Rest and rejuvenation during a mother-daughter wellness retreat in Mexico

I’m not sure that my teenage daughter and I are the target demographic for Rancho La Puerta.

Sure, we like beautiful places, good food and care about health and wellness.

But on first impression, this 4,000-acre mountain-rimmed fitness resort and spa in Tecate, Mexico, seems a little, er, extreme.

The casitas at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, are beautiful, but they don’t come with WiFi or TVs. Kristin Finan photo

I mean, there’s no TV or WiFi in our casita, and there’s an actual “cell phone sleeping bag” on the nightstand that encourages guests to “set some boundaries” and “find balance in your digital life.” In fact, mobile devices are not even allowed at meals or in public areas. And the teeny packets of granola offered as a snack have us clutching our airport-purchased bags of Sour Patch Kids and Peanut Butter M&Ms as if they were the family jewels.

I visited Rancho La Puerta in June as a “school’s out for summer” getaway with hopes of spending some precious one-on-one time with my oldest daughter, KoKo, who, at 15, was just over the resort’s minimum age limit of 14.

Despite the abrupt unplugging akin to a power outage, during our four-night all-inclusive stay we would soon settle into a natural groove that would provide countless memories and unforgettable moments that both of us now cherish.

Day 1

Yes, I made a frantic call to the front desk requesting a room with WiFi when I realized our casita didn’t have it. No, I’m not proud.

And yes, I was denied.

Although Rancho La Puerto is located in Mexico, it’s only an hour and a half from San Diego International Airport – most guests, including us, book flights into San Diego, then take the resort shuttle to the property. Passports are required but crossing the border, a process that was guided by resort staff, was seamless.

Once we arrived to the sprawling resort, which is considered one of the first true fitness resorts and spas in North America, in the late afternoon and got over our initial unplugged shock, we were delighted to discover a stunningly beautiful property punctuated by mountains, gardens, wildflowers and meadows.

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After attending a first-timer’s reception intended to offer the lay of the land at the resort, we made our way to the dining hall for dinner, where multiple vegetarian entrée options, along with soups, salads and desserts, are available each evening. Various vegan and gluten-free options are also offered with each meal. We were given the option of communal seating at a large table but opted to sit alone. Unplugging was bad enough. Conversing with strangers, too? Too soon.

Homemade tortillas are among the options during meals at Rancho La Puerta. Kristin Finan photo

Unsure of how to spend our first evening without the mindless comfort of TV and social media, we decided to go to one of the resort’s hot tubs. On the way back, we took a wrong turn and discovered the magical oasis that was Bazar Del Sol — a delightful, flower-filled wine bar and patio where the varietals were flavorful and the WiFi was strong.

Sure, you can take the girls out of the city but you can’t suddenly take the city out of the girls.

Day 2

When Rancho La Puerta says they offer a host of class options for guests, they mean it – at least five classes are offered each hour between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., ranging from circuit training and water polo to yoga and chakra health.

KoKo and I set a goal of attending five classes on our first full day at the resort. Her favorite was the mini-trampoline class, where we bounced, hopped and high-jumped our way through an hour-long, music-filled workout led by our sprightly instructor, Connie, who seemed to have the energy of a thousand golden retrievers.

A “cell phone sleeping bag” reminds visitors to unplug at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. Kristin Finan photo

When I told KoKo I wanted to try mediation, though, she was less interested.

“Remind me to take my AirPods,” she said. “What should I listen to?”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to listen to anything except your brain,” I countered.

We both ultimately enjoyed the mediation class, though, where we received these words of wisdom from our instructor: “The best way to get into alignment is to breathe.”

We ended the afternoon with sound healing, which seemed to be extremely popular, although I had never heard of it before. When we entered the room to find a group of women, many of whom had brought their own sleep masks, lying on the ground on comfy pillows and striped blankets, I knew that whatever this was, I liked it. Even more interesting was the fact that the class was led by Connie — the same energetic instructor who had boundless energy in our mini-trampoline class was now, essentially, putting a roomful of women to sleep.

I don’t know really what sound healing is. But I do know that I love it.

Day 3

By our second full day, we were fully in the groove, like two kids at summer camp.

We woke early to map out our classes, which on this day included hip-hop bodyrock, an absolutely brutal “booty blast” workout and a beginner’s tennis clinic.

Kristin Finan and KoKo Badgley-Finan during a tennis clinic at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. Kristin Finan photo

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There was only one other participant in our tennis clinic, and when she introduced herself as Nahre Sol, I immediately recognized her name from the resort’s weekly event program – she was a well-known pianist, composer, and YouTuber who was doing several lectures at the resort that week, including one that offered tips on how beginners should listen to classical music.

That was another thing that was really fun about being at the resort – it hosts several notable guests each week, and you’re likely to find yourself dining with them, hanging out poolside, or even playing tennis together.

In the afternoon, KoKo and I both got the resort’s signature classic massage, a 50-minute experience that was fully tailored to our preferences and included wellness aromatherapy oils. The world-class spa also offers other treatments, including facials, wraps, and body treatments.

After another fantastic dinner, which on this night featured an incredible lava cake for dessert, and following our brief WiFi indulgence at Bazar Del Sol – we agreed to limit our time there to 30 minutes each evening — we retired under the stars to our casita porch, where KoKo shared a sentiment that I absolutely agreed with: “I love it here, Mom.”

Day 4

By our third and last full day at the resort, KoKo and I decided we didn’t want to leave.   

We were so enthusiastic to be there, in fact, that we actually found ourselves sprinting to our first class of the day – beginner pickleball – because we didn’t want to miss a minute. We followed it up with a salsa class, where our instructor, Manuel, ensured that we checked our “brain box, fun box, and cardio box.”

We had left the afternoon open for an extra-special treat – a 3.5-hour cooking class at La Cocina Que Canta (“The Kitchen That Sings”), set in the heart of the resort’s six-acre working farm.

Guests can forage from a six-acre working farm during a cooking class at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. Kristin Finan photo

Our instructor was Chef Tamie Cook, a cookbook author, former culinary director of the show “Good Eats” on the Food Network, and personal chef who has worked with celebrities including Robert Downey Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Anne Hathaway.

“My life has been a really fun journey,” Cook told our class of nearly a dozen women.

Chef Tamie Cook leads a cooking class at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. Kristin Finan photo

We started the class by wandering the farm like characters in a live-action, healthy Willy Wonka movie, sampling and picking everything from fennel blossoms to use as garnish to mulberries to use as part of our dessert. Then, we headed inside, where we paired up to each complete a dish that would be part of our shared meal.

KoKo and I took on the summer zucchini soup while our classmates filled out the rest of the menu: roasted carrot hummus with crudité, mushroom piccata, sorghum thyme glazed carrots, heirloom tomato and peach farro with basil vinaigrette, summer veggie salad with citrus herb dressing, and “New South” ambrosia.

Once everything was ready, we all took a seat at the table for a delightful, lingering, and laughter-filled dinner to remember, complete with aprons and recipes to take home.

The communal table is set at a cooking class at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. Kristin Finan

Maybe KoKo and I weren’t the target demographic for the resort. And maybe unplugging had been a little tougher at first than we realized.

But even after just a few days, our outlooks had completely changed. We were embracing communal dinners, looking forward to late-night stargazing and reveling in activities like, yes, sound healing.

Rancho La Puerta taught us the true beauty of being wonderfully present, and that was a gift that KoKo and I couldn’t wait to bring home with us.