Arriving & Departing Tara Mandala
Registration is held between 2:00pm – 4:00pm on the first date of the retreat. Late arrivals and early departures must be prearranged, and cannot always be accommodated.
Unless otherwise noted, retreats begin with 5 pm orientation, dinner, and an opening teaching, and ends with lunch or Tsog, depending on the retreat. Please plan to attend for the full time specified. Whenever possible, please book departing Durango flights after 4pm. This will allow time for travel and airport check-in without missing the end of your retreat.
Staying on the land before or after a retreat is not an option. Many retreatants have said that the best way to transition into or out of retreat is to stay in the lovely town of Pagosa Springs a day or two before the retreat begins to rest and acclimate to the altitude, or stay the night the retreat ends and enjoy the famous hot springs before traveling home.
Local lodging information is available here.
Air and Ground Transportation
We are 90 minutes from the La Plata County airport in Durango (DRO) and 4 1/2 hours from the Albuquerque airport. Our retreat land is a 30 minute drive from Pagosa Springs. You are responsible for arranging your own transportation. There are several options for ground transportation including professional shuttle services and rental cars.
Flying In From Durango (DRO)
Transportation to and from the Durango Airport and Tara Mandala is available through Wilderness Journeys Pagosa, Inc, (970) 731-4081. Please ask the driver to drop you off in the parking lot outside of the yellow Community Building.
Group Shuttle From Durango Airport with Wilderness Journeys *New Prices as of June 2022
- On the day each retreat starts, a shuttle will leave Durango airport at 1 pm sharp and go directly to Tara Mandala, no stops.
- On the day each retreat ends, a shuttle will leave Tara Mandala at 2 pm sharp and go directly to Durango airport (no stops).
- The cost is $80/person/each way, $160 return trip if made at time of reservation. RESERVATIONS only.
- Minimum of 2 people need to book before it becomes the ‘Group Shuttle’ rate (the first person booking will be charged the Custom Shuttle rate and then when the next person books the first person will be refunded the difference between the group and custom shuttle rates)
- There will be no shuttle if there are no reservations.
- Reservations can be combined with a Custom Shuttle as long as all parts have advance reservations. (For example, a Custom arrival pick-up tailored to your flight with a departure on the Group shuttle or vice versa.)
- Reservations are prepaid and can be made online or by phone with Wilderness Journeys, (970) 731-4081.
- Last minute changes (or reservations made within 24-hours) will incur an additional charge and ONLY if there is space available, so be sure to reserve your spot early.
Shuttle Reservations with Pagosa Cabs
- $40 per person one way between Pagosa Springs to Tara Mandala
- $100 per person one way between Durango Airport and Tara Mandala
- $120 two people one way between Durango Airport and Tara Mandala
- $130 three people one way between Durango Airport and Tara Mandala (and +$10 for each additional person after that)
- Please call Pagosa Cabs 970-398-0123 to make your reservation
Custom Shuttle Reservations with Wilderness Journeys *New Prices as of June 2022
- A Custom Reservation will pick you up at the airport when your flight arrives and pick you up from Tara Mandala 3 hours prior to your flight departure.
- $150 one-way for up to two people or $280 round-trip if made at time of reservation. For each additional person when booking together, (pre-paid with the same pick-up time), add $20 one-way or $35 round-trip.
- Airport wait charge: $30/hour with a two-hour limit.
- To add one additional destination before or after a retreat, the cost is an additional $50. For two stop-overs, add $75. (For example, a round-trip shuttle with an overnight stay in town before and after a retreat would cost $355 for two people and a one-way shuttle with one stop would cost $200 for two people.)
- Reservations can be made online or by phone at Wilderness Journeys, (970) 731-4081. Please provide the Airline, flight #, arrival and departure flight times, plus payment information.
- On the day of arrival, please call Wilderness Journeys to confirm that your connecting flight from Denver, Dallas, or Phoenix is still on time. (This gives enough time to stop a shuttle from leaving Pagosa Springs too early.) If you call about a delayed flight, there is no charge and the driver will be there at the new arrival time. Without a flight confirmation call, the charge is $30/hour to wait at the airport with a two-hour wait limit.
Coordinating a Rideshare
We have a Rideshare Board in our Tara Mandala Network. This board is a space where retreat participants can connect with others who are planning to attend a retreat. Whether seeking a travel companion, looking to split transportation costs, or simply wanting to make new friends on the journey, this space is the perfect hub for coordinating travel arrangements.
To access the Rideshare Board, please navigate to the “Topics” section of the Tara Mandala Network. And if you are not a member of the network yet, you are warmly invited to join it here.
Please Note: All rideshare arrangements made within this space are entirely at the users’ discretion. Tara Mandala does not assume any responsibility or liability for these arrangements. However, we encourage everyone to exercise caution, communicate clearly, and prioritize their safety when making travel plans. We hope your trip will be as smooth and enjoyable as possible!
Transportation From Albuquerque (ABQ)
Albuquerque International Sunport is 3 miles southeast of downtown Albuquerque, in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Albuquerque airport is a 4 1/2 hr drive to Tara Mandala. Please use ‘Directions’ below to navigate your way to Tara Mandala. The only transportation available from Albuquerque airport is car rental.
