Hiking at Rancho La Puerta in Baja California

Trails Vary from Easy to Difficult at this Luxury Destination Spa

Jan 30, 2009

Guests at Rancho La Puerta destination spa can choose from eight different daily guided hikes up sacred Mt. Kuchumaa, along the river basin and to the organic farm.

Rancho La Puerta destination spa in Tecate, Baja California, about an hour's drive across the border from San Diego National Airport, lures week-long guests not only for its stellar gourmet cuisine, array of fitness classes and pampering spa treatments, but for its solid hiking program.

At the weekly Ranch orientation (held Saturday afternoon when guests arrive), a staff member outlines the difficulty (or ease) of each trail. All "mountain hikes" require lugged-tread soles, whereas some of the moderate "nature hikes" are fine to do with tennis shoes.

Different hikes are offered each morning of the week; they leave at 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. (Some days afternoon hikes are offered in the cooler months.) Guests can meet up with friendly, knowledgeable staff members for guided hikes up and around sacred Mt. Kuchumma or along the river basin, depending on their activity level or whether they prefer a challenging trek or easy stroll. After the hike, staffers lead guests in a five-minute stretch.

What's nice is that each guest can go at his or her pace. Typically one staff member leads the way, another is in the middle of the pack, and the third is the "shepherd" who walks alongside the slowest guest hiker. All carry radios for constant contact; these are key if there is an emergency situation

Rising early -- before sunrise in the winter months -- for a morning hike is an invigorating way to start one's day. Enjoy fresh air, some lovely desert landscape scenery, and get some exercise "out of the way" before breakfast is even served!

Here is a rundown of just a few of the various hikes offered, from easiest to most difficult:

Woodlands Hike

This is a very easy stroll that meanders through the river basin among oak trees (check out the look of the acorns -- they are long and skinny, not short and fat, like your typical oak tree). This is for guests who want to pace themselves for a day of more cardio exercise.

Garden Breakfast Hike

This is a must-do for all Ranch guests! It's a two-mile hike over rolling hill so the Tres Estrellas organic vegetable farm. Guests fuel up with a plentiful breakfast buffet, and then take a tour of the gardens with the resident horticulturist who is so passionate about organic farming. Guests then walk the two miles back to the Ranch.

Professor's Trail

This is a mountain hike that covers 3.3 miles with a 700-foot elevation gain. It is similar to the other mountain hike, Pilgrim Trail, which covers some of the same terrain and same elevation gain.

Seven-Mile Mountain Breakfast Hike

Here, guests hike in about 3.5 miles, stop and eat the provided bag breakfast they're carrying in their day pack (including boiled eggs and bread, decidedly not as lavish as the offerings on the Garden Breakfast Hike), and then return about 3.5 miles. Guests must have already done a 2- to 3.5-mile mountain hike as a pre-requisite for this hike.

The copyright of the article Hiking at Rancho La Puerta in Baja California in Hiking & Trails is owned by Kara Williams. Permission to republish Hiking at Rancho La Puerta in Baja California in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.