Yachaqs, Healers of the Andes

This immersive half-day experience, hosted by the community of Jana Chuquibamba in the Sacred Valley of Peru, invites you to learn about the healing traditions and ancestral knowledge of the Andes. You will meet with local Yachaqs — traditional healers and wisdom keepers — who will share the Andean worldview and the deep relationship between people, nature, and Pachamama, Mother Earth. The experience starts with an ethnobotanical walk through the wild landscape, during which you will identify medicinal plants and understand their traditional uses. This is followed by a hands-on workshop preparing herbal infusions and natural remedies using the plants you've found. The experience concludes with a traditional Andean harmonization ritual — a ceremony of gratitude and balance — before sharing a homemade lunch prepared by a community family using fresh, organic ingredients, alongside the medicinal remedies prepared earlier in the activity.

This experience offers rare connection with a Quechua community and access to the ancestral healing knowledge of the Yachaqs — the traditional healers of the Andes whose wisdom has been passed down through generations. You'll participate in a living cultural practice that is still part of daily life in Andean communities. The experience combines nature, spirituality, medicine, and community life, reflecting the Andean belief that health comes from balance between people, nature, and the spiritual world. While medicinal plants form the heart of the experience, you will also learn about the Andean worldview, rituals of gratitude to Pachamama, and the cultural role of traditional medicine in community life. Your participation directly supports the preservation of ancestral knowledge, medicinal plant traditions, and sustainable community tourism in Jana Chuquibamba — the returns from your booking go to the families who host you.

Pilar works as part of a self-managed association formed by eight Quechua ayllus (communities) in the Andes mountains of Peru's Sacred Valley. Dedicated to rural community tourism, this association aims to preserve ancestral culture through responsible activities hosted by members of these Indigenous communities. While Pilar is the Experience Maker who designs, organizes, and coordinates this activity, your experience will be hosted by one such local community member, as well as a bilingual guide whose name will be provided ahead of your experience. During the activity, you will connect with a number of local families, agriculturalists, and artisans.

Comfortable clothing and walking shoes for the village and workshop space.Warm layers — Andean elevation means temperatures can shift through the day, especially in the morning and evening. Sun hat and sunscreen — the high-altitude sun is stronger than it feels. A reusable water bottle. ** Please let Pilar know of any dietary requirements via Fernwayer Chat ahead of your visit, so the lunch can be prepared accordingly.