Casa Del Maestro

I attended a 9-day dieta and Writer's Retreat at Casa del Maestro. This feels to me like a very special place. The support offered by the entire team was thorough and impeccable throughout, and continues into the integration stage post-retreat. The whole experience was gently yet deeply transformative for me and I feel that the seeds that were planted there will continue to grow from this strong foundation. I highly recommend Casa del Maestro to anyone feeling called to experience plant medicine, either for the first time, or to deepen their connection with the plants. The writer's retreat aspect too was skillfully woven throughout the retreat and I have come away feeling warmly encouraged and inspired. I am so grateful to all at Casa del Maestro for providing such a special place to honour this lineage of plant medicine teachings, and for so generously making it accessible to a worldwide community. I hope to return one day.

The process of booking and logistics were very easy, especially for a first time traveler to South America as the administrative team gave very detailed instructions.
They were readily available for any questions or concerns. The details on the website and the guides provided were helpful and the staff and family were extremely friendly and hospitable. In the group I was with, the majority were regulars and have been going to Maestro Don Alberto for over a decade. This was an automatic testament to how much he is respected in the region and internationally.
Tree/Plant medicine was new for me, but was explained beautifully in a way I could understand as it is a very customized and intimate experience. This is a continual healing and something I have taken back home and excited and hopeful about my new perspectives and inner knowledge I have gained. I would highly recommend Maestro Don Alberto and so grateful he gives non locals the opportunity to receive his plant medicine. I truly felt at home away from home in this relaxed setting where there was no pressure and love for one another was evident even as strangers. I know I have made friends for life and very strong human connections that I was not anticipating. Very happy outcome. My thanks to Maestro Don Alberto, and his staff for an incredible experience.

Dieting with Uchu Sanango was quite the eye opening, powerful experience. I came here feeling so disconnected from myself only to leave here with more connection to myself then ever. Not only did I feel completely safe and protected at this center but the facilitators, Matt, Anya, and Ryan held such a beautiful space for everyone's experience and were there for you every step of the way.

Maestro Don Alberto radiates nothing but joy and trust in everything he does and everyone else apart of this medicine team were so special too. The casa itself just permeates its own magic that makes you never want to leave. After working in some not so trustworthy medicine spaces, I am so happy to have found a place that is completely clean and full of integrity in everything they do.

I already cannot wait to come back here and work with the other plants and just be in the magic of the casa and the people that work there too. Thank you all for such a life changing experience! I love you all! ❤️

A 2-plus hour boat ride down the Amazon River brought us to the village of Generro Herrera. On the outskirts of the village, which is situated on 200 acres of farmland surrounded by jungle, sits the home of Maestro Don Alberto and his son Maestro Eliseo. It was shared with us during the retreat that the family lineage of traditionally trained, authentic Amazonian Shamanism goes back centuries.

They are joined in the plant medicine work by Matthew "Matt" Touisant, who has trained with Don Alberto for coming up on a decade at the time of our January 2025 retreat. Matt, as well as being a maestro in his own right, acts as the facilitator of the Casa Del Maestro retreat center. The beautiful Anna "Anya" Petrova assisted him in his duties. The volunteer helper for our trip was Ryan C.

From the moment I reached out to Matt about a month before the retreat, I was impressed by the integrity, care, and compassion that defined our interactions throughout the experience. Anya and Ryan displayed the same qualities in their interactions with the 17 attendees of our retreat. Their lightheartedness, care, and compassion fostered an atmosphere of helpfulness, friendliness, and levity among the group of attendees.

Over the past couple of decades, I have attended numerous ceremonies and retreats, and I can confidently say that I felt safe and protected at all times. The warmth and friendliness of Matt, Anya, Ryan, and the rest of the staff—mostly made up of Don Alberto’s family—created a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere. Despite the challenges that can arise from engaging in "medicine" work, we truly had an amazing time. Not only did the participants delve deep into the plant medicine practices, but we also had a great time. It was the most fun I have ever had in a retreat setting.

I was healed of some energetic damage I had picked up at another center and left feeling better than I have in a long time. I was privileged to witness miraculous events, healings, and the growth of some of the other attendees as well. The bonding within our group during the retreat established deep connections that will last for years, if not a lifetime. I promised Ryan I would include a comment about the excellence with which he placed the speaker in the front of the malloca. 😊Several days after the retreat we are still having fun and joking around.

I cannot express enough good things about these people and this place. I have trusted them with my life, and my decision to trust them has proven to be well-founded. I see it as a life-changer. I express my deepest gratitude to all of the Casa Del Maestro staff including Don Alberto’s brother Mario who joined us in the ceremonies.