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Last Updated: March 5th 2026
If you’re comparing Arkana and Temple of the Way of Light, you’ve already narrowed your search to two of the most respected ayahuasca retreat centers in Peru. Both operate in the Amazon near Iquitos, both work within authentic Shipibo healing traditions, and both have guided thousands of guests through sacred ceremony. These are serious centers, and choosing either one reflects a meaningful commitment to your healing.
Where they differ is in nearly everything else: retreat structure, number of healers, available medicines, facilities, pricing, and how they approach the relationship between guests and the healing team. Understanding those differences matters because the right center for your journey depends entirely on what you’re seeking.
We want to be transparent: this guide is published on Arkana’s website, so please keep that in mind as you read. What we’ve aimed to do here is present the factual differences between both centers so you can determine which experience aligns best with your needs, intentions, and healing journey. We respect what Temple has built over nearly two decades, and we believe the best decision comes from honest information, not marketing.
Before we go deeper into each area, here’s a quick comparison of the core differences between both retreats.
| Category |
Arkana
|
Temple of the Way of Light |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 (11 years operating) | 2007 (18+ years operating) |
| Location(s) | Peru: Amazon (Iquitos) & Sacred Valley (Cusco). Mexico: Valle de Bravo & Yucatán | Amazon (Iquitos): single location, 300 hectares |
| Tradition | Shipibo, Meraya lineage, led by Maestra Justina (45+ years) | Shipibo, emphasis on balanced female and male Maestras |
| Ceremonies & Medicines | Curated program: Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Bufo/Sapo (optional), Hapé, Temazcal, plus psilocybin and peyote in Mexico | Ayahuasca only, with master plant dietas available through partner center |
| Healers Per Ceremony | 3 to 7 Shipibo healers working simultaneously | 4 Shipibo healers (2 female, 2 male) |
| Healer Relationship | Permanent family; shamans integrated into full guest experience | Formal ceremonial role; healers do not interact with guests outside ceremony |
| Group Size | Avg 15 / Max 18 to 25 by location | Up to 30 per retreat |
| Retreat Schedule | Weekly, year-round (continuous) | Select dates throughout the year |
| Retreat Duration | 7, 14, and 21 days | 12 days (or 12 + 5-day integration extension) |
| Traditional Dietas | Available: longer-duration dietas at Arkana's own Amazon center | Available through partner center Shipibo Rao (14 days, ~$2,000 add-on) |
| Price Range (USD) | $2,520 to $10,700 | $4,440 to $5,700 (dietas additional) |
| Facilities | Eco-friendly with Western hospitality: pool, spa, gym, WiFi, ensuite bathrooms, solar powered | Rustic tambos: no electricity, candles and gas lamps, shared showers, no WiFi |
| Ayahuasca Source | Own 100-acre plantation; brewed on-site by Shipibo healers | 300-hectare property; brewed on-site by Shipibo healers |
| Integration Support | 8P Method, 1:1 coaching (add-on), licensed psychiatrist sessions (add-on), peer-led integration circles, lifetime community | Post-retreat integration community, integration guides, private Facebook group |
| Guest Reviews | 1,000+ five-star reviews across AyaAdvisors (#1 Peru), TripAdvisor, Google. Rated 5.0 stars on Retreat Guru | Strong reviews on AyaAdvisors and Google; 15,000+ guests served since 2007. Rated 3.0 stars on Retreat Guru |
| Safety Screening | Medical questionnaire, video call evaluation, selective acceptance, 3-week prep diet | Application with medical/psychological screening, ~30% decline rate |
In an industry where the word “Shipibo” is sometimes used loosely, both Arkana and Temple carry verified, living lineages rooted in generations of plant medicine practice. This shared foundation of authenticity is worth acknowledging, because it’s rarer than many people realize.
