Valle de Guadalupe

If you haven’t been to Valle de Guadalupe, honestly, I don’t know what you’re waiting for! It’s one of my all time favorite places to go for a quick weekend with my boyfriend or friends. The food is just amazing, the wine and drinks are spectacular, and the people who live and work there are so hospitable, they make you feel right at home and like a part of the family!

I live in San Diego so for me it’s just quick drive down and I’ve been going for the past few years. I decided to write this today because I have so many friends who always asks me for tips and my favorite places down there, so here it goes..

Driving Down

I live in San Diego, so for me it’s just a quick drive down. Two main things you will need, YOUR PASSPORT (or green card) and CASH. It’s always good to have cash with you in case of emergencies. On my drive down, before I cross the border, I usually stop to change my Dollars to Pesos. I think it’s better to pay in pesos, you get more “bang for the buck” if you know what I mean. But most places do accept dollars and credit cards.

Anyway, I usually exchange money at Baja-Mex Insurance Services, the address is 4575 Camino De La Plaza, San Ysidro, CA 92173. They are open 24 hours, their rates are pretty good, its super convenient because it’s right there in San Ysidro next to the border and they have drive thru so you don’t even need to get out of the car! They also offer insurance, you can get a quote on their website https://www.baja-mex.com/ . Different prices depending on the value of your vehicle and days you will be down there.

Driving – This can be a little scary in the Tijuana area because there are so many cars, people walking on the streets, GPS is kind of confusing and latinos drive a little crazy (I should know, I am one!). But, as soon as you hit the Mexican Federal HWY 1D, you can just relax and enjoy the view. PLEASE, drive on the right side and leave the left lane for passing only.

Valle Guadalupe is about a 90 minute drive from the San Ysidro border, on the way down feel free to stop in Rosarito for breakfast or check out a Brewery (Sin Fronteras is my favorite). But keep in mind most wineries open at 11am-12pm and close 4-5pm. Also, some Saturdays they will have a bicycle event on the way there, where there will be hundreds of people riding their bicycles up tight roads and curves. This usually causes a lot of traffic.

Once you get close to the Valle you will start to see signs with the names of the wineries. This is when you know you have arrived! Here’s a cute map I found online, but you can get a map for free at almost any winery.

I definitely recommend making a little list of the wineries you are looking to visit as some are 20-30 minutes drive from one another and it’s good to map out your route so you’re not driving back and forth. Also, the main road is paved but all the other roads to get to the wineries are dirt and if it rains it can get pretty ugly so I would recommend going with an SUV or Truck.

Wine

Valle de Guadalupe has over 100 wineries and every time I go down there, there are new ones being built. This place has grown so much in the last few years and continues to grow every day. All the wineries are different from one another and unique in their own way. There are a few more commercial wineries that have their own stores that sell T-Shirts and souvenirs to the more intimate smaller ones where you will sit down and have a glass of wine with the owners.

Most wineries at the Valle usually open Thursday – Sunday from 11am to 5pm, with the exception of a few restaurants and bars that stay open until later.

Here’s a list of my favorite wineries –

Bar Bura Cuatro Cuatros – I highly recommend this place to watch the sunset. The view is just breathtaking. Make reservation prior to going, if it’s a weekend you will not be seated unless you have one. It has gotten super popular over the years. It’s kind of pricey but totally worth it. When you arrive you park and walk over to the host where you pay, I believe now it’s $8, for a van to take you up to the bar. When you get there, ask for Jesus, he is my favorite waiter there super sweet and speaks english. When they have food, sometimes they run out, it’s really good. The drinks are great as well. I recommend the sangria. Also, don’t forget to use their bathroom! You will know why I said that when you do. They close at 9pm, but no problem, before heading out check out their bar inside the boat. It’s pretty cool, but be careful with the “worm salt”.. I didn’t like that at all haha. I’ve been to Cuatro Cuatros so many times I had to narrow down some photos but here they are…

Casa Frida – This is usually my first stop when I come to the Valle because it’s one of the first ones you will see. I go here mainly for their ceviche, its to die for. The restaurant is located outside down the hill and Edgar is really nice, if he’s there ask him to take care of your table. The winery itself is really pretty and perfect for those instagram photos. The inside where they do the wine tasting is really nice, the decoration is very authentic. Once again, check out their bathroom! If you do a wine tasting they will give you the glass to take home which is nice. Upstairs they have a bar, depending on the day you will need a reservation. They have live DJ sometimes and the drinks are delish. The bar upstairs is open until later if you’re staying in the valley and looking for something to do at night time, this would be a good choice.

