The city of Tecate in Mexico’s Nothern Baja region is thought of by most as a small border-city, good for a quick border crossing or a brief pit-stop at the famous Tecate brewing company. But, think again. I’ve just returned from a day long escape to a fairy tale land.
We met Hector by chance at an art event that he sponsored in Ensanada. He has lived and worked throughout Mexico, but Tecate is his home. When you first meet Hector, you are struck by his intensely hospitable nature, his pride for the Baja region, and his humble demeanour. When he talks about Tecate, you can feel his hometown pride. We were excited when Hector invited us to meet him in Tecate and experience the city through his eyes.
We drove from Ensanada to Tecate in the morning, through the rolling hills of the “Ruta del Vino” and over the “Tecate Divide” mountain range. It’s a beautiful drive by any standard. The wine route boasts magnificent views of vineyards and architecturally impressive vineyard hotels constructed along steep hills and around immense rocks. The mountains are rounded and smooth, populated by bright, white rock outcroppings that beg for a photoshoot. The drive itself was inspiring.
We parked in downtown Tecate, near the town square. Traffic was sparse, and people stopped for pedestrians and waved to each other. The roads surrounding the town square were blocked, saved for pedestrians only. People wandered around the square, enjoying the shade from the established, park-sized trees. We met Hector at his restaurant on one of the town square streets. He and his wife Elizabeth are the proprietors of El Inicio, a trendy lounge (cleverly coined an “urban lobby”), serving the best wine from the region. He greeted us promptly and toured us through his restaurant space, explaining that the name, El Inicio, means “the beginning”. It certainly was the beginning. He ushered us out to his car, gave us a brief synopsis of the day’s itinerary, and we set out.
Our first stop was for business. We had been looking for a manufacturer of injection mould electronics cases, and Tecate is home to Formula Plastics. Hector arranged a meeting with the owner of the company. Once we had met to discuss our business needs, we were toured through the manufacturing facility. It was impressive, not only because it felt like a real-life episode of “How It’s Made”, but also because the facility was built on the top of a mountain, and the company had decided to use the incline and the boulders within the architecture, rather than attempt to change the landscape. During the tour, Hector mentioned how involved Formula Plastics has been in Tecate’s community development. We learned about the company’s scholarship programs, school breakfast programs, and focus on hiring locally. As we departed for our next scheduled activity, we were already filled with good vibes.
The next stop was a short drive out of the city. We could see that we were driving toward a stunning, free-from-development mountain range. Hector explained that it was a nature preserve and development was prohibited. It was reserved for hiking only. He explained that we were headed to a ranch at the base of the mountain named “Rancho La Puerta”, which has been part of Tecate’s culture since the 1940’s. He talked briefly about the name of the ranch — “La Puerta” means “the door”, because the other side of the mountain range borders on the USA. He also explained that the ranch is a renowned wellness retreat that specializes in holistic living. We drove along a dirt road that would never be paved because of the nature preserve status. At the end of the road we turned into a driveway that was shaded by large trees and shrouded with the type of landscaping that is both wild and tame at the same time. We stopped in a parking lot, exited the car, and the scent of rosemary and lavender surrounded us.
The path to La Cocina Que Canta (the ranch’s sustainable garden kitchen and cooking school location) was fragrant and lush. As we approached the garden patio, I was reminded of botanical gardens that I visited as a child. Wooden tables were scattered throughout the yard, separated by flower and herb beds. We were greeted immediately by Denise, the executive chef of the ranch, and Maura, the events coordinator. We made introductions and were immediately offered seats to sample lunch dishes prepared with ingredients from the garden, which we would afterward tour. We sampled three dishes. Each dish was perfectly balanced; no flavour outweighed the fresh garden produce, and yet citrus, spice, salt and sugar were delicately entwined. It was the ultimate example of garden-to-table dining. You could taste the difference in the produce; it had been loved long before it had reached the kitchen; it had been grown from scratch.
With our palettes sufficiently inspired, we moved on to the garden tour component of our visit. We walked through the building, and observed the kitchen where the ranch offers intimate garden-to-table cooking lessons to ranch guests. We walked through the intricate, hand-crafted doors of the dining hall and emerged onto a patio of sunlight and fragrance. The whole produce garden spread impressively across the panorama with the mountain horizon behind. In that moment, we were taken. Greeted by the head gardener, Salvador, we began our garden tour.
Having sufficiently experienced the garden, both visually and gastronomically, we moved on to tour the guest areas of the ranch. It was almost difficult to take in anything after the magic of the garden, but the ranch was truly magnificent. It is the definition of a wellness retreat, but in a way that is fundamentally intuitive. Nothing about it seems forced. Each guest accommodation is secluded and each common building is spread at least one hundred meters from the last. The point is: you have to walk. You have to walk along the most astounding and sensuous garden paths if you want to go anywhere. It forces guests to move, to be outside in the perfect weather, to enjoy the striking outdoors. It forces guests to bathe in nature. Hallelujah. There are up to 9 scheduled activities per day available for each guest. All of the activities surround wellness: learning fitness routines, hiking, gardening, being outside, learning holistic cooking, experiencing holistic physical therapy, receiving treatment, learning yoga and mediation, learning to spend time alone. The most impressive part is that Wifi is almost nonexistent and cellphones are banned from public areas. They call it “digital noise free”. And it’s true; as I walked around the ranch I was almost terrified by the peace and the stillness. It was immaculate. We left the ranch with something new, a feeling, like being calm and ecstatic at the same time.
With full hearts, we proceeded to our next activity — an “Art&Wine” event at Hector’s restaurant, El Inicio. I was excited because I love painting, and I also love exploring new wine. As we arrived, it was a flurry with activity. There were canvasses throughout the restaurant, artists on microphones, paint palettes being poured, and people tasting wine. Elizabeth carefully organized every participant, and we were off. Brushes up, and the painting commenced. I was so pleased to finally taste some Baja wine, while doing something that I love as much as painting. It was made even better because Tecate is filled with friendly, interesting people who have a story and want to interact. At the end of the perfect day, we sipped, painted, and made friends. Later I concluded: Tecate is the ultimate community.