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Temple has earned deep respect for centering a balance of female and male Shipibo Maestras in their healing work. All retreats are led by four Shipibo healers (two women and two men), supported by a female herbalist and three Western facilitators who serve as a cultural bridge between the healers and guests. The healing team represents over 250 years of combined ayahuasca experience, and Temple’s long-standing commitment to this balanced approach has become a defining characteristic of the experience.
A structural detail worth understanding: at Temple, the Shipibo healers maintain a formal ceremonial role. They do not interact directly with guests outside of ceremony. Western facilitators serve as the primary point of contact for processing, questions, and support between ceremonies. For guests who value a clear boundary between the ceremonial and everyday spaces, this structure provides a distinct container.
Temple’s advisory relationship with Dr. Gabor Maté (trauma and addiction expert) also lends Western clinical credibility to their approach, bridging indigenous healing wisdom with modern therapeutic frameworks.
Arkana is, at its core, a family. The healing team is not a roster of employees or contractors rotating through on assignment. It is a multi-generational Shipibo family headed by Maestra Justina, a direct descendant of Merayas, the highest-ranked healers in Shipibo tradition. With over 45 years of experience and more than 50 plant dietas completed, she practices shamanic surgery weekly, an extremely rare skill even among experienced curanderos. Her husband, Maestro Cesar (known as Paparahua), brings over 50 years of his own healing practice. Between retreats, he returns to their home community of Vencedor on the Pisquí River to manage Arkana’s 100-acre ayahuasca plantation, the same village where he, Justina, and fellow Arkana healer Eligio were all born and raised.
This family structure extends beyond the healers. Everyone at Arkana, from facilitators to kitchen staff to the leadership team, operates as one big spiritual family with a shared mission, not a corporate hierarchy. When guests choose Arkana, they are not checking into a retreat center. They are being welcomed into a family, during the retreat and long after they return home. Learn more about the people and mission behind Arkana on the About Us page.
Arkana’s shamans operate long-term at the center. They do not cycle through from other organizations or rotate on temporary assignments. Many come from the same family and Shipibo lineage, creating continuity in the ceremonial space that guests and healers build together over years, not weeks. Arkana has also invested deeply in Shipibo lineage preservation through a dedicated Shaman School, training the next generation of healers and ensuring that these ancient practices are carried forward with integrity. This commitment is part of Arkana’s broader giving back mission.
The most tangible difference in ceremony is the number of healers present. Arkana deploys three to seven Shipibo shamans simultaneously in each ceremony at its Amazon location, and reviews consistently describe this as extraordinary. Five to seven shamans chanting icaros for four to five hours creates a qualitatively different ceremonial space than four healers working a group nearly twice the size.
Arkana also incorporates live music into ceremonies alongside traditional icaros, though the two are never blended together. The icaros are sung during their own dedicated portions of ceremony, preserving the integrity of the Shipibo healing songs. Each participant receives their own personalized icaros during ceremony, which are recorded and provided on an MP4 player to take home, allowing guests to reconnect with the healing energy of the jungle long after the retreat ends.
Combined, the healing team brings over 100 years of experience into every ceremony. You can learn more about each healer’s story on our team page.
Both centers bring genuine expertise to this work. One offers a formal ceremonial structure with clear boundaries between healers and guests, supported by Western facilitators as cultural interpreters. The other grounds its authority in the depth and continuity of family lineage, with shamans integrated into every aspect of the guest experience.
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Both centers follow the traditional Shipibo ceremony structure: the darkened maloca, the sacred icaros, the purge, and the deeply personal inner work that unfolds throughout the night. If you sit with either center, you’re experiencing an authentic ceremonial container. Where they differ is in what medicines are available, the breadth of the program, and how they structure the retreat around ceremony.
Depth through singular focus. Ayahuasca is the sole ceremonial medicine at Temple. No San Pedro, no Bufo, no Hapé, no additional plant medicines within the retreat itself. Temple offers six ayahuasca ceremonies over their 12-day “Living in Alignment” retreat, complemented by yoga classes, individual and group support, and self-inquiry practices. Their position is that ayahuasca deserves a dedicated container to do its deepest work within the Shipibo tradition.
