As dark falls, Taita Isaías Muñoz Macanilla, a traditional doctor and an Indigenous activist from Putumayo, cleanses a tree-fringed outdoor clearing and the participants seated in a circle in preparation for their first ayahuasca ceremony.
But they are not in the Amazon. Instead, they are in a boutique hotel in Barcelona.
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive, plant-based brew found in South America and used in traditional medicine and shamanism, has boomed in popularity as a wellness practice in recent years.
But given that the decoction contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which induces intense visions, purging, and powerful psychological experiences in users, it is banned in most European countries.
Spain and Portugal are exceptions, however, which has given rise to a growing number of ayahuasca retreats that are much more accessible to Europeans.
Why ayahuasca travellers are swapping South America for Spain
Dozens of retreat centres now invite alternative wellness-seeking travellers to remote spots in Peru and Brazil to experience deep-rooted ayahuasca traditions.
The Indigenous practice has sparked increasing interest in the West, amplified by the rise of spiritual tourism, public disclosures by celebrities about their use of psychedelics, and broader cultural conversations around mental health and spirituality, according to Alejandro Carbó, founder of Avalon retreats.
Carbó’s programmes connect guests to traditional ayahuasca practitioners, but are part of a growing number of experiences much closer to home for Europeans.
His retreats are located in Spain and Portugal, countries which he says travellers are increasingly drawn to for a combination of practical, cultural and perceptual reasons.
“Reduced travel time and costs make these retreats far more accessible, while European standards of accommodation, food, hygiene and services provide a level of comfort many participants expect,” Carbó says.
At Avalon’s retreats, there are doctors, psychologists and integration guides on hand, for example.
“There is also greater trust rooted in familiarity with the culture, territory, food and social norms, which lowers the psychological threshold for participation,” Carbó says.
Both countries have long been favoured as holiday destinations for Europeans, plus retreats commonly integrate other wellness activities like yoga, art therapy and meditation tailored to established Western tastes.
Spain and Portugal are ‘unique permissive environments’ for ayahuasca
As interest in ayahuasca retreats in Europe grows, so do concerns around safety and cultural appropriation.
“In my opinion, European retreat founders should act as bridges between two worlds: the Amazonian and the Western,” says Carbó.
“They should work in partnership with Indigenous traditions, the legitimate inheritors of this ancestral wisdom, while at the same time adapting the ritual for non-Indigenous participants, their needs, and a context (territory, legality and safety) different from its place of origin.”
Legal issues mean most European countries are off-limits for practising ayahuasca, but Spain and Portugal are often described as uniquely “permissive” environments, Carbó explains.
“This is not because ayahuasca is explicitly legal, but because of how their legal frameworks operate in practice. In both countries, ayahuasca as a brew is not specifically scheduled, which places it in a legal grey zone rather than under a clear prohibition,” he says.
In Spain, this permissiveness is largely shaped by jurisprudence, where courts have tended to distinguish private, non-commercial use from trafficking or public harm.
In Portugal, the country’s permissive reputation is closely linked to the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use in 2001 and the resulting public-health-oriented approach to enforcement, according to Carbó.
“That said, this permissiveness is inherently fragile, as it relies on discretion and context rather than on explicit legal protection, and can quickly shift in response to political pressure or adverse events,” he adds.
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