Turning 50 Series – Celebrating at Rancho La Puerta

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Three miles over the Mexican border in Tecate, a short distance from San Diego, is a spa and fitness center called Rancho La Puerta. I thought that this would be the perfect spot to celebrate my birthday with my BFF Anne-Marie.

In the location where the spa opened, two oak trees grew towards each other and formed an arch. This became the symbol for Rancho La Puerta which literally means “ranch of the door”. The Ranch is family owned and was founded by Edmond and Deborah Szekely in 1940. Deborah was just 17 years old when she married 34 year old Edmond, who already had a reputation as a health guru.

This month, Deborah turned 90 and the Ranch organized a huge celebration in her honor. From its modest start with guests sleeping in tents and classes conducted outside to luxurious accommodations and state-of-the-art fitness buildings, Rancho La Puerta received the 2011 Top Spa in Mexico award through SpaFinder.

Here is a short video about Rancho La Puerta and my experience there:

As I expected, the Ranch provided a remarkable spa experience and provided the most magnificent environment in which to celebrate my milestone birthday.  I thank Rancho La Puerta for inviting me. Visit their website to find out more about Rancho La Puerta and take a look at their weekly events calendar to get an idea of the bounties awaiting you as you enter this truly enchanted place.