Ayaselva is a small, family-owned healing center in the peaceful jungle of Tamshiyacu, close to Iquitos, Peru. It did not begin as a business. It began as a personal calling — and that origin still shapes everything we do today.
A vision born from healing
Our co-founder Vanesa was born and raised in Iquitos. She first encountered ayahuasca at seventeen, guided by a Mestizo maestro through an intense dieta that helped her heal and, in her own words, taught her to love life. After working at ayahuasca centers across Peru and abroad, she carried one wish: to create her own place to help people heal, share love and peace, and give back to her community.
Peter, born in the Netherlands, came to the medicine from a very different path — an engineer who never expected ayahuasca to transform his life so profoundly. It changed his perspective and made him more empathetic. With a shared vision, Peter and Vanesa decided to build their own center, with the curandero Arnaldo and the whole family, and share this powerful medicine with others.
Why we stay small
We do not have the ambition to become a large commercial ayahuasca center. We choose to stay small, with a dedicated team that can offer real care, attention, and support to each guest. We host a maximum of six guests at a time — because we believe real care happens in a small setting, with personal guidance before, during, and after the ceremonies.
Our mission
Our mission is to offer sacred medicine in a safe, personal, and caring setting. Through this work, guests are invited to reconnect with themselves, release what no longer serves them, and begin a lasting process of reflection, insight, and personal growth. We work as a caring family, with many years of experience guiding people through deep personal processes.
Where we are: our ayahuasca retreat in the Peruvian Amazon
Ayaselva sits in the jungle near Tamshiyacu, offering peace and privacy while remaining close enough to Iquitos for practical needs and support. You can read more about the history of Tamshiyacu, or about our retreats and the medicine itself.