Ayahuasca Retreats in Colombia
Indigenous Yagé Ceremonies in Mocoa, Putumayo
Colombia is not just a destination for Ayahuasca. It is where it comes from. The Inga, Kamsa, Kofán, and Siona peoples of Putumayo have worked with this medicine for generations. At MahaDevi, their ceremonies are led by a 12-generation unbroken lineage, in the place the medicine has always called home.
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Unique Experiences at MahaDevi
At MahaDevi, we blend experiences that most people have never had access to with the kind of modern guidance, safety, and support that makes it possible to go deep without going alone. Everything we offer is rooted in authentic indigenous tradition and held within a structure designed to keep you safe, supported, and genuinely transformed.
Two Types of Medicine. One Rare Choice.
At MahaDevi, you choose which medicine you work with. This alone sets us apart from almost every other retreat in the world.
Cooked Yagé: The Traditional Brew
This is the Ayahuasca most people know. The vine and leaves are cooked together over fire for many hours in the ancestral manner. It produces a strong, robust medicine known for its deep physical cleansing, its intensity, and its transformative power. This is the classic experience.
Crudo Yagé: The Uncooked Medicine
Crudo is a raw, uncooked preparation of the same plants, unique to the highlands of Putumayo. It is an experience that 99% of people who have ever drunk Ayahuasca anywhere in the world have never had. Gentler on the body, easier to navigate for first-time participants, yet fully, profoundly spiritually active. Taita Miguel's Crudo is known throughout Putumayo for its "sweet medicine" quality.
| Factor | Cooked Yagé | Crudo Yagé |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Brewed over fire, many hours | Raw, uncooked |
| Taste | Strong, bitter, earthy | Smooth, water-like |
| Physical intensity | High, robust purging and cleansing | Low to moderate, gentler on the body |
| Ease on digestion | More demanding | Significantly easier |
| Spiritual depth | Full | Full |
| Best for | Experienced participants, deep physical cleansing | Beginners, sensitive bodies, a gentler first entry |
Not sure which is right for you? During your medical screening and preparation call, we help you choose based on your history, your body, and your intention. Learn more about both medicines.
Make Your Own Medicine: Under Indigenous Supervision
In some of our retreats, we offer participants something rare that very few retreats anywhere in the world offer: the opportunity to participate in the actual making of the medicine you will later drink, under the direct supervision of Taita Miguel and our team.
You will learn the unique preparation process of the Kamsa tribe. You will understand the cleaning, the pounding, the layering, and the hours of careful preparation. You will witness how the intention of the person making the medicine enters the brew itself.
This is not a demonstration. It is participation. When you later sit in a Yagé ceremony holding a cup of medicine that your own hands helped prepare under a 12-generation lineage, everything changes.
Night Ceremonies and Day Ceremonies
At MahaDevi, the medicine does not only work after dark.
Night Ceremony: The Ancestral Setting
The darkness, the songs, the music, the fire. This is the traditional ceremonial form that has been carried for generations. The night allows the medicine to move fully, inward. This is the experience most people come to Ayahuasca seeking.
Day Ceremony: The Open Amazon
Ayahuasca held in the open light of the Amazon. The jungle around you becomes part of the ceremony itself. Very few retreat centers offering Yagé ceremonies in Colombia offer both. Most people who have worked with plant medicine many times have never experienced a ceremony in daylight. It is a profoundly different way of meeting the medicine.
Fin del Mundo and Everything the Amazon Offers
Between ceremony nights, the Amazon continues to work on you, if you let it.
Fin del Mundo: The End of the World Waterfall
We take you on a guided hike to Fin del Mundo, one of the most powerful natural sites in all of Putumayo. A thundering cascade deep in the Amazonian rainforest. This is not a tourist stop. It is a living encounter with the same jungle that holds the medicine. After a ceremony night, standing at the base of that waterfall, many of our participants describe it as its own kind of ceremony.
Rapé and Sananga Ceremonies
Alongside the Ayahuasca work, you will experience Rapé (Hapé), a sacred tobacco ceremony used for grounding and energetic cleansing before ceremony nights. You will also work with Sananga, plant medicine eye drops combined with breathwork that help clear perceptual blocks and access stored body memory.
Mambé, Ambil and Cacao Circle
A sacred coca leaf and ambil tobacco circle for truth-speaking and being genuinely witnessed by the people sitting next to you. The retreat closes with a heart-opening Cacao ceremony to integrate everything you have experienced before you return home.
