Enjoy the Ranches and Spas

There are many ranches and former plantations which welcome tourists with their spas and temascales (pre-Hispanic sauna house).

The Rancho Tecate offers horseback rides, walks through the vineyards and views of a lake surrounded by palms. On Sunday, their restaurant prepares goat barbacoa and roasted suckling pig. The afternoons are perfect to spend in the pool, on the tennis courts or the golf course.

To the west, along the highway returning to Tijuana is Rancho La Puerta, the perfect place to relax and unwind. There are over 80 comfortable cottages, a pool, tennis court and an award-winning spa. Re-firming facials, reflexology, aromatherapy, hot stones, and herb wraps, all designed to cleanse, relax and energize. Here, silence is as important as entertainment. There are meditation sessions, yoga classes, walks between flowers and mountains, as well as dance and Pilates classes. Or how about learning a new recipe in the school of La Cocina que Canta?

East of Tecate, towards Mexicali, is the Rancho Los Chabacanos, where the only thing on the agenda is to unwind. There are 17 cabins with chimeneas, living room and kitchen, as well as a swimming pool and a lake with kayaks perfect for sunny days. In the winter, the nights are lit with bonfires. Whenever you visit, you can wash the stress away with a Swedish massage or mud therapy in the spa.

The Rancho Ojai seems like a place straight out of an old western movie, with 33 cabins nestled between the trees, all with tables and barbecues at the entrance. There is also space for motor homes. A games rooms, a pool with jacuzzi, a billiard table, a mini golf and a store can all be found in the common areas. Visitors walk or cycle around, with the days passing by in an olden days haze.

Following the free highway toward Mexicali, a few miles after Rancho Ojai, you will come to the village of El Hongo. There, a turn off leads to Hacienda Santa Verónica along a dirt road. This is a hotel totally isolated from the world: no phone service, no television, no internet. What is abundant though is the fresh air, which you can enjoy on horseback.