For guests seeking advanced work beyond the standard retreat, Temple supports access to traditional plant dietas through their partner center, Shipibo Rao, led by Maestro José López Sanchez. These 14-day dietas are a separate program (~$2,000 add-on) and require prior ayahuasca experience. This focused path has produced transformative results for thousands of guests over nearly two decades.
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Ayahuasca remains the centerpiece, but each retreat follows a carefully designed sequence that has been tailored and refined since Arkana’s founding. This is not a random assortment of offerings. A typical week weaves together ayahuasca ceremonies, complementary medicine ceremonies (San Pedro, Hapé, optional Bufo/Sapo depending on location), group sharing circles, yoga, breathwork sessions, sound bath healing, and excursions into the surrounding landscape. The order, timing, and spacing of each element is intentional. Restorative activities like yoga and sound healing give the body and mind time to process between ceremonies, group shares create space to integrate insights with your community, and excursions ground you in the land itself. Together, these elements create a comprehensive healing arc rather than a series of isolated ceremonies.
Arkana never combines Bufo/Sapo or other psychoactive medicines within the same ayahuasca ceremony. Each medicine is honored separately, with proper timing and spacing between ceremonies throughout the retreat. Guests report extraordinary results from having the opportunity to experience both medicines in the same retreat.
What makes this approach distinct is not simply that Arkana offers multiple medicines, but that each one is honored through its own dedicated ceremony. Ayahuasca ceremonies follow the Shipibo tradition. Bufo/Sapo is offered at all Peru and Mexico locations, accompanied by a traditional Temazcal ceremony. Peyote and psilocybin are offered exclusively at the Mexico centers, each within its own ceremonial container. Arkana does not blend these traditions or combine medicines within a single ceremony. Each receives its own space, its own respect, and its own place within the curated retreat program.
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The specific offerings vary by location:
The shamans may also prescribe specific plant treatments such as emetics, vapor baths, or oral remedies based on what they observe during ceremony. Explore the full range of sacred medicines we work with.
Arkana offers traditional ayahuasca dietas of longer duration at its own Amazon center. These dietas require the jungle ecosystem to source the proper food, plants, and nutrients that traditional practice calls for. Unlike Temple’s dieta offering, which operates through a separate partner center, Arkana’s dietas take place on the same grounds where regular retreats are held, under the guidance of the same Shipibo healing family.
Arkana runs retreats weekly, year-round, with continuous programming that allows guests to arrive on a schedule that works for them rather than waiting for fixed dates. Temple offers retreats on a set calendar throughout the year.
Neither approach is inherently better. One goes deep on a single path; the other opens multiple doorways within a single retreat. The right choice depends entirely on what your healing journey calls for.
At Arkana, we offer authentic ayahuasca experiences at two sacred locations in Peru. Each carries its own medicine, its own teachings, its own perfect timing for different souls.
Peru
1–3 Week Programs • Year-Round
Peru
1–3 Week Programs • Year-Round
How ayahuasca is sourced and prepared is a question worth asking of any retreat center, because it speaks directly to the integrity of the ceremonial experience. On this point, both centers share genuine strength.
Temple operates on a 300-hectare property in the Amazon where they grow their own ayahuasca and brew their own medicine on-site. This is a meaningful point of integrity that ensures a direct relationship between the medicine and the land. Their commitment to self-sustainability extends to fish farms, permaculture projects, and on-site food production.
The ayahuasca is grown on Arkana’s own 100-acre plantation in Vencedor, the Shipibo community on the Pisquí River, where Maestra Justina, Maestro Cesar, and healer Eligio were born and raised. The vine and chacruna leaf grow in the Amazon basin, where these plants are native, and the brew is prepared on-site by the same Shipibo healers who lead ceremony.
