Don Gino.

    An opening flower bath, individual guidance, traditional cleansings and a personal Arkana, a protection ritual, accompany the Dieta. Participants can also help prepare the Ayahuasca brew by pounding the vine and arranging the plants in the pot, and visit the medicinal garden to learn about their traditional uses.

    Personal guidance and care

    Your stay includes a private consultation with Don Gino before the first ceremony, opportunities for questions and conversations throughout the Dieta, and support from the ceremonial assistants. A doctor is onsite during the Amazon Dieta.

    Read about screening and care.

    Accommodation, meals and transfers

    • Private tambo or glamping accommodation with an ensuite bathroom and warm shower.
    • Daily Dieta breakfast and lunch, plus drinking water throughout the programme.
    • Welcome breakfast in Tarapoto and return group transport between Tarapoto and the retreat center.
    • Bedding, towels, a rechargeable light and rubber boots for use during your stay.

    Included activities

    Alongside the plant work, the programme includes a shamanic drumming session, three morning movement and Chi Kung sessions, and one massage. The first session of each workshop is also included, allowing you to try visionary painting, charango, flute and guitar.

    Optional experiences

    These sessions are optional and charged separately. Prices below are in US dollars.

    • Kambo ritual with Rapé and Sananga:
      $250 per ceremony.
    • Additional visionary painting:
      $200 for four one-hour sessions.
    • Additional charango, flute or guitar tuition:
      $200 for four one-hour sessions.
    • Additional massage:
      $60 per session.
    • Additional drumming or movement sessions are available by donation.

    Preparation and integration

    Preparation and arrival guidance are provided before the retreat. At the close of the Dieta, you receive instructions for your first weeks at home. A group integration call around one month afterwards is included; individual integration sessions can be arranged separately for an additional fee.

    Flights, accommodation before and after the programme, travel insurance and personal healthcare expenses are not included.

    Practitioners:

    Don Gino is a Peruvian Mestizo shaman from Puno who guides Ayahuasca ceremonies and Master Plant Dietas. His training includes work with Don José Campos, within a lineage connected to Don Solón Tello and Don Guillermo Hojanama. His practice also draws on Andean traditions passed down through his grandfather and on Shipibo ceremonial influences.

    He meets individually with participants before their first ceremony and remains personally involved throughout the Dieta. He speaks fluent English, Spanish and Italian, allowing participants to discuss their experiences and questions directly with him.

    Team/Medical Staff:

    During the Amazon Dieta, six to eight assistants support Don Gino and a group of approximately 20–25 participants. Assistants remain present inside and outside the maloca during ceremonies, providing practical help and personal support.

    A doctor is onsite during the Amazon Dieta. The center has first-aid equipment, emergency communication and road access for onward care. Team members also support accommodation, meals, activities and the daily running of the retreat.

  • Details

    Founder(s) / CEO: Don Gino
    Group Size: 20–25 participants
    Price Range: 2900 -3900

  • Our Process

    Overview of Experience:

    The Amazon programme follows a traditional Mestizo Master Plant Dieta. Preparation begins with health screening and practical guidance before travelling to Peru. On arrival, participants meet individually with Don Gino and receive an introduction to the plants and the commitments of the Dieta.

    During the ten days, participants drink their selected Master Plant tea, follow dietary and behavioural guidelines, and attend five Ayahuasca ceremonies. Private accommodation and meals delivered between ceremonies allow time for quiet, rest and reflection. Personal guidance, ceremonial support and opportunities for creative activities accompany the plant work.

    The Dieta closes with a daytime ceremony and a shared meal. Participants receive post-Dieta guidance, followed by an included group integration call around one month after returning home.

    Intake Process:

    Every participant completes an application and screening process before acceptance. This covers physical health, psychological wellbeing, medications, supplements, recreational substance use and general suitability for the programme.

    The team reviews the information and follows up where clarification is needed. Participation may be postponed or declined when appropriate. After approval, participants receive preparation instructions and must report significant changes in their health or medication before travelling.

    Supplemental Modalities: The programme includes an opening flower bath, personal Arkana protection ritual, medicinal-garden learning, shamanic drumming, three morning movement and Chi Kung sessions, and one massage. Introductory sessions in visionary painting, charango, flute an
    Psychedelic Substances Offered: Ayahuasca. The brew served combines Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) and Diplopterys cabrerana (Chacopanga).
    How does this Center source medicine?:

    We maintain a medicinal plant garden at the Chaka Runa Retreat Center, and native Ayahuasca vines also grow on our rainforest land. During the Dieta, participants visit the garden to learn about the plants and can take part in preparing the Ayahuasca brew.

    Practice reciprocity with local communities?: Yes

  • Photos

  • Video

  • Reviews

    Leave a Review

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Select a rating