Refugio Altiplano
Tamshiyacu River, near Iquitos, Loreto
Long-running ayahuasca retreat on a rainforest reserve reached by boat from Iquitos, founded by American Scott Peterson and run under new management since his death in 2013.
Details from the centre's own website and independent sources, read 28 Sep 2026.
The legal position in Peru
In 2008 Peru's National Institute of Culture declared the traditional knowledge and uses of ayahuasca by native Amazonian communities Cultural Heritage of the Nation. The declaration protects traditional use and contrasts it with decontextualised commercial use; it does not license retreats. No authority inspects retreat centres, so standards vary between operators, and legality says nothing about safety.
The sources for this
- Resolucion Directoral Nacional No. 836/INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura, June 2008, published in El Peruano) declared the traditional knowledge and uses of ayahuasca practised by native Amazonian communities Cultural Heritage of the Nation. (Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina (state news agency), 12 Jul 2008; Ministerio de Cultura del Peru, Centro de Recursos (hosted academic article), 2012)
- The resolution aims to protect the traditional use and sacred character of the ritual, as distinct from "usos occidentales descontextualizados, consumistas y con propositos comerciales" (decontextualised Western uses that are consumerist or commercial). (Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina, 12 Jul 2008)
- Internationally, neither ayahuasca nor the plants used to make it are controlled under the 1971 Convention (INCB 2010, para 284). (International Narcotics Control Board, Mar 2011)
The law and every listed centre in Peru
Programmes and cost
| Programme | Length | Sessions | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-Day Retreat | Not stated | 4 | $1,200as published on 28 Sep 2026 |
| 9-Day Retreat | Not stated | 5 | $1,600as published on 28 Sep 2026 |
| 12-Day Retreat | Not stated | 7 | $2,000as published on 28 Sep 2026 |
| 26-Day Immersion | Not stated | Not stated | $3,400as published on 28 Sep 2026 |
Prices and formats as published by the operator on the date shown. They change, so confirm directly before budgeting. We never estimate a price that is not published.
Screening, as the centre describes it
Medical advice page: "It is necessary that you let us know, in confidence, any known medical conditions and/or use of any medication, at the time of booking." Lists SSRIs ("We advise you to stop taking SSRI medications six weeks prior to a workshop"), MAO inhibitors and St. John's Wort as contraindicated. "If you have a heart condition or chronic high blood pressure you cannot be accepted." Notes risk for "those with a history of psychological problems." No ECG or formal questionnaire stated.
The cited ayahuasca safety facts to check it against
Accommodation
- Private residences with housekeeping and laundry
What a ayahuasca retreat involves
The typical shape of this kind of programme. Use it as a checklist to ask against, not as this centre's timetable.
- Before arrivalMedical and psychiatric screening, and a dieta, commonly restricting alcohol, recreational drugs, pork, fermented foods, salt and sugar, and sexual activity. SSRIs and MAOIs must be resolved with a clinician well in advance.
- Day 1Arrival, orientation, one-to-one consultation with the healers, intention setting. No ceremony.
- Ceremony daysLight plant-based breakfast, integration workshop mid-morning, light lunch, rest and fasting through the afternoon, pre-ceremony yoga around 6:30pm, ceremony from roughly 7:30pm running several hours.
- Rest daysCeremonies alternate with rest days: group sharing circles, flower baths, healer consults, bodywork, and time to do nothing.
- Final dayClosing circle and integration planning. Most centres advise against flying the same day.
- AfterIntegration support varies enormously, from a single follow-up call to a year of community access. This is the single biggest quality differentiator and the least advertised.
Reader reviews
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Refugio Altiplano: questions and answers
- Where is Refugio Altiplano?
- Refugio Altiplano is in Tamshiyacu River, near Iquitos, Loreto, Peru, as the centre describes its location.
- How much does Refugio Altiplano cost?
- Refugio Altiplano publishes 4 prices: 7-Day Retreat from $1,200; 9-Day Retreat from $1,600; 12-Day Retreat from $2,000; 26-Day Immersion from $3,400, as read on its own website on 28 Sep 2026. Prices change; confirm the current figure with the centre before paying a deposit.Source: Refugio Altiplano website, 28 Sep 2026
- Does Refugio Altiplano screen guests before a retreat?
- Refugio Altiplano describes medical screening. In its own words: Medical advice page: "It is necessary that you let us know, in confidence, any known medical conditions and/or use of any medication, at the time of booking." Lists SSRIs ("We advise you to stop taking SSRI medications six weeks prior to a workshop"), MAO inhibitors and St. John's Wort as contraindicated. "If you have a heart condition or chronic high blood pressure you cannot be accepted." Notes risk for "those...Source: Medical Advice, 28 Sep 2026
- Is ayahuasca legal in Peru?
- Traditional ayahuasca use is protected as national cultural heritage; there is no licensing regime for retreats.Sources: Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina (state news agency), 12 Jul 2008; Ministerio de Cultura del Peru, Centro de Recursos (hosted academic article), 2012The law in every place we cover
Sources for this profile
- Refugio Altiplano · Centre's own site, read 28 Sep 2026
- Medical Advice · Centre's own site, read 28 Sep 2026
- Refugio Altiplano - Wikipedia · Press, read 28 Sep 2026
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Also in Peru
- Temple of the Way of LightNear Iquitos, Loreto
- Arkana Spiritual CenterNear Libertad (Iquitos), Loreto; also Sacred Valley, Cusco
- Nimea Kaya Healing CenterNear Pucallpa, Ucayali
- Blue MorphoNear Iquitos, Loreto; also Sacred Valley, Cusco
- DreamgladeMoralillo, Iquitos-Nauta road, Loreto
- EtnikasSan Salvador, Sacred Valley, Cusco (also Manu programmes)
- KapitariNear Iquitos, Loreto
- La MedicinaNear Tarapoto, San Martin
- Nihue Rao Centro EspiritualSan Juan Bautista, near Iquitos, Loreto
- SpiritQuest Shamanic SanctuaryRio Momon, near Iquitos, Loreto
- Takiwasi CenterTarapoto, San Martin
- The Ayahuasca FoundationAmazon rainforest, Peru (Riosbo Retreat Center)
All ayahuasca retreats in Peru, and the legal position there