Private Experience In The Shipibo Community Of Lima-cantagallo

I was curious about the way they life, and i learned about there ways🍀Beautiful people and great art form🥰

Silvia was charming and served a delicious juice and avocado on a roll and then sang a welcome song. She is a very talented artist and it was a pleasure to be in her company. Nataly the guide was also amazing.

Wow what a wonderful experience! I love art and learning from the locals whenever I travel so this intimate experience learning directly from Señora Wilma was incredible. She shared artistic techniques, history, personal stories and even sang ancestral songs that her family had been singing for generations. If you like art and unique local experiences when you travel, this is definitely for you. No advanced art skills necessary— it’s absolutely beginner friendly.

Milagro was outstanding in every way She customized our tour and we enjoyed her and the Shipibo people so much, we booked another tour with her and returned for another day to visit with the children and other villagers

This was a perfect afternoon, from pick-up to drop-off. Mila, and her driver Jonathan, picked me up on time from my Miraflores' hotel, and Mila immediately started sharing information with me about the Shipibo culture. Once at the village, we explored the local murals and then she introduced me to Silvia, the master artisan who invited me into her home, showed me her work, and helped me create my own Shipibo kené (design). It was fascinating to experience this very different tradition and get an insight into the life and culture of this ethnic minority, and when Silvia applied the Amazonian mud and my piece turned black was just magic. Mila was the perfect guide and translated for me, and after dropping me back off, she also sent a pdf full of the information, which was really helpful. This was the favourite activity I did in Lima - don't miss it!

Mila knows the history,background and the community very well. She is a joy.

This is my second year in a row doing the Shipibo Art Workshop with Mila, and it was somehow even more incredible the second time. You can sense Miña’s deep connection to the community in Cantagallo, as well as the community’s love for her. Informative, fun, and incredibly fulfilling experience. Will be doing it again!

Excellent experience, and extremely informative one on one lesson with a preeminent Shipibo-Konibo artist and a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide (Milagros was so kind and informative!). I learned a lot, and had an amazing time learning from Wilma Maynas, and trying out the art myself. Perfect excursion for art enthusiasts and anyone looking for something different from the standard tourist itineraries.

This was a fantastic tour. Mila is an artist and connected with the Shipibo women in the eastern edge of Lima. These women and their families moved here in response to the destruction occurring in the amazon-poisoning the rivers from industrial waste etc. This is an opportunity to actually see a community (homes, elementary school, women's textile cooperatives etc) and learn about their textile arts. We went as a family of 6. The women in the cooperative coach you in creating a small piece of painted textile (similar designs to in the picture) where the ink (from boiled mahogany bark and bark from other fruit trees) is painted on the fabric and then set with clay from the amazon. We also learned about some of the amazonian historical culture and symbols in their textiles. Amazing how these women are creating a community in a poor neighborhood while working to get their land protected in Amazonia. Ample opportunity to purchase beautiful works.

This tour was one of the most enlightening experiences I’ve ever had. I learned all about the Shipibo culture and my tour guide was so knowledgeable and passionate. I got to see firsthand their community in Lima and hear the touching story of one of their artesans, who is extremely talented in what she does. I got to create my own fabric piece with her guidance using the indigenous dyes and tools. The fabric artwork I saw by the artists there was some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in Peru so far! This was an important experience I’ll never forget and I’m glad I did it.

We had a fantastic time on this tour! The women teaching their cultural art are so warm and welcoming. We learned so much and really enjoyed working with them to create our own pieces. Our your guide Mila was fantastic too! We enjoyed her and this tour so much we booked 2 additional tours with her. I highly recommend this tour and this tour company for any guide services you need!

The experience is at the Shipibo neighborhood. It's not Miraflores. However, you are graciously greeted and they share their heritage of textile making. Then they sit with you to work on your piece helping you along the way. You used ink that they have made themselves from tree bark. You also seal the piece with Morgantown from the lagoon in their native territory. You finish with a wonderful piece of handpainted cloth worthy of framing. They share their story and even sing a song for you. The guide Mila is a treasure trove of information, fully prepared and providing you with background of what you are going to experience and even teaches you a few Shipibo words. We are very happy we participated in this experience.