The ayahuasca you drink in an Arkana ceremony was likely grown, harvested, and cooked by the same people who will sing the icaros over you that night. That continuity, from soil to ceremony, is something most retreat centers simply cannot offer.
Both centers brew their own medicine on their own land. This is a shared strength, not a point of contrast, and it sets both apart from centers that source their ayahuasca from third-party providers.
This is where the two centers differ most visibly, and where personal preference plays the largest role in the decision.
Temple operates from a single 300-hectare property deep in the Amazon, accessible by bus, boat, and hike from Iquitos (approximately two hours). The setting is intentionally immersive and stripped of modern distractions.
Guest accommodation consists of 24 tambos (traditional jungle sleeping huts) built from local wood and screened with mosquito netting. Each tambo includes:
Temple describes this as intentional: “natural, rustic, and simple.” Shared showers are available on the grounds. A chill-out room adjacent to the dining area provides a communal space. Meals are prepared by four on-site cooks following ayahuasca dietary guidelines, with ingredients sourced partly from the property’s own fish farms and food production sites.
For guests who want total immersion in the jungle with minimal separation from the natural environment, Temple’s deliberate simplicity is part of the appeal. The absence of modern comforts is not a limitation; it’s a philosophy.
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Arkana is not a “luxury” retreat in the Western sense. It is an eco-friendly, comfort-forward environment with the hospitality touches that allow guests to focus entirely on their healing. What makes the centers unique is that this level of comfort is achieved sustainably, in deeply traditional settings.
Arkana Amazon, also near Iquitos, sits along the Ucayali River deep in the rainforest. The center is 100% solar powered with compostable toilets, reflecting Arkana’s commitment to operating in harmony with the jungle ecosystem.
• Housekeeping, comfortable bedding, private rooms and suites (shared options available)
• Orthopedic mattresses, ensuite bathrooms, and in-room safes
• Farm-to-table meals by on-staff chefs at Selva Conscious Kitchen using locally sourced ingredients
• Swimming pool, Amazonian spa, jungle gym, yoga shala
• Starlink WiFi
• Jungle excursions into the Amazon and Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
View the Amazon retreat details and accommodations.
Arkana Sacred Valley, nestled along the Vilcanota River between Cusco and Machu Picchu, offers a distinctly different energy: Andean mountains rather than jungle. The center operates as a true farm-to-table environment, growing its own food in an on-site garden.
• Housekeeping, comfortable bedding, private rooms in a recently remodeled eco-lodge
• On-staff chefs at Kinua Conscious Kitchen serving organic cuisine harvested from the property
• Float tank, open-air gym, Andean spa, Temazcal
• Starlink WiFi
• Excursions to Machu Picchu (~$250) and the Maras Salt Mines available for multi-week guests
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Explore the Sacred Valley retreat details and lodge accommodations.
Arkana also operates retreat centers in Valle de Bravo and the Yucatán in Mexico, offering psilocybin, peyote, Hapé, Bufo/Sapo, and Temazcal ceremonies for guests drawn to those modalities.
Temple offers two retreat options, both 12 days in duration. The “Living in Alignment” retreat costs $4,440 and includes six ayahuasca ceremonies, four Shipibo healers, three Western facilitators, all meals, accommodation in a private tambo, yoga classes, individual and group support sessions, and ground transportation from Iquitos. The 12-day retreat with 5-day integration extension costs $5,700.
Traditional plant dietas through Temple’s partner center, Shipibo Rao, are available as an additional 14-day program at approximately $2,000. Temple does not offer 7-day retreats or flexible scheduling; all programs are 12 days minimum on a fixed calendar.
Arkana’s seven-day Amazon program starts at $2,520 for a shared room and ranges up to $4,500 for premium accommodations. Sacred Valley seven-day programs range from $3,000 to $4,020. Fourteen-day programs run $4,680 to $8,320 (Amazon) and $5,525 to $7,410 (Sacred Valley). Twenty-one-day immersions range from $6,800 to $10,700.
