Valle de Guadalupe: A Weekend Away in Mexico's Wine Country
Last weekend, my friends and I headed to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s Wine Country, for our best friend’s Bachelorette Party. I can see Valle before Vows becoming a popular destination for Southern California brides in the coming years!
This was my first time visiting, but many of my friends on the trip had traveled to Valle previously for day trips to visit the incredible wineries on the other side of the border. Here’s everything you need to know for a Bachelorette Weekend Away in Mexico's Wine Country, Valle de Guadalupe.
Getting to Valle de Guadalupe
I’ve used the CBX border crossing to fly out of the Tijuana Airport in the past, but this was my first time walking over the border. We parked in a lot near the Jack in the Box in San Ysidro, but I would recommend Ubering in the future. We spent over $100 to park, and the lot we chose was cash only.
After parking, we walked towards the San Ysidro Port of Entry and headed to Mexico. We showed our passports to a guard, and he asked for our final destination. Then our bags went through a metal detector, and we continued on to meet our driver on the other side.
We had an incredible experience with our driver through Baja Wine & Dine. He drove us to and from the border and to all of the wineries and the club on Friday. I know people drive themselves over the border to Valle, but if you plan on drinking as much wine as we did, skip the hassle and hire a driver.
On our way to the AirBnB, we stopped at Los Portales de Garcia for Happy Hour. It’s one of the coolest restaurants I’ve been to, and worth a stop. I consider myself a Quesadilla aficionado and ate one of the best quesadillas of my life here.
Where to Stay
We stayed in an unbelievable AirBnB compound that sleeps 16 people. Surrounding the two pools sits 8 Casitas, each with a private king bed and bathroom.
The main area features a large living room and kitchen, perfect for hanging out during a Bachelorette party. If you’re coming to Valle with a large group, this is the perfect place to stay.
If you’re looking for an incredible chef to come in, we used Alex Vargas. He and his team whipped up two delicious dinners (a taco bar and a sit-down nicer dinner) plus a delicious breakfast one morning. Adding his number here if you want the best pancakes and risotto of your life: +52 664 130 7575. This takes the hassle out of grocery shopping, lugging food across the border, and, of course, cooking the group's meals.
Where to Eat and Drink
Unlike wine tasting in other areas, the wineries in Valle are spread out and difficult to find. It’s important to plan your day in advance instead of winging it once you’re in the area.
To capitalize on our driver, we saved all of our wine-tasting adventures for our second day in Valle. Here’s everyone we stopped on our Valle before Vows tour:
Relieve Vinícola- We started off the day with a tasting at Relieve. This place has stunning views of the vineyards and large tables for big parties.
Salvia Blanca Cocina Campestre- Maybe it was a couple of glasses of rose I had at the first winery, but Salvia had some of the best wood-fired pizza I’ve ever eaten. We sat at their big table outside and ordered a mix of wine, margaritas, and their take on an espresso martini.
Casa Frida- Day or night, this is the most happening spot in Valle. After visiting a couple of wineries, we stopped in for a Tequila tasting (they offer Mezcal too). Then, later that night, we came back and got a table for a more traditional clubbing evening. The DJ here was next level… I’d like to hire him for my wedding.
Elena Cocina Casual- We came here for dinner before our night out at Casa Frida. To be honest, after pizza and wine all day, I didn’t have the biggest appetite. I tried to order a Quesadilla (what can I say? I’m a simple gal who also watches what she eats in Mexico), but they denied this order, so I settled for fried fish tacos instead. This place appears to turn up at night, too, so you could do a late dinner that leads into dancing.
Heading Home
After a long weekend of visiting the wineries and dancing at Casa Frida, sleeping in or grabbing brunch can be tempting before heading home.
My advice: Get on the road early to beat the line at the border.
We left our Airbnb before 8 a.m., ahead of our hour-and-a-half drive. Once we got to the border, we waited in line to cross back to the United States for a little over an hour. I imagine getting there earlier would reduce the wait because the line continued to grow as we waited.
One thing’s for sure: walking over the border certainly is quicker than driving over it.