Vincola 3 Mujeres, Cavas Sol y Barro, and Vinas de Garza – I recommend visiting these there at the same time. They’re right next to each other!

• Vincola 3 Mujeres – I absolutely love this winery, it’s small and intimate. The wines are really good and the people who work here are so nice.
• Cavas Sol y Barro – I really hope Daniel is here when you come, he is great! He always gives us the best customer service and really knows his wine.
• Vinas de Garza – A little bigger then the other two, but still worth going for a glass of wine. I mean, you are right there!

ATP Vinos y Familia – The name says it all, you really do feel like a party of the family here. Nena Torres was so welcoming and really sweet. We did a wine tasting here, she gave us bread and cheese on the house and we seriously left missing her.

Vinos Pijoan – Probably one of my favorite wines in the Valle is the Convertible Rojo. The service here is amazing as well, they will show you around the property if you ask, and you should! It’s really cool.

Clos de Tres Cantos – The architecture here is insane. It’s not something you see every day, a winery with pyramids. The wine is really really good, every time I go I do the wine tasting.

Agua de Vid – I don’t consider this a winery and I rarely drink wine here, but I do recommend the upstairs bar. Sometimes they do charge a cover depending on the DJ that’s playing. One of my favorite drinks ever is from here, I’m not sure what it is called but it’s a sangria with mint. The pizza here is really good too, I tried other foods but the pizza was the best. I also love the architecture, another great place for pictures.

I haven’t been to all the wineries, but I’ve been to quite a few at the Valle. Every time i go down there I try to go to new ones and I will be sure to always update them on here for you. I will share some photos of a few more that I’ve been, but there are some that I didn’t take any photos because I was busy having such a good time. For example, Don Tomas was a nice one I did a wine tasting there and I really enjoyed myself. Another one was Encuentro Guadalupe, the wine and food here is spectacular, I highly recommend it. Summer time I have to say it gets a little hot with no AC. Most places in the Valle don’t have AC, I prefer going when it’s not 100 degrees.

Dine

A girls gotta eat, am I right? Specially if you’re planning on tasting all the wonderful wines and drinks the Valle has to offer. Besides eating appetizers and little snacks in the wineries, here are a few places in Valle de Guadalupe I like to stop for a meal meal.

Saved the best for last, La Cocina de Doña Esthela – This place is known as one of the worlds best breakfast, no joke. It’s so good! This place is really famous so get ready to wait a long time to be seated, specially if it’s a weekend. It’s different from any other restaurant I’ve been to, specially since she made her house into the restaurant. The food feels like my grandma cooked it and the prices can’t be beat. I highly recommend this place, but if you don’t want to wait hours, yes I said hours, go during the week. I promise it’s worth it.

Sleep

I highly recommend sleeping here if you’re going to be drinking. Even if you’re not going to drink, it will be really tiring to return home the same day. I usually sleep in Ensenada, or San Miguel area is great too. You can find cheap Airbnbs in that area, its safe and about 10-15 minutes drive to the Valle. I wouldn’t recommend staying in Rosarito and driving every day because it will be an hour or so each way. You can also find hotels and Airbnbs in the Valle. Once my friend and I stayed in a trailer there, we felt super safe and it was kinda fun.

Getting back to San Diego

Always the sad part, but a quick tip, if you can avoid coming back on a Sunday, I would! I’ve waited in line for over 7 hours on the regular lane on a Sunday before. Also, if you have a card, such as passport card or green card, and not paper you can take the Ready Lane. It’s usually faster but a little hard to find, just put “Ready Lane” on google maps and it will be easier. You can also check border wait times online for any international border, here’s the link for San Ysidro https://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/mobile.asp?action=n&pn=2504 . If you live more inland I recommend crossing the Otay border, it’s a lot less crowded.

Hope all this information was helpful! If there’s any comments I forgot to add or if you have any questions just leave me a comment below. Thanks for reading!

Fun and safe travels!