Transportation From Denver (DEN)
Denver International Airport is 6 hr drive to Tara Mandala. Please use ‘Directions’ below to navigate your way to Tara Mandala.The only transportation available from the Denver airport is car rental.
Transportation From Santa Fe (SAF)
Santa Fe Regional Airport is ten miles southwest of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Santa Fe airport is a 3 1/2 hr drive to Tara Mandala. Please use ‘Directions’ below to navigate your way to Tara Mandala. The only transportation available from the Santa Fe regional airport is car rental.
Transportation From Cortez (CEZ)
Cortez Municipal Airport is three miles southwest of Cortez, in Montezuma County, Colorado. Cortez airport is a 2 1/2 hr drive to Tara Mandala. Please use ‘Directions’ below to navigate your way to Tara Mandala. The only transportation available from the Cortez airport is car rental.
Travel Tips:
“Renting a car at the Durango airport is an inexpensive way to get to Tara Mandala, if you feel comfortable driving. The cost of an economy car rental is approximately $200 to $250 USD/week. Use a tool like Expedia or Kayak to compare prices. Sharing with one or two other people, who you may be able to find by posting on the Rideshare Board, makes renting a car the most economical option.”
Directions & Getting Here
Description of the Region
Pagosa Springs is located in the Four-Corners region of southwestern Colorado which offers an abundance of interesting activities and attractions. The region is known for its access to archeological sites, unmatched mountains, beautiful rivers, canyon lands and a wealth of cultural history. The town of Pagosa Springs is nestled in a beautiful valley on the banks of the San Juan Mountains which include two wilderness areas, the Weminuche and the South San Juan. Pagosa sits at an elevation of 7070 feet and has 320 days of sun a year. “Pagosah” means healing waters in Ute and Pagosa Springs is home of the world’s largest mineral hot springs. Visitors to Pagosa Springs can enjoy the natural hot springs year-round.
Tara Mandala Land
The Tara Mandala retreat land is located 25 minutes outside of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, surrounded by National Forest and Ute Reservation lands. Pagosa Springs is in the Four Corners area of Southwest Colorado, approximately 1 hour from Durango, 3 hours from Santa Fe, NM and 4 hours from Albuquerque, NM.
Retreat Land and Office
Unless attending a retreat, all visits to the land must be cleared through the registrar. We do not allow visitors on the land during closed retreats and the gate to our land is locked in the off-season. Please arrange an appropriate time to visit by calling or emailing our Registrar on this page.
The roads leading into Tara Mandala are rough dirt roads. Please take your time and enjoy the drive. During the winter, the roads to Tara Mandala are snow covered. An all-wheel or four-wheel-drive vehicle with snow tires is needed in the Winter months in order to safely traverse the roads to Tara Mandala.
Tara Mandala is located 15 miles southwest of Pagosa Springs, a 30 minute drive.
Directions
Please note there is no other access to Tara Mandala other than USFS 649 via the East and West Highway 160 (see below). Any other option that shows up in GPS is not passable and may involve private roads with locked gates.
FROM THE WEST (Durango)
Entering Pagosa Springs on Highway 160 from the west, turn right at the first stoplight in town, South Pagosa Boulevard. On the left is a Shell station. If you pass City Market on your left, you just missed the turn. Go four miles, and just after the pavement turns to dirt, turn left onto Cascade. After just under one mile, turn right at the T onto County Road 500, also known as Trujillo Rd. Go another 5.4 miles and turn right onto US Forest Service Road 649; you should see the Tara Mandala sign to mark this turn, as well as a large red barn with a silver roof on your left. Just after you turn, you will cross a cattle guard, and see a small sign on your right that says 649 – there is no other road sign. We are located 3.6 miles from the road at that first cattle guard. Please note USFS 649 is a private dirt road between the cattle gates; please drive under 25 miles per hour to protect wildlife, reduce dust and maintain the road. Along the road you will cross another cattle guard. We are the second left after that cattle guard. At the second left, as you drive in, you will see our large red gate entrance and the Tara Temple in the distance. Turn left into our driveway. Park in the parking lot and check in on the east side of the Community Building (first yellow building).
FROM THE EAST OR SOUTH (Wolf Creek Pass, New Mexico)
Driving through Pagosa Springs on Highway 160 from the east, turn left (South) on S. 8th Street. At the second stop sign, turn right onto Apache. Apache becomes Trujillo Road (also known as County Road 500), which you follow 10 miles south of town past the city landfill. Turn right onto US Forest Service Road 649. You should see the Tara Mandala sign to mark this turn, as well as a large red barn with a silver roof on your left. Just after you turn, you will cross a cattle guard, and see a small sign on your right that says 649 – there is no other road sign. We are located 3.6 miles from the road at that first cattle guard. Please note USFS 649 is a private dirt road between the cattle gates; please drive under 25 miles per hour to protect wildlife, reduce dust and maintain the road. Along the road, you will cross another cattle guard. We are the second left after that cattle guard. At the second left, as you drive in, you will see our large red gate entrance and the Tara Temple in the distance. Turn left into our driveway. Park in the parking lot and check in on the east side of the Community Building (first yellow building).