About Aya Madre Healing Center

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
Aya Madre is located about an hour from the international airport in Iquitos, Peru. The center lies deep in the jungle, off Carretera Nauta (KM 22), down a dirt road just past the tiny village of Nueva Esperanza.

The center is fairly remote and secluded, and is currently composed of 5 individual tambos, a larger shared guesthouse, a kitchen, a large maloka, and 2 outdoor bathrooms (construction is under way for 2 additional bathrooms and 4 showers).

These simple, rustic, yet comfortable buildings are located in a large clearing filled with white sand, mysterious (and rare!) patches of soft jungle moss, and a nearby creek for swimming and bathing. As the center continues to grow and expand, we anticipate building several more individual and large tambos/guesthouses, a common area, a medicine & vegetable plant garden, a house of medicine, and more. The property contains approximately 22 acres of land, much of it pristine rain forest.

Come stay at Aya Madre and help us build a traditional yet innovative healing house and community for the 21st century!

Note: please be aware that the amenities at the center are quite basic (or “rustic” many would say). This is not a luxury retreat. It is more like a homestay with a family of healers and dreamers! The tambos are small huts made of simple, natural wood, the bathrooms are simple compost toilets, and the food and kitchen are also simple and minimal. We want to ensure your expectations meet the reality. It's kind of like camping, but with a little hut, a mattress, a mosquito net, served food, and a powerful shaman and lovely community looking after you :)

Meals

Menu Types

The center serves 3 meals per day (except days of ayahuasca ceremony where there is no dinner), and the meals are usually quite simple. They are a variation of the standard "Ayahuasca diet": rice, lentils, noodles, veggies, eggs, etc.

Getting Here

Location icon Aya Madre Healing Center, Iquitos, Peru

Directions

Guests fly to Iquitos Airport in Iquitos, Peru. Flights are available from Lima, Peru (about 1 hour, and $125). They will be picked up at the airport by Aya Madre staff. The trip to the center is about 30 minutes on the highway (on a "mototaxi") and then another 30 minutes on a dirt road. From there guests will walk about 20 minutes, sometimes through some puddles and mud. But someone will carry their bag. It's a bit of an adventure!

Customer Reviews

4.75 out of 5.0 average rating

1.0
Scam artists
This place is run by a bunch of crooked con artists. They do an excellent job of deceiving you, and it can be pretty hard to connect the dots until you look at it later. Firstly, they will do everything they can to stop you from taking Ayahuasca. They will first try and get you to take a shady medication called Shamburi (which is hilarious in retrospect as it contains the word SHAM) for as long as they can convince you to. Its just an entactogen of some kind, but they put on quite the theatrics to make it seem convincing. You will become very docile and easily convinced once you're on this stuff. Its apparently sourced from some mystery dealer in town that they will not reveal to you, and instead you're told cult like stories of the Shaman (woman in this case) to make it seem like she's God's gift to earth. I insisted on the Ayahuasca as much as I can as that was the purpose of the trip, and it was a total dud most of the time. Over 2 months I only had three actual trips. They do not know how to brew Ayahuasca properly, its terribly inconsistent. I also had my phone that slipped out of my pocket stolen by a worker during the bumpy motorkar ride in the trail to the center, and it was mysteriously found when I went around offering a hefty reward for it (it ended up being pointless as they had completely wiped the phone by the time I got it back). Of course they convinced me that it was stolen by some kid who ran into town, and all the garbage they feed you to turn you docile will have you believe them until you connect the dots later. They also tried to con everyone into giving more money by faking an accident that happened with one of the workers. They told us that a worker got hit on the highway and lost his leg, and put up some fundraiser for more money. I'm convinced without a doubt that worker quit, and they were just selling us snake oil. Its disgusting what these sick jokes do to try and squeeze every dollar out of you. They literally look at you like a walking wallet waiting to be picked. Last thing they tried to do when I was leaving was tell me that the bank was withholding payments from several people that they had received to try and guilt a couple of us into giving them even more money. Absolutely garbage human beings.

5.0
Rustic Real Revelationary
I had the privilege of spending 10d here late 2019. Life changing experience and 8 months later am still processing. So grateful. The Centre is about 45min outside of Iquitos then a 5km Keke/mototaxi off the main road into deep jungle, off grid. The facilities were clean, simple and rustic but very beautiful. Small group of ppl not a massive commercial operation. You get your own hut. The dieta is delicious and ample. The plant medicines here are selected for YOU it's not just about ayahuasca. The staff are always smiling and happy. There is very little English but the facilitators helped when important. Maestra Estella is humble, kind and a very powerful healing entity. Pearls- do not pack suitcases like silly me use a waterproof backpack, do bring gifts for the staff/families or leave items behind they can use like batteries, flashlights...do not try to "tour" Peru after go right home you will have alot to.process, bring a bag you can put electonics in with those silica packs the humidity is 100% lol, send messages home from Iqt Airport when u arrive before you get picked up it's difficult but not impossible to get messages once you are at the centre, come with an open mind, trust you are protected and guided, come with some intentions but realize the healing journey may take you on a few tangents first the nature of which reveal the true intention anyways. What else, just be yourself and know you are exactly where you need to be. Will be back someday. Love to all of you on this journey and Maestra and her staff/family.

