Ayahuasca or psilocybin: how to choose your retreat

People often write to us asking which retreat they should book. There is no wrong answer, but the two medicines feel different, ask different things of the body, and suit different moments in a person’s life. This guide sets out what we see at Finca El Péndulo, so you can arrive at a choice before we talk.

The short answer

• Choose ayahuasca if you are ready for long, demanding nights, you are fine with purging, and you want a strong, visionary experience held by songs and live music.
• Choose psilocybin if you want something gentler on the body, with more room to move, and a dose you decide together with your guide before each ceremony.
• Not sure? Register and we will call you. We decide together after hearing about your health and what is bringing you.

Both retreats are seven days and six nights, all-inclusive, with up to 15 guests. Both include three ceremonies: two with the main medicine and one with Satori.

What ayahuasca is like

Ayahuasca is a brew of the ayahuasca vine and the chacruna leaf, used in ceremony across the Amazon for generations. Ours is prepared in Pucallpa, Perú.

A ceremony lasts most of the night in the Osho Hut. You choose a mattress, the lights go down, cups are served one by one, and after a while the songs begin. Some nights bring visions, some bring tears, and some bring nothing but a long wait.

It is demanding on the body. Purging is common and is understood as part of the process. Servers bring water, tissues and a steady arm to the bathroom. Humberto leads the ayahuasca retreats and sings through the night with the musicians.

Read more about the ayahuasca retreat.

What psilocybin is like

Psilocybin mushrooms have been used in ceremony in Mexico for centuries, especially in the mountains of Oaxaca. Ours are sourced in Mexico.

Before each ceremony you sit with Krista, who leads the psilocybin retreats, and decide your dose together. The room is lighter than an ayahuasca night: music, open space, and room to move or lie still. Purging is less common. Many people find mushrooms easier on the body. Few find them easy on the heart.

Read more about the psilocybin retreat.

What each one does in the brain

Ayahuasca. Its visionary effects come from DMT, found in the chacruna leaf. On its own, DMT is broken down in the stomach before it reaches the brain. The ayahuasca vine contains harmala alkaloids that pause that process for a few hours, so the DMT can act. The vine is not just a carrier: research suggests its compounds may support new connections between nerve cells.

Psilocybin. In the body it becomes psilocin, which acts on serotonin receptors, especially the 5-HT2A receptor involved in mood, perception and thinking. In 2023 researchers also found it binds directly to TrkB, a receptor tied to the brain’s ability to form new connections. More in psilocybin and neuroplasticity.

Both quiet the default mode network, the brain system behind the inner narrator and our habitual sense of self. A useful image: the brain is a ski slope, and repeated thoughts carve deep grooves. These medicines lay down fresh snow for a while, so new paths become possible.

Who tends to choose each one

Ayahuasca often draws people who:

• have done a lot of personal work and feel ready to go deeper
• carry depression, trauma or grief that other approaches have not reached
• have a clear intention and are not afraid of a demanding night
• feel called to Amazonian ceremony and its songs
• have worked with psilocybin before and want to go further

Psilocybin often draws people who:

• are new to plant medicine and want a real experience without ayahuasca’s intensity
• are looking for warmth, connection and an open heart more than confrontation
• are drawn to a calm, nurturing container
• like a varied week with movement, horses and meditation
• are worried about purging

Side by side

	Ayahuasca retreat	Psilocybin retreat
Ceremonies	2 ayahuasca, 1 Satori	2 psilocybin, 1 Satori
Led by	Humberto	Krista
On the body	Demanding, purging is common	Gentler, purging is less common
The room	Night ceremony, lights low, songs	Music, open space, room to move
Also included	Kambo, hapé, cacao, temazcal, fire circle	Hapé, cacao, voice activation, equine therapy, temazcal, fire circle
Length	7 days, 6 nights	7 days, 6 nights

Health decides as much as preference

Whichever you choose, nothing is confirmed until we review your health. Some conditions rule a retreat out, and many medications do not mix with these medicines.

Ayahuasca and Satori both contain MAO inhibitors, which can react dangerously with antidepressants and many other drugs and supplements. Because the psilocybin retreat also includes a Satori ceremony, the same medication review applies to both retreats.

Psilocybin’s main risks are psychological. A personal history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is a reason not to attend. It also raises heart rate and blood pressure for a few hours.

Never stop a prescribed medication on your own. Read the full medical information before you book.

Can you do both?

Yes. Many guests start with psilocybin, take time to integrate, and come back for ayahuasca. The two medicines are not competing. They work on different layers.

Questions to ask yourself

1. How does my body handle intensity? If the idea of purging worries you, psilocybin may be the kinder start.
2. Do I want structure or space? Ayahuasca nights follow the songs. Psilocybin ceremonies leave more room to move and rest.
3. Have I sat in ceremony before? Both retreats welcome first-timers. Some people start with psilocybin and come back for ayahuasca later.
4. What does my calendar allow? Ayahuasca and psilocybin retreats alternate through the year. See all upcoming dates.

Still deciding

That is normal. Book a call and we will go over your health, your questions and the dates. We would rather talk it through than have you arrive unsure.