All programs include ceremonies (ayahuasca, Hapé, and San Pedro at Sacred Valley), meals, accommodations, yoga, breathwork, sound healing, integration workshops, excursions, and shuttle from the designated pickup hotel. Optional add-ons include Bufo/Sapo ($300), spa treatments, one-on-one integration coaching, licensed psychiatrist sessions, and Machu Picchu excursions (~$200). Arkana offers a lifetime ten percent return guest discount and periodic promotional pricing.
Temple’s single price point of $4,440 for a 12-day retreat versus Arkana’s $2,520 starting price for a 7-day program means guests have fundamentally different cost structures to evaluate. Arkana offers more flexibility in both duration and budget. A guest seeking a 7-day experience at Arkana will spend roughly half of what a 12-day Temple retreat costs, while also receiving a multi-medicine program with more healers per ceremony. For guests who prefer a longer immersion, Arkana’s 14-day program ($4,680 starting) offers a comparable duration to Temple at a similar or lower price point with significantly more amenities.
Neither center includes international airfare. Both are accessible via Lima with a domestic connection to Iquitos or, for Arkana’s Sacred Valley location, Cusco.
Temple employs an application-based screening process that includes a comprehensive medical form reviewed by their off-site medical doctor and psychologist. They decline approximately 30% of applicants. This is a genuinely responsible practice: they’ve determined who they can safely serve within their ayahuasca-focused model, and they hold that boundary. Their selectivity reflects a deep commitment to participant wellbeing, and it’s one of the reasons Temple has maintained a strong safety reputation since 2007.
Guests are asked not to book flights or make travel arrangements until their application has been reviewed and approved, which typically takes a few days to one week.
Arkana’s screening involves a medical questionnaire, video call evaluation, and selective acceptance process. Applicants who are not suited for ayahuasca specifically are not simply turned away. In some cases, they are guided toward alternative healing pathways within Arkana’s multi-medicine program. A mandatory three-week preparation diet begins before arrival.
The healing team, led by Maestra Justina with her decades of experience reading participants’ energy, works alongside trained facilitators who adjust the ceremonial approach based on individual needs. Dosing is personalized, and the team monitors each participant throughout every ceremony. Over 11 years and thousands of guests, Arkana has maintained a perfect safety record. That record is the result of careful screening, experienced healers, and a culture that treats safety as non-negotiable. Review our complete safety protocols.
Both centers take safety seriously. This is a shared strength, not a point of contrast.
If Temple’s screening determines that ayahuasca is not the right fit for you, the journey with Temple ends there. This is the natural consequence of a single-medicine model. They offer ayahuasca, and if ayahuasca is not safe for you, they responsibly say so. For guests in that situation, Temple does not offer alternative ceremonial medicines within their program.
Arkana’s multi-medicine program means the conversation does not end at “ayahuasca is not suited for you.” Guests who are not the right fit for ayahuasca, whether due to SSRI use, heart conditions, or specific psychiatric diagnoses, can still attend and work with San Pedro, breathwork, sound healing, yoga, float tank therapy, and individual consultations with the healing team. The retreat retains its transformative value through a personalized program shaped around what’s safe and appropriate.
Many guests who arrive unable to work with ayahuasca discover that the medicine they needed was something else entirely, and that the community, the setting, and the support of the facilitators carried just as much healing as ceremony itself.
For guests who may be drawn to psilocybin or peyote rather than ayahuasca, Arkana’s Mexico locations offer those modalities with the same standard of care. Mexico can also serve as a gentler entry point for anyone who feels called to plant medicine work but finds ayahuasca intimidating as a first experience. Psilocybin and peyote, while powerful in their own right, offer a different kind of doorway, and beginning there can build the confidence and trust needed for deeper work later.
Both centers agree on a fundamental truth: ceremony is the beginning, not the end. What you do with the insights that emerge, how you carry them into your daily life, your relationships, and your decisions, determines whether transformation lasts or fades.