Wow, what a meaningful experience. We wish we had done it earlier in our trip! It was so nice to be able to spend an afternoon learning about art, making art, and learning so much from Kiara and Karen about Shipibo/Konibo culture. This was a great chance to leave Miraflores and interact with some locals. Mila is such a lovely host and so incredibly warm (and Roddy amazing food recs!). We would love to come back and explore more of the city with them in the future.

This was really a fantastic and unique experience. It was lovely to meet the artists and be welcomed into their home. We learnt so much about the Shipibo and their culture, Mila gave a very thorough background and was very friendly and easy to talk to, not just on this but on many aspects of Peruvian life and culture. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

Visiting the shipibo community with Mila was the highlight of my time in Lima! Mila is clearly very passionate about what she does and truly cares about the communities and people that she works with. I spent a lovely morning with her learning about the history of the shipibo community, how they have adapted to living in the city now, and the deep meaning behind their traditional art, kene. Being invited into the home of one of the artisans, and learning directly from her was amazing, as well as hearing about her life and experiences! I also got to come home with a lovely piece of art to treasure, definitely recommend!

This was an absolutely wonderful experience from beginning to end. Mila is a great tour guide, she was generous with the information, friendly, punctual - great choice for us. She brought us to the community, which clearly knew her and had great dynamics, showed us around and then we went to one of the families for the workshop. What an absolute pleasure, to be welcome into their homes and witness their art, with explanations and with Shipibo stories and songs. It was a very, very moving experience. At the end, we could browse their art and purchase some, good way to also help the family directly and take souvenirs from a beautiful day. I can only recommend this, it will be both time and money well spent, and you won’t be unchanged at the end.

This visit to the community was an amazing experience! Mila taught all about the culture and history of the community, as well as the different plants used to make their art. Silvia welcomed is into her ho.e where she taught me how to paint their traditional designs. She is also a highly skilled embroiderer and bead worker. I loved her singing. The community was welcoming too!

It was so interesting to hear about the Amazon communities of the past. So sad that many people like Sylvia have had to leave. The artwork she showed me uses techniques she learned from her mother and grandmother when they all lived together in the Amazon. Techniques using natural materials found in the Amazon. Sylvia's artwork was skillful and beautiful. We worked together on a new piece. I really enjoyed drawing the lines and filling the spaces with symbols representing roads, trees, plants, animals etc.Very relaxing and therapeutic but fun too. A fantastic day that I will always cherish. Thank you so much Sylvia and Mila.

It was a really great experience with a super friendly host. Thanks !! We are definitely recommending it.

Such a wonderful experience! Everyone was so welcoming and excited to have me there as a guest- it was a really unique experience! I really enjoyed learning about the culture in such a hands on way. Silvia invited me into her home where I was able to see her works, meet her family (and cat!) and enjoy a morning of doing art together while Silvia sang her traditional songs. I'm really happy with my artwork, and the pieces I bought from Silvia and her sister to take home. (Make sure to bring your cash so you don't have any regrets about something you'd like to take home!) I had concerns about visiting such a poor part of Lima, as we are always reminded to be careful of our safety. However, I never once felt unsafe in Rimac, as the community was so excited to see that we were here to experience their culture and contribute to maintaining the artists careers. Many people greeted me, even in English, and it was such a nice feeling! I also had many curious children come to watch the art session, which I thought was too cute!! You won't find any other tourists here, so it's really a unique experience. Mila was also great! So helpful and communicative. She worked really hard to accommodate me and make sure I could get the best experience (such as helping me to sort out cash!). You can tell that the artists she works with have a significant amount of trust and respect for her, and she is really connected with the community at large. I was able to follow some mural artists on Instagram as she instantly knew who did each one, and they would all warmly greet her. A really ethical, unique, and enjoyable experience in Lima!

