Ayahuasca is not native to Mexico — it comes from the Western Amazon basin in Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and Colombia. But Mexico, particularly the Tulum and Riviera Maya cluster, has become one of the world's most active centres for ayahuasca retreats outside South America, with Amazonian-lineage facilitators, multi-night formats, and integration-heavy protocols.
Ayahuasca is a brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine combined with leaves containing DMT, most commonly Psychotria viridis. The vine contains MAO inhibitors that make orally-ingested DMT psychoactive. Sessions last 4–6 hours and almost always involve some degree of physical purging — vomiting, diarrhoea, or both — which traditional practice considers part of the cleansing.
Clinical research is younger than psilocybin's but growing. A Brazilian randomised trial showed a 64% response rate in treatment-resistant depression one week after a single session, compared to 27% for placebo. Neuroimaging studies consistently show reduced Default Mode Network activity — the brain network associated with rumination and self-referential thought, and overactive in depression.
Long-term ritual users in Brazilian religious contexts show no evidence of cognitive impairment and some indication of improved executive function. See full research statistics.
Most ayahuasca retreats in Mexico run 5–7 days with 2–4 ceremonies. Ceremonies happen at night, in a maloca (a circular ceremonial space) or jungle clearing, with a maestro/maestra or facilitator leading. Days between ceremonies are typically dedicated to integration circles, light bodywork, vegetarian dieta meals, and rest.
The dieta — dietary restrictions before and during the retreat — is a serious matter. Tyramine-rich foods (aged cheese, fermented foods, cured meats), alcohol, and any MAO-interacting medication or supplement must be avoided. SSRIs, in particular, must be tapered well in advance under medical supervision. Most reputable centres conduct extensive medical and psychological screening.
13 verified providers
Rosarito Beach, Baja California
Established 2013. One of the few clinics in Mexico offering ibogaine, ayahuasca, kambo, and Bufo in an integrated programme — the proprietary ROPMex protocol layers medicines sequentially to prepare the body before the ibogaine experience. Fully licensed alternative care centre on the Rosarito coast.
Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco
14-acre countryside finca with 170+ reviews and 4.95 rating on retreat.guru. Shipibo-trained shaman Humberto Alcalá leads ceremonies; Dr. Liberty Eberly (licensed psychiatrist) provides clinical oversight. Live music integral to ceremonies. Small groups. One of the most reviewed and positively rated multi-medicine retreat programmes in Mexico.
Chemuyil, Tulum area, Quintana Roo
Solar-powered ecological retreat centre set on 5 acres of intact Mayan jungle, 20 minutes from Tulum. Cenote pool fed by underground aquifers. Open-air maloka, Lakota-style temazcal, fire circle. Established since 2018. Run by resident stewards Asdrubal and Maja who live on the land. Emphasis on integration circles, post-ceremony support, and community.
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Luxury small-group retreats (2–6 participants maximum) with 1,500 clients served over 10+ years. 7-week programme model: 3 weeks preparation, retreat week, 4 weeks integration. Lifetime community access. Medical doctors and licensed psychotherapists oversee the most rigorous screening process in the market.
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Large-scale luxury healing centre on Tulum's beachfront. 15 years operating. Full suite of modalities including ayahuasca ceremonies, ketamine, NAD+ IV drips, yoga, reiki, massage, and liver cleanse. Specialises in addiction and PTSD. More resort-style than most facilities listed here.
Tulum, Quintana Roo
6-day all-inclusive retreats including 2 ayahuasca ceremonies plus sweat lodge, herbal medicine bath, cacao ceremony, massage, and breathwork. Unique among Tulum centres for offering 2 weeks virtual preparation and 4 weeks post-retreat integration support. Jungle lodge accommodation, vegetarian meals.
Leona Vicaria, Quintana Roo
Intimate jungle retreat centre near Cancún — affectionately called La Finca — limited to 12 guests per retreat. Lush jungle setting with ceremonial maloca, temazcals, hammock hut, pool, dining room, and camp kitchen. Three ayahuasca ceremonies over the 8-day stay.
Tepoztlán, Morelos
Plant medicine healing retreat at an eco centre in the forests and mountains of Tepoztlán. 2 ayahuasca ceremonies combined with chi gong, transcendental breathwork, pranayama, yoga, dance, massage, sound healing, temazcal, and ice bath.
Tulum area + Pacific coast
Long-established luxury retreat with the widest modality range of any facility in Mexico. Full medical team. Specialises in addiction and PTSD. Two locations, small private groups. High-touch, all-inclusive experience.
Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo
Specialises in combining ibogaine and ayahuasca in sequential or integrated programmes — a distinctive approach not offered by most providers. Founded by people with lived experience of addiction and recovery. Focuses on those for whom conventional treatments have failed.
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit
One of the few centres in Mexico where kambo is the central medicine rather than an add-on. Operating since 2012, founded by Nirvana Rodríguez. Private sea-view accommodation. Three retreat formats: Breakthrough Wellness, Couple Connection, and Ibogaine Transformative. Medical checkups included with all programmes.
Playa del Carmen & Tulum, Quintana Roo
Best Seller rating on retreat.guru. Run by Alfonso and Adriana — both with 10–15 years experience in ancestral medicines — from a jungle location in the Riviera Maya. Kambo offered as standalone sessions or combined with Bufo as a paired sequence.
Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo
Long-established retreat space described as "the cradle of many medicine men and women." Shaman-led ceremonies with kambo offered alongside ayahuasca and cacao. Strong community reputation in the Riviera Maya plant medicine scene.