Temple provides a post-retreat integration community, access to integration specialists, and a private Facebook group exclusively for previous guests. They also offer one-on-one preparation sessions before the retreat. For guests who choose the 12-day + 5-day extension option ($5,700), additional on-site integration time is built into the program. Temple describes their integration approach as an ongoing process, with plans for a comprehensive three-month aftercare program that includes weekly emails, meditations, exercises, and resources.
For guests who have existing practices like meditation, therapy, or community support to return to, Temple’s approach provides a supportive framework without being overly prescriptive.
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Arkana developed a structured framework designed to bridge the gap between the ceremonial space and everyday life. Each of the eight principles addresses a specific challenge that guests commonly face after returning home:
• Practice: Put teachings into action through journaling, yoga, meditation, and breathwork
• Prune: Release what no longer serves your growth
• Pilgrimage: Cultivate daily stillness and inner connection
• Pause: Check in regularly with your inner state
• Patience: Honor your own timeline; healing is not linear
• Preach Not: Share mindfully and protect your energy
• Play and Laugh: Approach healing with lightness; sacred work does not have to be solemn
• Pursue Your Purpose with Passion: Live in alignment with what ceremony revealed
Beyond the framework, Arkana provides lifetime access to WhatsApp community groups and ongoing facilitator check-ins. Peer-led integration circles (groups of four to five people) continue after the retreat, creating accountability and shared support. The personalized icaros recording that each guest takes home on an MP4 player also serves as a powerful integration tool, allowing you to reconnect with the ceremonial space and the healing energy of the jungle whenever you need it. On-site integration workshops during the retreat provide guests with practical tools before they leave.
For guests seeking deeper support, optional add-ons include one-on-one integration coaching sessions and licensed psychotherapy sessions. A lifetime ten percent return guest discount reflects Arkana’s belief that healing is an ongoing relationship, not a transaction. Explore the full range of integration services.
Temple has facilitated healing for over 15,000 guests from more than 30 countries since 2007. Reviews on AyaAdvisors and Google are broadly positive, with guests consistently praising the depth of the ceremonial experience, the care of the facilitators, and the jungle setting. Temple’s long track record and consistent approach have built significant trust in the ayahuasca community. On Retreat Guru they are rated at 3.0 stars.
Some reviews note the large group sizes (up to 30) and the lack of direct shaman interaction outside ceremony as points of adjustment, particularly for guests expecting a more intimate or personalized dynamic.
Arkana holds the number one rated position on AyaAdvisors in Peru with over 1,000 five-star reviews across AyaAdvisors, TripAdvisor, Google, and a perfect 5.0 star rating on Retreat Guru. Guests consistently highlight the number of shamans present in ceremony, the personal attention from facilitators, and the family atmosphere as defining features of the experience. Solo female travelers consistently highlight Arkana as a safe, supportive environment, a detail worth noting for anyone planning to attend alone.
Return guests are common, and many describe the WhatsApp community and ongoing facilitator relationships as reasons they chose Arkana again. The lifetime return guest discount reinforces this pattern.