Why Mocoa, Putumayo
This is where the Inga, Kamsa, Kofán, and Siona peoples have traded, shared, and carried their traditions for generations. More indigenous plant medicine lineages pass through Putumayo than perhaps anywhere else in South America. When you come here for an ayahuasca retreat in Colombia, you are not accessing one tradition. You are in the place where traditions have always met.
Putumayo is also where Yagé in Colombia has always lived in its purest form. The vine grows wild here. The Taitas who work with it were born into it. This is not a medicine that was brought to this region. It grew here, and the people who work with it grew alongside it.
A Highland Amazon: Without the Difficult Conditions
The highland location of our sanctuary near Mocoa means you experience the Amazon without its most demanding conditions. Lower humidity. Significantly fewer mosquitoes than lowland jungle camps. A cooler, more breathable climate. You are fully in the forest. It just does not assault you while you are trying to heal.
Jungle Luxury: Just Enough. Nothing Excessive.
We are not a resort. We are not a jungle survival camp either. MahaDevi sits at the point where comfort serves the healing without competing with it.
Hot showers, private jungle cabins with river views and hammocks, a swimming pool, a private jacuzzi option, massages available between ceremonies, nourishing meals prepared fresh every day, a private waterfall on the property, and 24/7 on-site security. Everything here exists to help your body rest so your spirit can do its work. None of it is designed to entertain you out of the process.
Safety at MahaDevi
Choosing an ayahuasca retreat in Colombia is one of the most important decisions you will make. Safety is not a box we tick. It is the foundation everything else is built on.
Medical Screening
A rigorous three-step process: confidential health intake, personal discovery call, and facilitator assessment. Psychologist and psychiatrist on advisory board.
During Ceremony
Up to 1:2 or 1:3 facilitator ratio throughout all ceremonies. Groups capped at 12. Hospital care 30 to 40 minutes away in Mocoa.
30-Day Integration
Personalized integration manual, one-on-one facilitator sessions, group integration call, and lifetime community access.
Medical Screening
Before any participant joins a MahaDevi retreat, they go through a rigorous three-step medical screening process. Certain medications, including SSRIs, MAOIs, lithium, and others, are contraindicated with Ayahuasca. If we do not think a retreat is right for you at this time, we will tell you honestly and help you understand a safer path forward. Read our full medical guidelines.
Preparation: 14 to 30 Days Before Arrival
Your healing begins before you arrive. You receive a one-on-one preparation call with your facilitator, a group preparation call, a group breathwork session, personalized dietary guidance and Dieta protocol, PDF guides, guided meditations, and access to the MahaDevi Ayahuasca Framework video course. Complete travel support is also included. Visit our Travel Guide.
Integration: 30 Days After Your Retreat
The real work begins when you go home. MahaDevi's integration program includes a personalized integration manual tailored to your specific experience, one-on-one integration sessions with your facilitator, a group integration call, and a group breathwork session. After 30 days, you retain lifetime access to the MahaDevi community. You are never dropped back into your life alone. Read our full integration protocol.
The MahaDevi Ayahuasca Framework: Free Video Course
Before you commit to anything, we want you to be educated. Most of the information about Ayahuasca online is either sensationalized, irresponsible, or dangerously incomplete. This free video course gives you clear, science-backed education on what Ayahuasca actually is, how to assess whether it is right for you, how to tell authentic lineages from dangerous imitations, and what the five stages of the process look like from your first call through post-retreat life.
If you are considering any ayahuasca retreat in Colombia, with us or with anyone else, watch this first.
Meet Your Guides
Every person at MahaDevi has a specific role in making your experience safe, supported, and genuine. Here are the three people you will work most closely with.
Taita Miguel Mavisoy
Indigenous Elder, Camsá TribeA respected Elder with a 12-generation unbroken lineage from the Camsá tribe of Putumayo. Connected to four indigenous traditions: Inga, Kamsa, Kofán, and Siona. Known throughout the Colombian Amazon for his rare mastery of Crudo Yagé and the sweet medicine quality of his Icaros, the sacred songs that navigate every ceremony.
Ania Halama
Head of Integration, Lead FacilitatorA dedicated student of the medicine with over 300 lived ceremonies, initiated by native tribes. She specializes in the emotional container that makes it possible to go deep and come back whole. Her background in trauma-informed facilitation means you are held not just during ceremony, but in everything that follows.
Yasha Shah
Founder and DirectorYasha founded MahaDevi around a single conviction: that the West deserves authentic, ethical access to indigenous wisdom, without exploitation in either direction. Initiated in the Shipibo tradition and deepening his training with the Kamsa tribe. He oversees every safety protocol, every logistical detail, and every participant relationship.
How to Join a MahaDevi Ayahuasca Retreat in Colombia
The process is designed to ensure that every participant arrives prepared, screened, and genuinely ready for the work ahead. Here is what to expect from first contact through arrival.
