Tecate - Spas, Retreats, and other Finds
Submitted by adambehar on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 08:55.
By: Carla White
RANCHO LA PUERTA
Founded in 1940 by Deborah and Edmond Szekely, the “Ranch of the Door” also bills itself as “The Door to the Future”. Here, the future is a glorious vision of wellness in mind, body and spirit.
Meditation, organic gardening, a labyrinth, yoga, Tai Chi, dancing, hiking and reflexology are just a few of the elements that come into play, and they all take place at this remarkable 3,000-acre property just west of Tecate. Tennis, swimming pools and fitness classes provide additional options for guests who wish to pursue their physical and mental health goals. More than anything else, Rancho La Puerta is a sensual retreat.
Accommodations are designed to augment the spa experience and each room has a unique décor. With more than 150 acres of exquisite gardens designed by Sarah Livia Brightwood and which have been featured on the PBS series Victory Garden, there is ample opportunity to meander for hours with no justification necessary. In fact, according to the New York Times, “The gardens are reason enough to visit, even if you’re not interested in unwinding.”
Spa treatments include massage, aromatherapy, scrubs, scalp treatments, facials and wraps with steaming hot linens steeped in
indigenous herbs.
In 2007, La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen that Sings”, became the centerpiece of Rancho La Puerta’s six-acre organic farm. According to Deborah Szekely, the 4,500 square-foot teaching facility, outfitted with a kitchen to drive any cook wild with envy, evolved out of her guests’ interest in the Rancho’s focus on healthful, organic cuisine.
“For years, I was besieged by guests who wanted to know how to make their food at home reflect all that they’ve learned at the ranch. Now that dream is complete!” The school regularly hosts celebrities of the cooking world, including Deborah Madison, Patricia Wells and Susan Trilling, and is the homebase for the Rancho’s Chef Jesus Gonzales.
Typically, the Rancho La Puerta program is a seven-day visit with activities designed by the guests, themselves. There is also a ‘Saturdays at the Ranch’ program that began in the summer of 2008, providing a one-day sneak peek. For more information, visit www.rancholapuerta.com or call in the US (877) 440-7778 or (858) 764-5500.
RANCHO LOS CHABACANOS
Rancho Los Chabacanos—Ranch of the Apricots. A rural treasure at kilometer 118 on the free road between Tecate and Mexicali, the Rancho has been profiled by National Geographic Traveler and was selected by National Geographic to be in its first Baja California map.
Although it is only 15 minutes from town, Rancho Los Chabacanos is a world apart. Described as an ‘eco-lodge hacienda’, the hotel is comprised of beautifully rustic casitas painted in rich umbers and decorated with traditional folk art and fabrics. The Casa Grande restaurant serves Mexican and international gourmet meals.
It is all about nature – about adventure and peace – according to owner Ines Gallardo Vigil, who has spent the last eight years focusing her attention on every detail of the sprawling property. The Rancho features traditional spa services, but many who come to this retreat come to enjoy the temazcal that looks like a small sweat lodge and utilizes the ancient tradition of steam for healing and purification. Also available are natural mud and herbal baths, and a swimming pool. The Ranch’s healing waters come from natural artesian wells that bless the property. Surrounded by hills, ancient oaks and apricot trees, the lodge looks up on Snake Mountain.
Ines notes that visitors often take the hike to the mountain, to view ancient cave paintings on its north-facing side. Relaxation, meditation, a chance to commune with nature: To learn more about the Rancho, visit www.rancholoschabacanos.com or email rancho_loschabacanos@hotmail.com, or from the U.S., call (619) 565-1183.
ASAO
What a discovery! Taking northern Baja by storm since 2007 is this high-end, elegant restaurant perched on top of a hill overlooking the town of Tecate. Just a few hundred yards from the border, Asao actually does offer van transportation for those parking on the U.S. side.
Gleaming stemware, crisp white linens and the warm ambience of stone and wood create a welcoming environment—one perfect for avant-garde cuisine that reflects traditional regional cooking. Asao’s culinary roots are in the foods of the Kumiai tribe. Anyone for portobello mushroom soup with duck? Mussels in mezcal? Shrimp tacos wrapped in banana leaves?
This beautiful restaurant, which will soon include a hotel, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For more information, in Mexico call (665) 654-4777.
