Not many resorts can boast that they have been around and helping guests maintain or create healthy lifestyles for the past 80-plus years. Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, is among the few. In fact, The Ranch, as people often call it, is often considered to be North America’s original wellness resort.
Located about an hour’s drive southeast of San Diego, and less than an hour’s drive from Tijuana International Airport, the all-inclusive Rancho La Puerta rests on 4,000 private acres of nature-rich rolling terrain at the foothills of Mount Kuchumaa in Baja California. The resort offers complimentary luxury bus transportation from the San Diego Airport for Saturday arrivals and departures.
The primary guest profile at Rancho La Puerta is men and women in their mid-to-late 40s and older who are interested in healthy living and fitness activities in nature. The resort attracts solo travelers, couples, mother-daughters, groups of friends and even colleagues on work retreats. With the exception of Family Week (when the resort welcomes families with kids as young as 7 years old), guests must be at least 14 years old.
Wellness Activities and Authentic Experiences at Rancho La Puerta
More than 40 instructor-led classes a day, including yoga, HIIT, Hydro-Fit, Barre, kickboxing, cycling, salsa and others, are available to Rancho La Puerto guests. Instructors also lead morning hikes, trail runs, nature tours, art classes and multiple daily treks across 40 miles of trails ranging from easy to challenging. Weekly guest speakers on various wellness-related topics—from longevity to menopause to healthy relationships—are available to guests.
Additionally, hands-on cooking classes using fresh produce harvested from the resort’s six-acre organic farm, along with spa treatments, personal training sessions and therapies, available at each of three on-site health centers, are offered for an additional fee.
Grace Wilkinson, Senior Marketing Coordinator, says that many of the experiences offered at the resort provide an authentic taste of Mexican heritage and culture. For instance, earlier this year, The Ranch introduced the Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tour, a day trip to the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California’s renowned wine-making region. The agricultural region, regarded as the country’s primary wine-producing area, boasts a vibrant community of boutique wineries and dining establishments.
Another authentic experience is the Indigenous Wisdom Walk, an easy 1.5-mile walk that includes a presentation by a member of the local Kumeyaay tribe about the land and the traditional uses of native plants. Wilkinson points out that “since ancient times, the native Kumeyaay people have lived in and around the lands where Rancho La Puerta is located today, and it is a high value for all of us to learn from their deep knowledge and wisdom.”
According to Wilkinson, the resort is an excellent choice for solo travelers for several reasons, including the fact that it allows each guest to “choose their own adventure.” She says, “If a personal retreat is the goal, there are many ways to experience peace and solitude, but The Ranch is also the perfect place to experience community and meet like-minded others.”
Week-long (Saturday to Saturday) package rates begin at $4,900 (per person, double occupancy) and include all meals and snacks, all scheduled fitness classes and activities, lectures and entertainment, use of all facilities, and scheduled transportation from San Diego Airport.
On a final note, Wilkinson says, “The objective here is not only to help guests achieve a long lifespan but a long and vibrant healthspan as well.”
For more information, visit rancholapuerta.com.
Recommend magazine has partnered with the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) to bring you articles to help travel advisors sell wellness travel. For more information on the WTA, visit wellnesstourismassociation.org.
