Rancho La Puerta Review | Hotels Above Par

"Stepping onto this serene, family-owned wellness resort in Tecate feels like entering an oasis dedicated to its “Siempre Mejor” (“always better”) motto, with a 7-day immersion of fitness, food, spa, nature, and mindfulness designed to leave you physically and emotionally renewed. The experience begins even before arrival, with staff greeting you at San Diego International Airport with freshly made granola and a folder of options before escorting you 40 miles southeast to the property, where about 140 guests each Saturday settle in for an all-inclusive, week-long reset. As the OG of fitness resorts, open since 1940 and still run by its founding family, it offers a holistic, grounding getaway with more than 25 miles of hiking trails, five fitness class options every hour that build in intensity throughout the week, and additional educational seminars and creative classes like sculpture, jewelry making, and cooking, plus upcoming themed weeks centered on pickleball, longevity, culinary, sobriety, and sustainability. The expansive grounds sit four miles from the U.S./Mexico border at the foot of 3,885-foot Mt. Kuchumaa, surrounded by a 2,000-acre nature preserve and meticulously tended gardens, flower beds, and water features that blend the built environment into the landscape; maps, hammocks, and inviting chairs make wandering from the dining hall to four pools, 11 fitness studios, three full-service spas, and the track both easy and relaxing. Accommodations—86 rooms and casitas, many fully renovated within the last decade via a $10 million investment—feature patio-lined bespoke designs, Mexican folk art, vibrantly hued textiles made from environmentally friendly local materials, beautiful tiles, and intricate woodwork; many have wood-burning fireplaces and all include heating and air conditioning, while most intentionally omit in-room WiFi and TVs to encourage unplugging, with connectivity reserved for certain communal spaces and specific options like the Villas Cielo casitas, which include private plunge pools and WiFi. The resort’s own organic body care line, crafted from sustainably harvested plants and herbs, is available both in-room and in the spas, which offer massages, aromatherapy, scrubs, scalp treatments, and facials for an extra fee. Food is a highlight: semi-vegetarian, regionally focused meals and snacks—largely sourced from the on-site 6-acre organic farm—include options like bean-and-egg breakfast tacos and a turmeric juice shot at the breakfast buffet, a lunch of soup, salad, and hearty whole-wheat bread, and a three-course dinner with a starter, your choice of entrée (the roasted cauliflower with date mole is a must-order when available), and a low-sugar dessert; eggs and freshly delivered Baja California seafood are available, and food allergies and preferences are accommodated. With 340 days of sun per year, warm, low-humidity days, crisp nights, and an atmosphere that encourages a week of nature bathing, nourishing food, and self-care, staying on property feels like a comprehensive nervous system reset, supported by amenities such as unlimited fitness classes and speakers, multiple restaurants and communal dining, on-site art galleries, a business center, a boutique, an in-room refrigerator, fresh fruit on demand, tea, and selective free WiFi, plus optional “Saturday at the Ranch” day experiences that offer a taste of the full program. The overall vibe is that of a holistic, grounding escape where the mission to leave both land and people better is woven into design, programming, partnerships with local communities, and every detail of the guest experience." - Karla Walsh