About this Retreat
Don Gardel is from a family of curanderos: his grandfather was one, and his two brothers are shamans as well.
He learned ayahuasca from a Shipibo woman (la maestra Alicia) deep down on the river Momon. Now it’s 40 years that Don Gardel has been practicing this medicine.
When he was a young man, he had the chance to go to work near Brasil where the Matses people live. There he learned to use kambo. This in combination with his experience and studies as a nurse make of Gardel one of the most famous Kambo healer of Iquitos.
Now in the center he combines all the ancestral medicinese available: mambè, rapè, yopo etc.
Fabrizio Beverina’s background is in biomedical research. He was an expert in brain-computer interaction and emotional computing. He secured a patent for the creation of a brain computer machine and a number of his articles have been cited more than 1000 times as a result of this ventures. He fled the scientific world and studied meditation in Asia, spending 12 years in China and then traveling to Tibet and India to study with Tibetan Buddhist monks.
He founded RiShi Labs Dali, an anarchist community for musicians and artists in Yunnan, China. There, he used the alias Kandido Burenson to pursue his creative side. He created comics, experimental theatre, ink paintings, and interactive video installations. He later founded Artha LTD in Hong Kong, one of the eight more cutting-edge firms invited to participate in London Techcrunch in the field of AI-assisted education.
He is currently conducting research on shamanic cures while maintaining a scientific perspective, all with respect to the tradition and the spiritual side of life. He has lived with several shamans in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, where he learned a great deal about therapeutic plants. Along with Don Gardel, he co-founded Paojilhuasca, where he also teaches meditation and qikung and assists in making a variety of ancestral medicines.
ntegration counselor, psychologist, men's work, addiction specialist and retreat facilitator.
Nico is a dedicated psychologist with extensive training and experience in the field of psychotherapy. Initially working with a broad range of issues, he has in recent years been focusing on the treatment of substance and pornography addiction.
Nico's own healing journey began with Buddhist meditation and yoga about 10 years ago. While these practices brought more calm, grounding and self-love into his life, it was only when he started working with Ayahuasca that he was able to become aware and transform the deeper blockages that were still holding him back from aliveness, freedom and a more intimate connection with himself and others. After a powerful 4-week retreat at Paojilhuasca, Nico experienced firsthand the beauty and the challenges of integrating these experiences into his daily life. Having had great support during this journey, he later decided to join the Paojilhuasca team to assist others in the process of integration.
Through his work with Ayahuasca, Nico also felt a deep calling to "grow up" as a man and embody his masculinity in a more free, empowered and loving way. After personally experiencing the transformative power of men´s groups, he began offering retreats and online-courses to share the gift of brotherhood and conscious masculinity with other men who feel the calling for a new way of being in this world.
The term "Maestra" (which in this context refers to the teacher) is used to refer to Alicia, who was once Gardel's teacher. Her grandfather was a "tabacchero," a type of curandero who specialized in using tobacco for medical purposes. She was initiated when she was quite young, but it was a major crisis, a traditional spiritual awakening, a death that gave her a new lease on life that ultimately inspired her to become a healer.
She has a lot of allies from her years of long-term dieting and extensive knowledge with plant-based therapies. People from the neighbouring villages travel to her for traditional treatments.
She is a strong, yet tender woman who acts as a big mama to all of the patients.
Details of this retreat
A Rite of Passage for the Modern Man
For generations, men across cultures have walked through initiations—moments of challenge and transformation that mark the passage into deeper maturity and purpose. In today’s world, many of us feel the absence of such rituals. We search for meaning, for connection, for brotherhood, and for a way to embody authentic masculinity.
This retreat was created as that missing initiation.
Set deep in the Peruvian Amazon, the Men’s Retreat at Paojilhuasca is a two-week journey that weaves together ancestral medicine, Jungian archetypes, and transformative group work. It is designed to strip away distractions, help you face what has been avoided, and reconnect you to the strength, clarity, and love that already lives within you.
What Awaits You
Ceremonies with Ayahuasca, Kambo, and Yopo
Guided by experienced shamans and supported by a caring facilitation team, you’ll enter sacred spaces where healing, vision, and renewal unfold. Each ceremony is a step into the unknown, an invitation to release the past and open to what is waiting.
Archetype Work & Rites of Passage
Through workshops and rituals, you’ll explore the masculine archetypes of King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover. These serve as a map to understand yourself more deeply and integrate your ceremonial experiences into embodied action.
Daily Practices & Integration
Each morning begins with Qigong and breathwork, grounding the body and clearing the mind. Men’s talking circles provide space for honest expression and shared reflection. One-on-one integration support ensures the insights gained are anchored into your daily life beyond the jungle.
Jungle Immersion
The Amazon itself is one of the greatest teachers. River baths, forest walks, and time in solitude connect you with the living spirit of the jungle, offering grounding, perspective, and renewal.
Brotherhood
Perhaps most importantly, you will not walk this journey alone. Side by side with other men, you’ll share challenges, laughter, silence, and truth. Together, you’ll form bonds that often last long after the retreat ends.
Why Join This Retreat?
This retreat is not a vacation—it is a sacred initiation. It is for men who are ready to:
Heal wounds and release limiting patterns.
Step into authentic strength and presence.
Discover clarity of purpose and direction.
Cultivate emotional depth, resilience, and openness.
Reconnect with brotherhood and community.
By the end of these two weeks, you will leave the jungle lighter, clearer, and more rooted in who you are. The tools, practices, and insights you gain will serve you long after you return home—woven into your relationships, your work, and your life’s path.
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Verified