5.0
The Real Deal!
Maestra Estela is a great human being and a fantastic healer. Trained by her Shipibo grand father, worked in centers for 30 years and finally was guided by Divine Light to open her own. While I traveled through Peru I asked travellers if they have met a great shaman, and 7 different ones told me her name. So on my return, I booked a month at Aya Madre.
I was so happy that she re discovered the mother of all plants, Shamburi, that treats you like a caring mother, without the hardship of ayahuasca. In the 12 ceremonies I had, I went back 4 lives ago to understand what was my last thought before dying, why I became a victim for 3 more lives and why I had tumours in my colon, and they got removed. I had brain and stomach surgeries, DNA was corrected, karma was erased , all my body cells cleaned. My soul grew by 12 times. If there was no lock down, I would be there now for 6 months, as a volunteer. A place where you learn to be responsible of your own healing, of your dietas, and what master plant you wish to drink during ceremonies. I made a little video about it, that will explain and show you well the center. Much gratitude to Maestra Estela, her family and team, for making us feel safe and healing us with love ... https://youtu.be/W4tXRkVtI8w One Love

5.0
Go See Estela!
I spent a month at Aya Madre for my thirtieth birthday. Prior to going to the jungle I had already sat in six or so ceremonies. Going to Peru, all I knew was that I wanted a female shaman. When I walked through the gates of Aya Madre I knew I had chosen the right center. This place is different than any other retreat center for a multitude of reasons.

First, this isn't just a retreat center. It's a school and you will learn as much as you want to in your time there. Maestra Estela is constantly teaching about plants. How to gather them and turn them into medicine. If you have any ailment, pain, worry, or shadow she is off at a moments notice looking in the jungle for the plant that will help you. You don’t just take medicine here, you learn how to prepare the plants and what purposes they serve.

Second, Maestra Estela. She is a mother through and through. Her nurturing, caring spirit can be felt on every leaf throughout the center. Not once did I feel like she didn't have me - in ceremony and out of ceremony. She is constantly working to help the center and the pasajeros and seems to be everywhere at once. I will forever carry her icaros in my heart.

Third, the plant diet. Here each pasajero is given their own plant dieta prescribed by Maestra after your consult. It’s like a prescription, but from Mother Earth. You are encouraged to spend time with your plants and really connect with them. So many retreat centers want to just shove Ayahuasca your way and let you have this wild trip, but here Maestra gets to the root of the problem by using all of her resources from the jungle and what’s more, she teaches you how to do it yourself. Thus, you learn how to heal yourself.

I had plenty of experience with ayahuasca before I went to Peru and I was not disappointed in the center I chose (because there are a LOT of choices!). This center is special and I would recommend it to everyone, but especially anyone who has never drank before and anyone who might be more comfortable with a woman. I can’t wait to go back :-)

5.0
Aya Madre is home in so many ways
I spent two months at Aya Madre and it was deeply impactful.
1- You get to know a large variety of plant medicines, beyond Aya, and you are able to engage with them hands on
2- You are part of the community there, you are able to spend time with the Shipibo family and workers and get to know them beyond ceremony
3-The natural environment is so beautiful and accommodations are the perfect combination of rustic and comforting
4-It is an honor to learn with and from Estela Pangoza- she is so intuitive, present, humble, silly, and generous with her knowledge
**I especially recommend this center to women seeking a first time plant medicine experience.

Mission & Vision

Aya Madre is a shamanic healing center outside of Iquitos, Peru. It is owned and operated by master Shipibo shaman Estela Pangoza and her family. Maestra Estela is a renowned healer who works with the power of ayahuasca and mother nature as part of an ancient system of holistic treatment. Come heal your physical, emotional and/or spiritual illnesses, and connect more deeply to nature, yourself and higher states of well-being.

Maestra Estela has owned this property and been hosting a wide range of guests, clients and patients for over 5 years. In 2018 the center was officially founded as “Aya Madre.” Maestra Estela's vision is to open a space deep in the heart of the jungle for people from the around the world to experience the deep and profound healing of mother nature.

While “ayahuasca tourism” has boomed in the Amazon jungle, with tourists seeking the sometimes thrilling visions ayahuasca can offer, Maestra Estela practices a traditional form of Shipibo plant medicine. This tradition sees ayahuasca as one of many master plants which along with a range of other plant treatments, can act as a powerful diagnostic tool, purgative, and ultimately, help us connect more deeply with the healing power within ourselves and all around us. This form of Shipibo plant medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, and at Aya Madre guests will be immersed in the full system of healing under Maestra Estela's care and guidance.