Really liked the experience. It gave insight into the Shipibo culture and art which I otherwise would not get. Mila took us to Wilma, Wilma is very hospitable and a great shipibo artist. A must do if in Lima if you ask me (and my wife)!

One of the best experiences I had in Peru Lima is very welcoming and friendly I loved how educational she is about this art. For me story telling is very important and Experiencing this amazonian Shipibo art with the story background made the experience phenomenal. Thanks for the beautiful memory

This was the best tour that I've ever received, and that's coming from someone who's travelled to a lot of places. Mila and Wilma are very kind, warm-hearted, and will take care of you while you're with them. They are very knowledgeable, and will answer any questions that you may have about their culture as they graciously welcome you into their community, their home, their space. The atmosphere is beautiful, and you will get the opportunity to immerse yourself in the artistic traditions of a beautiful culture. Really, truly, a once-in-a-lifteime opportunity. If you're reading this comment and are considering this tour, take it as a sign that you should book it.

My friend and I went to the Shipibo community and had a once in a lifetime experience. Mila made us feel safe and welcomed the entire time, and was extremely knowledgeable about the artwork and people of the community. She was a fantastic host, whose passion made the experience even better.

Amazing and unique experience in Lima. Mila was wonderful in all aspects of coordinating and guiding the tour to the Shipibo community. Our time with Wilma and her family was extremely interesting and gave a unique insight into life in this community. Highly recommended for all visitors to Lima looking for more off the beaten track & interactive tours in Lima

I was looking for an authentic experience in Lima that was unique and exploring new cultures. Meeting Wilma and David, learning about traditional kene art from the Shipbo community and creating our own designs in the workshop was incredible! I can’t rate this your highly enough. A must-do tour in Lima!!

This was an incredible opportunity and experience. I learned a lot about the culture of the Amazonian people and the daily life in this artisan community. So authentic and non touristy. Wilma is a talented and welcoming textile artist.

Our guide Alfredo is knowledgeable tour guide. We took a public transport from where we stay to the shipibo community. It was a very good local experience. The artisan Wilma shared shipibo culture with us. It’s worth seeing with 1 hr transport!

This experience was truly special as it was eye opening to the ancient traditions of shipibo art as it is maintained currently. Leave the main tourist areas of Lima and find yourself among a community living their daily lives among coloured murals. It is definitely worth it as you get a taste of real Peru and get to experience beautiful art.

Visiting Shipibo community and meeting Wilma; learning her ancient Amazonian techniques for textile design; creating a unique pattern honoring my father--- it was an extraordinary, unique, very emotional, and highly rewarding experience that will never be forgotten. I can strongly recommend this tour-- for anyone willing to go past preconceived ideas, modern biases, and overcome fears of the unknown. Special thanks to my guide Milagros, who also made the day exploring the Rimac neighborhoods so wonderful, to Wilma's son , who gave me a private walking tour of this impoverished area, and mostly to Wilma, amazing artist, teacher, and now a friend. 5 stars is not enough. Signed, 'Ronon Rawa' aka 'big traveling Anaconda' ( the Shipibo language name given me by Wilma ).

A simply amazing experience, the chance to spend time with such talented artists and to visit their community really blew me away. I enjoyed all aspects of the tour and would recommend anyone else to go for it. The artists and local people are so welcoming and it was with great pleasure that I was able to participate and share in this. The host Mila made the whole trip comfortable and enjoyable. I am very grateful to all those involved