Submitted by adambehar on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 08:55.
By: Carla White
RANCHO LA PUERTA
Founded in 1940 by Deborah and Edmond Szekely, the “Ranch of the Door” also bills itself as “The Door to the Future”. Here, the future is a glorious vision of wellness in mind, body and spirit.
Meditation, organic gardening, a labyrinth, yoga, Tai Chi, dancing, hiking and reflexology are just a few of the elements that come into play, and they all take place at this remarkable 3,000-acre property just west of Tecate. Tennis, swimming pools and fitness classes provide additional options for guests who wish to pursue their physical and mental health goals. More than anything else, Rancho La Puerta is a sensual retreat.
Accommodations are designed to augment the spa experience and each room has a unique décor. With more than 150 acres of exquisite gardens designed by Sarah Livia Brightwood and which have been featured on the PBS series Victory Garden, there is ample opportunity to meander for hours with no justification necessary. In fact, according to the New York Times, “The gardens are reason enough to visit, even if you’re not interested in unwinding.”
Spa treatments include massage, aromatherapy, scrubs, scalp treatments, facials and wraps with steaming hot linens steeped in
indigenous herbs.
In 2007, La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen that Sings”, became the centerpiece of Rancho La Puerta’s six-acre organic farm. According to Deborah Szekely, the 4,500 square-foot teaching facility, outfitted with a kitchen to drive any cook wild with envy, evolved out of her guests’ interest in the Rancho’s focus on healthful, organic cuisine.
“For years, I was besieged by guests who wanted to know how to make their food at home reflect all that they’ve learned at the ranch. Now that dream is complete!” The school regularly hosts celebrities of the cooking world, including Deborah Madison, Patricia Wells and Susan Trilling, and is the homebase for the Rancho’s Chef Jesus Gonzales.
Typically, the Rancho La Puerta program is a seven-day visit with activities designed by the guests, themselves. There is also a ‘Saturdays at the Ranch’ program that began in the summer of 2008, providing a one-day sneak peek. For more information, visit www.rancholapuerta.com or call in the US (877) 440-7778 or (858) 764-5500.
RANCHO LOS CHABACANOS
Rancho Los Chabacanos—Ranch of the Apricots. A rural treasure at kilometer 118 on the free road between Tecate and Mexicali, the Rancho has been profiled by National Geographic Traveler and was selected by National Geographic to be in its first Baja California map.
Although it is only 15 minutes from town, Rancho Los Chabacanos is a world apart. Described as an ‘eco-lodge hacienda’, the hotel is comprised of beautifully rustic casitas painted in rich umbers and decorated with traditional folk art and fabrics. The Casa Grande restaurant serves Mexican and international gourmet meals.
It is all about nature – about adventure and peace – according to owner Ines Gallardo Vigil, who has spent the last eight years focusing her attention on every detail of the sprawling property. The Rancho features traditional spa services, but many who come to this retreat come to enjoy the temazcal that looks like a small sweat lodge and utilizes the ancient tradition of steam for healing and purification. Also available are natural mud and herbal baths, and a swimming pool. The Ranch’s healing waters come from natural artesian wells that bless the property. Surrounded by hills, ancient oaks and apricot trees, the lodge looks up on Snake Mountain.
Ines notes that visitors often take the hike to the mountain, to view ancient cave paintings on its north-facing side. Relaxation, meditation, a chance to commune with nature: To learn more about the Rancho, visit www.rancholoschabacanos.com or email rancho_loschabacanos@hotmail.com, or from the U.S., call (619) 565-1183.
ASAO
What a discovery! Taking northern Baja by storm since 2007 is this high-end, elegant restaurant perched on top of a hill overlooking the town of Tecate. Just a few hundred yards from the border, Asao actually does offer van transportation for those parking on the U.S. side.
Gleaming stemware, crisp white linens and the warm ambience of stone and wood create a welcoming environment—one perfect for avant-garde cuisine that reflects traditional regional cooking. Asao’s culinary roots are in the foods of the Kumiai tribe. Anyone for portobello mushroom soup with duck? Mussels in mezcal? Shrimp tacos wrapped in banana leaves?
This beautiful restaurant, which will soon include a hotel, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For more information, in Mexico call (665) 654-4777.