It’s been a while! However, it’s a new year and I have new goals to continue to share our travel experiences with you. Our latest adventure was a kid-free trip to Valle de Guadalupe, the destination has recently grown popularity for being an attractive wine destination and has brought on Michelin star chefs for ultimate dining experiences that will blow your mind.
We celebrated our wedding anniversary and figured the Valle would be a perfect trip to unwind, relax and enjoy wine in a serene environment- and it completely lived up to its expectations.
Where to stay
We stayed at El Cielo, which is probably the most “Americanized” hotel in the valle and might just be the only resort. Most of the hotels in the area are unique boutiques hotels that have a ton of character but we were attracted to El Cielo for the close proximity to the things on our agenda.
El Cielo is made up of several “casitas” which then house a few suites. The junior suites are located on the upper level and the master suites are found on the ground floor, with access to an outdoor fire pit. The property was gorgeous and they had complimentary transportation vans available to shuttle you to dinner and the winery on property.
If you’re looking for a “traditional” resort experience, El Cielo should be your pick, however if you are looking to experience something more unique, here’s some other options to look into- which we will definitely be doing on our next trip!
- Cuatro Cuatros- known for their expansive views
- Hotel Burbuja- a hotel made of many “bubbles” in the mountains
- Bruma- another popular boutique filled with amazing architecture
Where to dine
Culinary has become a huge part of Mexico’s wine country. With chefs from all over the world opening up restaurants in the Valle, it’s the perfect destination for foodies to indulge in amazing cuisine. Many of the restaurants offer coursed meals, allowing you to try small portions of many of their menu items to get a full experience of the chef’s specialities. We met a couple at one of our dinners who were enjoying a 15 course meal- yes FIFTEEN courses!
Another unique feature to the culinary scene is that many of these restaurants offer an open-concept outdoor kitchen. This is made possible due to the Valle’s dry climate and makes for such an amazing experience to see chefs cooking up 5 star meals in the middle of the mountains.
Note that most restaurants in the Valle require reservations in advance. We booked reservations on Open Table.
Deckman’s
Drew Deckman is the star behind Deckman’s. He’s a Michelin star chef and has restaurants in Germany and Berlin as well. Deckman’s in Ensenada was an extraordinary experience. We ordered the ribeye for two, along with some appetizers and everything was delicious.
Fauna
Another popular restaurant in the Valle is Fauna. Located at the Bruma hotel- Fauna has an extensive menu and delivers colorful food presentations. The food did not disappoint. I especially loved the family-style dining experience which sat parties together on large tables than run from the interior of the restaurant through the outside.
Wineries to experience
There are so many wineries in the Valle and depending on what you are looking for, you are sure to find something that you fall in love with. It’s also important to mention that just because a winery is bigger and more commercialized, that does not mean they are the best. There’s a lot of smaller family-run winers in the Valle that serve up some delicious wine.
When planning your visit, check schedules and gain check for reservations.
We only visited a few and here are our experiences at each.
Cuatro Cuatros: Good wine, amazing views and a really delicious cheese board. The winery on the bottom of the hill had a really cool aesthetic with an outdoor bar, fire pits and friendly staff. If you want to come for the views, you need to make a reservation for the restaurant at the top of the hill.
El Cielo: We took part in their wine tasting experience and had the opportunity to try 4 house wines, paired with chocolate, inside their amazing cellar. The cellar really is impressive and beautifully made. We had a hostess who would serve us each wine one by one and tell us which chocolate to eat with each one. We learned so much about wine, pairings and the proper way to try wine to oxidize it before drinking. A very cool experience. El Cielo is on the pricier side and I would say the wine tasting experience is worth it but skip out on enjoying the afternoon there.
Norte 32: My cousin introduced us to the owner at Norte 32 and he was the kindest gentleman who makes the most delicious wine. Hands down, this winery had the best tasting wine out of all of them. We also had a really amazing experience where we got to taste the wine right out of the barrel.
Other things to do
The Valle de Guadalupe is located in Ensenada, Baja California. If time allows, I highly recommend visiting the town in Ensenada as it is equally as gorgeous but a complete change in scenery. Just 30ish minutes from the Valle you’ll find the most gorgeous coast and lots of delicious food, coffee shops, places to shop and so much more.
Other local points of interest include:
- Rosarito
- Puerto Nuevo
