Dreamglade Healing Center — Ctra iquitos-Nauta, Peru

Small-group Shipibo-led ayahuasca retreat on lakeside rainforest near Iquitos

The road to Dreamglade runs out of Iquitos toward Nauta, past the village of Moralillo, about an hour by 4x4. It ends at a bridge across a lake, with 25 hectares of Amazon rainforest around it. Stacy Povey founded the retreat in 2013. In 2023 it came under the care of Wade Bucher and Clarisa Gutierrez, who own and manage it directly and say they have no management company and no outsourced staff. Ceremonies are led by Maestra Dominga and Maestro Raúl, a married Shipibo couple who have shared more than 40 years of life, family and service to their community. They come from Vista Alegre, a small village upriver from Pucallpa, and were both raised in families where plant medicine and ceremonial song were handed down through parents and grandparents. Their work is carried through icaros and limpiezas, with a support team in the room throughout. The week has a fixed shape. Ceremonies fall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Preparation begins at 6pm, and each ceremony runs five to six hours in the maloka. The morning after, guests gather at the communal big house for breakfast and a circle where no one is pressed to speak. Stays run from five nights to two weeks, and guests sleep in tambos, shared or single. The days between are left open. Mornings hold plant baths and afternoons include breathwork. There are trails through the jungle, hours by the lake, and a wood sauna by the trees. There is no electricity or Wi-Fi anywhere on the property, by design. Groups never exceed ten. Paul, the integration support specialist, reads every inquiry personally and screens for health and medications before a deposit is discussed. He also supports guests with preparation beforehand and integration afterward.

Traditions: Shipibo ceremonial tradition, Ayahuasca ceremony, Plant dieta, Icaros, Limpiezas, Breathwork

Programs: Ayahuasca ceremonies (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), Pre-retreat dieta and preparation, Plant baths, Breathwork, Sauna and rest, Rainforest and plant walks, Morning-after breakfast circle, Integration support