Your Retreat
What's Included
• 14–30 days preparation before arrival
• 7 nights, 8 days at the retreat in Putumayo
• 30 days post-retreat integration support
The Three Phases
- PDF preparation guides
- Guided meditations
- One-on-one preparation session
- Group preparation call
- Group breathwork session
- Access to facilitators anytime
- Support with booking hotels and flights
- All meals and accommodation
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Mocoa
- Dragon's Blood purge ceremony
- Three ayahuasca ceremonies (cooked & Crudo options)
- Rapé/Hapé ceremony with music and fire
- Sound healing and breathwork sessions
- Sharing circles
- One-on-one sessions
- Hike to Fin del Mundo waterfall
- Psychosomatic breathwork with Sananga
- Mambé and Ambil circles
- Integration talks
- Cacao ceremony and gratitude circles
- Available for additional fee:
- Day ayahuasca ceremony in nature
- Massages
- Group integration call
- One-on-one integration sessions
- Group breathwork
- Final group call
- Integration manual
- Priority access to facilitators
- Community access
- Ongoing access to Mahadevi community calls
Not Included
Please arrange these separately before your retreat.
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa fees (if applicable)
- Hotel accommodations before or after your retreat dates
A Week Designed to Take You Somewhere New
Every day at MahaDevi has a purpose. Rest when the medicine asks you to rest. Go inward when it is time to go inward. Walk into the highland Amazon when the forest calls you out.
Each day is structured so you never have to think about what comes next. Your only job is to show up.
Retreat Pricing & Availability
Choose Your Accommodation
Select the option that suits you and apply to reserve your place.
Retreat Dates
Availability
February 14th – 21st (2026)
March 22nd – 29th (2026)
July 24th – 31st (2026) *Medicine Maker Retreat Optional* (+850 USD)
August 16th – 23rd (2026) *Medicine Maker Retreat Optional*(+850 USD)
September 6th – 13th (2026)
November 1st – 8th (2026)
December 6th – 13th (2026)
Accommodation & Pricing
Hear From Our Guests
Emily
Retreat ParticipantEnrico
Retreat ParticipantJon
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Real Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews
Read the honest experiences of those who found clarity and connection at MahaDevi. From the safety of our container to the depth of our integration support, discover why participants trust us with their journey.
An extraordinary and deeply rewarding journey. I'm so grateful my first experience was with MahaDevi. Ania and Yasha truly feel like family and created a space that felt like coming home.
Brante My very first night of ceremony at MahaDevi was absolutely spectacular. Ania and Yasha created an unforgettable experience with breathtaking surroundings, incredible support, and powerful shamans. If you're on the fence, don't think twice, you won't regret it.
Lester My first retreat with MahaDevi in July 2025 was truly transformative. Yasha and Ania went above and beyond to create a safe, supportive space with exceptional medicine, nourishing meals, and personalized care. From seamless travel to powerful ceremonies and ongoing integration, I felt held every step of the way.
Chad An extraordinary and deeply rewarding journey. I'm so grateful my first experience was with MahaDevi. Ania and Yasha truly feel like family and created a space that felt like coming home.
Brante My very first night of ceremony at MahaDevi was absolutely spectacular. Ania and Yasha created an unforgettable experience with breathtaking surroundings, incredible support, and powerful shamans. If you're on the fence, don't think twice, you won't regret it.
Lester My first retreat with MahaDevi in July 2025 was truly transformative. Yasha and Ania went above and beyond to create a safe, supportive space with exceptional medicine, nourishing meals, and personalized care. From seamless travel to powerful ceremonies and ongoing integration, I felt held every step of the way.
Chad Frequently Asked Questions About Ayahuasca Retreats in Colombia
- What is Yagé and is it the same as Ayahuasca?
- Yes. Yagé and Ayahuasca are the same medicine. Yagé is the name used by the indigenous peoples of Putumayo, specifically the Inga, Kamsa, Kofán, and Siona traditions. Both refer to a brew made primarily from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Chacruna leaves. When you come to an Ayahuasca retreat in Putumayo, you are working with Yagé in its place of origin, with the people who have carried it for generations.
- What is the difference between Cooked and Crudo Ayahuasca?
- Cooked Yagé is the traditional brew most people know: the vine and leaves are cooked over fire for many hours, producing a strong, intensely cleansing medicine. Crudo is a raw, uncooked preparation unique to the highlands of Putumayo. It uses the same plants but skips the cooking process, making it significantly gentler on the body while maintaining full spiritual potency. MahaDevi is the only Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia that offers both. We help each participant choose the right medicine during the preparation process.
