In the wellness space, it’s always about the next new thing, but Rancho La Puerta proves that longevity isn’t a trend.
This health and fitness retreat in the foothills of Baja California, Mexico, helped pioneer the modern wellness movement. What began in 1940 as an experiment is now a world-renowned wellness resort committed to holistic health, fitness, and organic farming. When it opened, guests paid $17.50 a week and helped with daily chores, lectures, and vegetarian meals. The Ranch was ahead of the times with organic gardens and composting systems and has always advocated for a reverence for the land.
Rancho La Puerta celebrates its 85th anniversary this year, and co-founder Deborah Szekely is now 103 years old and often referred to as the “Godmother of the wellness movement.” Still family-run and operated, The Ranch has evolved since 1940, but it keeps its founding principles at its heart: vitality, sustainability, and human connection.
Only an hour drive from San Diego, just over the border in Tecate, Mexico, Rancho La Puerta has attracted luminaries and wellness seekers since its early days—including Burt Lancaster, Aldous Huxley, Sophia Loren, and, more recently, Jane Fonda and Kate Winslet.
But this isn’t some fancy spa for the elite; it’s more like a grown-up summer camp. Every day, you can pick and choose from more than 50 fitness and wellness classes, including HIIT, aerial yoga, aqua board, and cardio drumming. There are also 40 miles of guided hikes every morning, from moderate to more challenging, such as an eight-mile trek up Mount Kuchumaa to the U.S.–Mexico border. And just like at camp, guests return every year—more than 60 percent are repeat visitors. One guest has visited for more than 100 weeks total.
The centenarian founder, Szekely, embodies Rancho La Puerta’s long-lasting power; she still takes daily walks around the property and speaks to guests. The Ranch has always tried to make fitness and health fun, she says, and they’ve always sought to evolve and try new things, too.
“Many years ago, my husband—the Professor—thought we could improve upon traditional mud baths by adding movement. He built a bathtub on rollers, and the first time it got used by a guest, the man disappeared under the mud and came out gasping for air. That was the end of that! It was certainly one of the wildest fitness trends we ever attempted,” she says.
There’s no doubt that Mount Kuchumaa and the Mexican people who call the area home also have added to the magic over the years. “[Mount Kuchumaa] is a sacred place for the Kumeyaay people, and its spirit continues to shape who we are and who we’re becoming,” says Szekely. “I also tell our guests that the people of Mexico love to smile, and they embrace our motto of ‘siempre mejor’—always better.”
What’s her secret for aging so well and living past 100? Always have younger friends, and simply be happy, she tells us. “Find happiness and satisfaction in everything you do. It also helps to have lots of happy friends who also enjoy their lives.”
Bring those happy friends—or meet them—at The Ranch.
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