This is a really really special experience. Mila met me near the central square, took me by a local bus, walking through the local flower market into a part of Lima where most people would not venture - the underbelly. We visited a community from the Amazonas - the shipibo conibo. The shipibo conibo are the guardians of the ahayuasca and other plant medicines, the dreamers, the singers and the most prolific artists - their work spanning across painting with natural dyes, embroidery, pottery and beadwork. In the regular artisanal markets dominated by the highlands - the bright colored fabrics and alpaca wool good from the cusco region, this work is really under represented. And this is what Mila wants to change! I was lucky enough to be introduced to their work at the start of my journey in the amazonas and I instantly fell in love with the graphic style and their deep belief in dreaming. I spent the afternoon with Wilma Maynas Inuma in her home who was such a beautiful teacher/ artist/ singer that it transcended all cultural differences. She drew me into my own dreaming and made me feel totaly free to explore the art form - such a gift for any creative process. It felt like meditation and I tapped into the sheer joy of doing. Mila was the most sensitive translator and really held the space gently. My intention was to learn more about the style and try my hand at the painting, but to venture into this ‘illegal’ settlement moved something much bigger in me - so rich with talent and yet living without proper electricity or water- unrecognised for decades. It reminded of my time spent in Dharavi - raised questions about - whose work get recognised? Whose stories get told? And how what we think looks “poor” from outside, holds some of the most beautiful treasures inside. Thank you Mila for helping tell these beautiful stories. It felt like a honour to be a part of a little one that afternoon. The biggest difference in this experience vs the others of this kind was that it is done in a way that does not objectify the community and put them on show for the tourists, instead it creates an environment for a very respectful cultural exchange. This is gold and not very easy to find.

Mila, Mila, Mila! I wish I could rate this higher than 5 stars. Seriously, you should use Mila as your tour guide for EVERY Lima and Peru tour. She was punctual, engaging without being overbearing, and just downright fun. She sets the standard for how you learn about, and then remember, details of a city’s culture and history. She created this heartwarming tour about the art of the indigenous women from the Shipibo community, because we should ALL know their story! Wilma, the artist is a historical and ancestral gem. The stories she told, the songs she sang, and the ways her hands moved, reminded me of the ancestors in my own family. With reverence, I was moved to tears. Somehow, despite speaking three languages at times, we created a piece I am proud to bring home. This tour is a MUST DO while in Lima!

This experience was truly amazing. It was so educational and fun to meet the artists of the Shipibo community. It was great to connect with the artists and members of their community to learn and share their art and story. Thank you so much for the beautiful experience!

This was an unforgettable experience. Meeting a beautiful indigenous woman named Wilma and learning the lessons of Amazon through the lense of the sacred artwork that is so deeply ingrained in the culture. She was so warm and welcoming to her home. I had a very memorable time! I would advise you attend this experience with a friend or partner, as some of the living conditions may be shocking for some who have never experienced diverse socio-economic conditions and ways of living. A beautiful experience rooted in gratitude and healing through art !

An amazing experience where you learn to make the local art with someone who has been doing this her whole life. You take home an amazing piece of artwork which is made from natural material.

Incredible tour. Mila is a guide with a lot of knowledge in the history of Peru. And Wilma works excellently with Shipibo art. A tour that I would definitely recommend to people very interested in the art of indigenous communities.

Mila has organized the most unique local experience. Do not miss this opportunity to be immersed in the Shipiba community and specifically the art of Wilma. You will be welcomed into Wilma’s home and be taught the important cultural connection the art has to Wilma and the Shipibo People of the Ucayali Department of Peru. Wilma is immensely talented. Support this artist and her people. I have traveled all over Central America and never had such a rewarding and personal experience. Mila is an excellent guide and has genuine enthusiasm for her country and the Shipiba Community. If I was staying longer, I would book all of my tours with Mila. Mila operates her own one-woman tour business. She is fantastic! Many thanks to our driver, Carlos for driving us safely and calmly in the madness of Lima traffic. I did this tour with my 83 year old mother. It is perfect for all ages.

This was exactly what I was looking for. I saw the exhibit at the Museo de Arte Contemporánea created by the Shipibo community about their experiences getting through Covid, and I was interested in learning more about the community and the indigenous art they create. Wilma, who runs the art studio, was a fantastic host. She was an excellent storyteller and very warm and welcoming. She also runs the operations out of her home, so you get the opportunity to see what life is like in one of the shanty communities on the outskirts of Lima. You should know going in that this is in fact a very local experience in a community that is quite poor by Western standards. If you have not experienced some thing like that before, you may find the conditions shocking. But everyone was very nice and helpful, and while things may look quite different from Miraflores or Barranco, I would NOT be concerned about safety.