- Is it safe to do an Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia?
- Safety depends entirely on who is holding the ceremony and how they operate. At MahaDevi, every participant goes through a three-step medical screening process before being accepted. We maintain up to a 1:2 or 1:3 facilitator-to-participant ratio during all ceremonies, keep groups at a maximum of 12 people, have a psychologist and psychiatrist on our advisory board, and are located 30 to 40 minutes from 24-hour hospital care in Mocoa. MahaDevi is verified by Safe Ceremonies, AyaAdvisors, BookRetreats, Retreat Guru, and Best Retreats.
- I have never done Ayahuasca before. Is MahaDevi right for me?
- Yes, and specifically because of Crudo. Most Ayahuasca retreats in South America only offer traditional cooked medicine, which can be physically overwhelming for first-time participants. Our Crudo preparation gives beginners a full ceremonial experience without the intense physical demands of the cooked brew. Combined with our thorough preparation process and high facilitator ratio, MahaDevi is one of the most beginner-friendly Ayahuasca retreat centers in Colombia.
- What medications are not compatible with Ayahuasca?
- The most important ones to know are SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, lithium, tramadol, and certain heart medications. Combining Ayahuasca with these substances can be dangerous. This is why medical screening is non-negotiable at MahaDevi. If you are on any prescription medication, please reach out before applying. Read our full medical guidelines.
- What is Rapé and why is it part of the retreat?
- Rapé (pronounced ha-PAY) is a sacred tobacco-based powder used by indigenous Amazonian tribes for grounding, energetic cleansing, and preparing the body for ceremony. At MahaDevi, we use Rapé in a dedicated ceremony before the first Ayahuasca night. It helps clear the mind, settle the nervous system, and open the energetic field before the deeper work of Yagé ceremony begins. It is not recreational. It is ceremonial, and it is part of the same indigenous tradition we work within.
- What does Fin del Mundo mean and what can I expect there?
- Fin del Mundo means End of the World in Spanish. It is a powerful waterfall located in the Amazon rainforest near Mocoa, Putumayo. We take every group there during the retreat, typically between ceremony nights. Walking through the forest to reach it, and standing at the base of the falls, tends to be one of the most grounding and awe-inspiring moments of the entire week. Many participants describe it as a ceremony in itself. The Amazon is not just a backdrop at MahaDevi. It is part of the healing.
- Can I really learn to make Ayahuasca at MahaDevi?
- In select retreats, yes. Under the direct supervision of Taita Miguel and our facilitators, some participants have the opportunity to participate in the preparation of the medicine they will later drink in ceremony. This is not something offered at other Ayahuasca retreats in Colombia. It is a unique experience rooted in the apprenticeship tradition of the Kamsa people, and it fundamentally changes how you sit in ceremony when you understand what went into the cup you are holding.
- How do I get to Mocoa, Putumayo from Bogotá?
- There are direct flights from Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport to Mojarras Airport in Mocoa, which takes approximately one hour. MahaDevi arranges airport pickup as part of your retreat package. You will not need to figure out transportation or logistics on arrival. Our travel guide covers everything you need to know before you get on the plane.
- What is the best time of year for an Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia?
- MahaDevi runs retreats year-round in Mocoa, Putumayo. The highland climate means conditions are relatively stable throughout the year compared to lowland Amazon regions. There is no single best month, though many participants prefer traveling between July and November. We recommend choosing dates based on when you feel personally ready rather than trying to optimize for season.
- How is MahaDevi different from other Ayahuasca retreats in South America?
- A few things make MahaDevi genuinely different. We are the only retreat in Colombia offering both Cooked Yagé and Crudo Yagé with a full choice for each participant. We offer supervised medicine-making experiences that do not exist elsewhere. We run both night and day ceremonies. We are rooted in four indigenous lineages, not one. We limit groups to 12 people maximum by choice. And our 60-day journey, from preparation through 30 days of post-retreat integration, is more comprehensive than what most centers offer anywhere in South America. We are not trying to be the biggest Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia. We are trying to be the most complete one.
Ready for Your Ayahuasca Retreat in Colombia?
Spaces at MahaDevi are limited to 12 participants by choice, not by circumstance. It is the number at which every person receives the full depth of care, presence, and safety this work requires. The next step is a conversation, not a commitment. Reach out and let us talk about whether MahaDevi is right for you.
Medical Disclaimer: Ayahuasca is a powerful entheogenic medicine that requires thorough medical screening and qualified supervision. The information on this page is educational and does not constitute medical or legal advice. MahaDevi requires full medical screening of all participants prior to acceptance.