You can do an ayahuasca retreat in Mexico at Lunita Jungle Retreat, where ceremonies are held in an open-air space surrounded by the Riviera Maya jungle, 40 minutes from Cancún airport. Nico and Lorenza built Lunita on land they tend themselves; the team knows your name before you arrive. This isn't a retreat factory, it's a home that has held hundreds of people through ayahuasca ceremony. If you're weighing whether it's the right place, a free discovery call is the honest first step.
What is ayahuasca? (the short version)
Ayahuasca is a brew of two Amazonian plants, Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, whose active compound, DMT, produces an altered state lasting roughly four to six hours. The science is catching up: ayahuasca has been studied for depression, PTSD, trauma, and addiction, with preliminary but promising results from groups at Imperial College London, Johns Hopkins, and others. For the full picture, read our complete guide to what ayahuasca is.
Why Mexico, and why the Riviera Maya?
Ayahuasca occupies a tolerated legal grey area in Mexico, ceremonial use at established centers has run without prosecution for decades, which is part of why the Riviera Maya has become one of the most active regions for legitimate ceremonial work (the details are in our guide to ayahuasca's legal status in Mexico). Practically, Lunita is 40 minutes from Cancún: most US and Canadian guests fly in under four hours and arrive before dinner, instead of losing two retreat days to travel as they might in Peru or Brazil. And the Yucatán jungle isn't backdrop, howler monkeys at dawn, the cenote, the canopy closing overhead during ceremony, it's a participant in the work. Here's more on why Lunita's setting matters.
What a Lunita ayahuasca retreat includes
Ceremony begins the moment you arrive, not when the medicine is served. When you book, the team sends dietary guidelines, intention-setting prompts, and an intake form they actually read. The traditional dieta begins at home. Ceremonies run at sundown in the open-air maloka; facilitators open with prayer and song, serve the medicine individually based on your intake, and stay present all night. The next morning's integration circle, not optional, is where many people do the deepest work, and post-retreat resources support you in the weeks after. For a closer look at the felt experience, see what to expect in an ayahuasca ceremony.
Safety and our facilitators
Ayahuasca isn't inherently dangerous; it becomes dangerous without screening and support. SSRIs, MAOIs, lithium, and tramadol interact seriously, as does a personal or family history of psychosis or schizophrenia, Lunita's intake screens for all of these and will tell you directly if ceremony is inadvisable. Ceremonies are guided by Edgar, Lunita's Zapotec ceremony carrier, who carries one of the most respected plant-medicine lineages in Mexico; Nico and Lorenza founded Lunita and hold the home that has hosted more than 120 retreats, with a trauma-informed team and first-aid training. Lunita would rather lose a booking than put someone at risk.
Who this retreat is for
This is for adults ready to engage seriously with inner work, not a recreational experience. People who do the deepest work here tend to be carrying something: grief, burnout, the long shadow of trauma, often after other approaches haven't reached it. Experienced practitioners find the container well-held; prepared first-timers are welcomed; and professionals who don't normally show up in a plant-medicine context find Lunita meets them where they are. Many also explore what ayahuasca can help heal before deciding.
The setting: jungle, cenote, and home
Lunita sits on Riviera Maya jungle land where no trees were cut to build it and thousands have been planted. Cenote-fed freshwater runs beneath the land, and a private partner cenote about 10 minutes away is where guests swim and sit after ceremony. The maloka is open-air; groups are kept intentionally small, Lunita hosts a maximum of 20 guests. Retreat leaders who want to bring a group can also rent the venue.
Ready to book your ayahuasca retreat in Mexico?
Lunita offers private retreats and scheduled group ceremonies through the year, with limited availability. If you know you're ready, explore personal retreat options. If you have questions first, book a discovery call, no script, no pressure. Sometimes the honest answer is "not yet," and the team will say that too.
En español
Ceremonia de ayahuasca en México: el espacio que sostiene Lunita
Una ceremonia de ayahuasca no es una actividad; es un encuentro que pide un contenedor seguro y bien sostenido. En Lunita, ese contenedor es la selva, la gente que acompaña y el cuidado alrededor de las noches de ceremonia. Aquí importa tanto lo que sucede en la ceremonia como la preparación antes y la integración después.
Las ceremonias las guía Edgar, portador de ceremonia zapoteco que carga cuatro linajes heredados. No diagnostica tu experiencia ni le impone una doctrina; sostiene con preparación individual antes, presencia durante toda la noche e integración a la mañana siguiente. Un temazcal en la tradición mexicana y náhuatl suele cerrar el trabajo con fuego, vapor y canto.
Lunita está en Puerto Morelos, sobre la Ruta de los Cenotes, a unos 40 minutos del aeropuerto de Cancún, rodeado de más de 80,000 metros cuadrados de selva preservada, fuera de la red y con energía solar. Los grupos son pequeños, para que nadie se pierda y cada persona esté acompañada de cerca. La confianza se gana, no se declara: 4.9 estrellas en más de 140 reseñas de Google y 4.9 en más de 40 de TripAdvisor, con más de 120 retiros desde noviembre de 2022.
Si sientes el llamado, cuéntanos tu intención y armamos el espacio contigo. Puedes ver las ceremonias en nuestro menú de servicios, leer cómo la medicina acompaña procesos de sanación o conocer otra medicina que ofrecemos. Para empezar, escríbenos o agenda una llamada.