Visit the Piaroa

Visiting Our Communities

There is much to discover about our culture and understand about our society. As with many other indigenous cultures our shamans and spiritual plant medicine are among our biggest attractions and as you can see from the photo on this page we are prepared for you.

Planning a Visit

To plan a visit you need to arrive in Venezuela by way of the national airport and then get a domestic flight or bus (or rental car) in Caracas, to come to the capital of the Indigenous State of Amazonas, Puerto Ayacucho. You can also arrive via Bogota in Colombia and then get a domestic flight to Puerto Carreño which is across the river from us, there you can cross the Orinoco River and meet us in Puerto Ayacucho.

Since we live off the grid and do not have an office in Puerto Ayacucho you will need to announce your arrival so that one of our guides can meet you to bring you to our communities. Due to where we live it is very difficult and not recommended to simply arrive without a guide or without planning your visit in advance especially under the current conditions, sometimes it can take several days just to get the gasoline for our boat, basic supplies and food you will need to make the journey into our forests.

Activities and Costs

We have a number of outdoor recreational activities for visiting tourists and offer our services all year around; tourists can go on excursions, canoe trips, nature hikes, fishing, working with art and experience our gastronomia. Traditional villages do not celebrate Western holidays such as Easter, Christmas or the New Year, so visitors are welcome during this time as well.

We offer a number of health and therapeutic services that have been solicited by tourists in recent years such as detoxification corporal, spiritual cleansing and essential purification. Those who wish to participate in shamanic rituals must sign a waiver and are responsible for their own well-being; the shamans will not knowingly treat persons that require daily medication unless they have a doctor's recommendation to be treated by a shaman.

Only supporters of our foundation are allowed to visit, the establishment of this implicit relationship is essential to the well-being of the organization and serves as a legal form of understanding between the visitor and our tribal community. The recommended minimum contribution is $250 per year per person and is required at least 30 days in advance of your visit.

Suggested Prices

All services are rendered by barter, making donations and by investing in the long-term prosperity of our communities, all the funds we receive support multiple families and sometimes other communities. All prices are based on daily rates and covering basic expenses.

• General Guide (Spanish/Piaroa Interpreter) - $60 per day

• Yopo Ceremony (Begins at Noon until 5AM) - $250 per person

• Yage Ceremony (Requires 2 Days, Dieta and Fasting) - $350 per person

• Cacao Ceremony (Group Activity) - $100 per person

• Tobacco Ceremony (Included with Yopo or Yagé)

Guides may also offer additional services such as porters (persons that will carry your luggage) or assistant guides for $20 per day per porter or assistant guide. Generally for safety we like to have one guide per party of 3 persons.