• You want to work exclusively and deeply with ayahuasca as your sole ceremonial medicine, without the addition of other modalities
• A single, immersive jungle setting appeals to you more than choosing between locations, and you want to arrive, settle in, and go deep in one place
• You prefer a formal separation between the ceremonial and everyday spaces, with Western facilitators as your primary support between ceremonies
• Total immersion with minimal modern comforts resonates with your approach to healing: no electricity, no WiFi, candle-lit evenings in the jungle
• Extended master plant dietas beyond a standard retreat interest you, and you are open to working with Temple’s partner center for a 14-day dieta
• A 12-day minimum commitment works with your schedule and budget ($4,440 starting)
• You want a choice of settings (Amazon jungle, Andean mountains, or Mexico) and the ability to match your environment to your intentions
• Working with multiple sacred medicines across a single retreat appeals to you, whether that’s ayahuasca alongside San Pedro, breathwork, Hapé, or optional Bufo/Sapo
• Structured, long-term integration support is a priority, including the 8P Method, peer-led circles, and optional one-on-one coaching
• You have medical considerations (such as SSRI use, heart conditions, or psychiatric diagnoses) that may mean ayahuasca is not the right fit for you specifically
• Having shamans present throughout your retreat, not just in ceremony, matters to your sense of safety and connection
• This is your first plant medicine experience and you want comprehensive support from arrival through integration and beyond
• Flexibility in retreat duration matters to you: seven days for a focused experience, fourteen for deeper work, or twenty-one for a full immersion
• You value eco-friendly facilities with Western hospitality (ensuite bathrooms, farm-to-table cuisine, spa amenities, WiFi) alongside traditional ceremony
• Budget flexibility is important: programs starting at $2,520 versus a $4,440 minimum
Choosing either of these centers reflects a meaningful commitment to your healing. Both Arkana and Temple carry genuine Shipibo lineage in an industry where authenticity matters more than ever. The fact that you’re researching this carefully, reading comparisons, weighing your options, listening to what resonates, tells us something important about how seriously you’re approaching this journey. That intentionality matters, and whichever path you’re drawn to, trust that instinct. It’s already part of the healing.
If you’d like to explore whether Arkana is the right fit for your intentions, we’re here to talk it through. Explore our Amazon retreats or Sacred Valley retreats, or schedule a discovery call to discuss your specific needs and questions.
Temple was founded in 2007, giving it a longer institutional track record. Arkana was founded in 2015 but is led by a Shipibo healing family whose lineage predates both organizations by generations. Maestra Justina alone brings over 45 years of healing experience. Both centers have safely served thousands of guests.
No. Temple offers only 12-day retreats (or 12 days + a 5-day integration extension). They do not offer 7-day programs. Arkana offers 7, 14, and 21-day options with weekly departures year-round.
Temple’s retreat program is exclusively focused on ayahuasca. They support access to traditional plant dietas through their partner center, Shipibo Rao, as a separate 14-day program. Arkana offers a curated multi-medicine program within a single retreat, including ayahuasca, San Pedro, Hapé, optional Bufo/Sapo, and psilocybin and peyote at the Mexico locations.
Ayahuasca is contraindicated with SSRIs and certain other medications at both centers. Temple’s screening will likely decline your application if you cannot safely taper off these medications. Arkana’s multi-medicine program means you can still attend and work with San Pedro, breathwork, sound healing, and other modalities even if ayahuasca is not suited for you. Consult your prescribing physician before making any changes to your medication.
Not at all. It’s a deliberate philosophy. Temple intentionally removes modern distractions (no electricity, no WiFi) to deepen the immersive healing experience. Some guests find this profoundly supportive of their inner work. Others prefer having Western comforts available to help them rest and recover between ceremonies. Neither approach is wrong; it’s a matter of what environment supports your healing best.
Temple hosts up to 30 guests per retreat with four Shipibo healers and three Western facilitators. Arkana hosts 15 to 25 guests (depending on location) with three to seven Shipibo healers per ceremony. The healer-to-guest ratio at Arkana is generally higher, meaning more individual attention during ceremony.
Yes. Arkana operates centers in Valle de Bravo and the Yucatán in Mexico, offering psilocybin, peyote, Hapé, Bufo/Sapo, and Temazcal ceremonies. These locations do not offer ayahuasca. They serve guests who are drawn to other plant medicine modalities or who may prefer a gentler entry point before committing to ayahuasca work.
Both centers welcome first-time guests. Temple’s singular focus on ayahuasca provides a deep, undiluted introduction to the medicine. Arkana’s curated program, smaller group sizes, integrated shaman presence, and structured integration support are designed to provide comprehensive guidance for guests at every experience level, from first ceremony to advanced dietas.
