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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Transcendent Institute submits its own information.

Transcendent Institute: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Lamay, Sacred Valley, Peru

Transcendent Institute is a Barcelona-based retreat organizer run by Anthony Tatekawa that sells a 12-day Sacred Valley retreat based at Hacienda Paucartika in Lamay, Cusco, Peru, with two ayahuasca ceremonies led by Shipibo maestra Elisa Vargas Fernández, an Inca ceremony and a Machu Picchu trip, for €2,300 to €2,600, per its retreat page. Its ceremony leader is a long-established healer with her own center. Against that, the English itinerary calls the ceremonies “for inner cleansing” without naming ayahuasca, no medical staff, contraindication policy or emergency plan is published, it has no reviews anywhere, and its pages contradict themselves on dates and group size.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A rented 18th-century hacienda below the Huchuy Qosqo ruins in Lamay, Calca province, Cusco, Peru, about 15 minutes from Pisac, with nights in Cusco and Aguas Calientes. The organizer also runs programs in Europe and Asia.
• Approach: Two evening ayahuasca ceremonies with a Shipibo maestra, an Inca ceremony, integration circles and cultural visits, framed as integrative psychology.
• Suitable For: Travelers wanting a guided cultural trip with limited ceremony work who arrange their own medical screening. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: €2,300 shared or €2,600 private, with €150 to €200 extra for Machu Picchu. The 30% deposit is non-refundable and nothing is refunded inside 30 days, per its terms and retreat page.
• Overall Assessment: An experienced Shipibo maestra and a comfortable venue, offset by unclear ayahuasca disclosure, no published medical safeguards, no track record and careless copy. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews of Transcendent Institute were found on Retreat Guru, BookRetreats, Tripadvisor, AyaAdvisors or Trustpilot. The venue, Paucartika Hacienda Lodge, shows 4.5 from 2 reviews on Tripadvisor, praising its gardens and rooms. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Transcendent Institute, Anthony Tatekawa, Elisa Vargas Fernández and Hacienda Paucartika.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

The organizer is new and its searches returned little, so this absence offers limited assurance.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Anthony Tatekawa trades as Transcendent Institute from Barcelona and says he is a licensed psychologist with ICEERS ayahuasca safety and integration certificates, per his bio (unverified). Ceremonies are led by Elisa Vargas Fernández, Reshin Wesna, a Shipibo-Konibo curandera who founded the Sanken Nete center near Yarinacocha, per Sanken Nete. No Peruvian company or RUC tax number appears.

Disclosure. The English itinerary describes “Shipibo” ceremonies “for inner cleansing”, while its Romanian page says plainly they are ayahuasca ceremonies. Its FAQ also offers guidance on ayahuasca, San Pedro and “Bufalovirus”, apparently a garbled reference to Bufo.

Screening and medical support. Guests self-certify that they have no contraindications, and the organizer publishes no SSRI, MAOI, heart or psychiatric policy, medical staff or emergency protocol. The maestra’s own center publishes detailed medication washouts with nurse review, per its preparation page, but it is not stated that these apply here. Hospitals are in Cusco, over an hour away, and a 4,200 m lagoon excursion falls in the same week.

Status. The September 2026 Peru retreat page was still open for booking after its dates, and whether it ran is unknown; no new Peru date is posted, though the organizer lists programs elsewhere into 2027, per its journeys page.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, its traditional use is national heritage, and there is no licensing regime for retreats, per ICEERS.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask for the full screening form and the medication rules before paying the deposit. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca served by Maestra Elisa Vargas Fernández; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Cool Andean valley at about 2,940 m, below Inca ruins.
• Rooms: Rooms at a colonial hacienda with a temple hall, per Hacienda Paucartika, plus hotels in Cusco and Aguas Calientes.
• Style: A psychology-framed group journey with cultural touring and two Shipibo ceremonies.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cusco (CUZ); arrival pickup is included.

Should You Book?

Only with caution. Ask in writing whether you will drink ayahuasca and on which nights, the contraindication and medication rules, who on site is medically trained, the emergency plan and hospital route, and whether the program will run on its dates. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Transcendent Institute presents itself as a school of “transcendent psychology” offering sacred journeys and integration. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing, plan any change with your own doctor, and allow time to acclimatize to altitude. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

The retreat is listed on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.