Cuatrocuatros

At One with Nature: Cuatrocuatros Retreat in Ensenada's Wine Region

by Carla White - Baja.com

If you have ever had the chance to visit Hugo D'Acosta's vineyards in the remote foothills of the Pyrenees Orientales in France (close to the Spanish border), you begin to understand the concept of ocean breezes, rocky hillsides and verdant grape vines. And it starts to make sense that, hundreds of feet above the Pacific Ocean in the wine region of Mexico, draped across 144 acres of rugged hillsides and dipping into peaceful vales and canyons, is a place called Cuatrocuatros to which guests can retreat and be one with nature.

Here, some 40 acres of vines laden with grapes flourish. And here, too, away from the hustle and hurry of cities and traffic, visitors can celebrate gastronomy with gourmet food (in a Bohemian canvas-covered, five-star restaurant), regional wines, and in the company of hawks, hummingbirds, pelicans, and even Bura deer (which are endangered and protected in this region). Olive trees and scrub oaks dot the acreage of Cuatrocuatros, and even as guests explore the property - which is at once a farm, a ranch and an epic environmental eco-retreat - the day-to-day activities of ranch-hands and innkeepers go on quietly around them. It is a harmonious symphony of people integrating seamlessly into their surroundings.

Luxury cabañas - wood, steel and cotton tents on raised platforms - are flanked with comfy lounge chairs; their interiors are elegantly designed and include everything that would be found in a boutique hotel: mini-bars, fireplaces, plush beds, and joyously light and luxe bathrooms, some of which even have small zen-ish garden patios.

Unifying people with the ocean and earth is what drives Cuatrocuatros. Conceptualized and built by Mexican architects, craftspeople and workers, it is a unique destination perfectly located near Ensenada's Valle de Guadalupe wine region and close to other activities for which the area is known: hiking, kayaking, boating, sport-fishing, golfing and more. On the other hand, why leave this hidden place, where wines crafted by highly talented wine-makers and enologists are available at your desire; foods created with organic herbs and produce and utilizing the freshest seafood and most select meats are served at your command, and where you can spend hours and days enjoying the bounty of nature that encompasses you?

How to get there: Cuatrocuatros is located in El Tigre village, in Ensenada municipality, Baja California State. 13 kilometers from the city of Ensenada; 130 kilometers from San Diego, 113 kilometers from Tijuana and 30 kilometers from Valle de Guadalupe. Cuatrocuatros is a few miles east of El Sauzal (the fishing village to the north of Ensenada), in El Tigre, at km. 89 off the Tijuana-Ensenada free road. It is a short journey from Ensenada by taxi, shuttle, or car. There are also landing strips in the area for helicopters or private planes.

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