Tijuana + Guadalupe, Mexico (Mexican Wine Country)
3 Day Trip To Guadalupe, Mexico Guide
Where to eat, drink and stay in 3 nights in Mexi-cali and the Mexican Wine Valley.
Getting To Guadalupe, Mexico from U.S. (via Tijuana):
We flew into LAX and spent a few nights there then flew out of San Diego. San Diego is much closer but LA is doable, just plan a few more hours of drive time. Speaking of driving, you’ll need to rent a car to get across the border and depending on your car rental company you’ll need to provide extra proof of insurance and possibly additional fees. If you’re just staying in TJ you can park on the U.S. side and walk across for free. Or if you’re driving like us, be prepared to wait in long lines through border control. There is an App you can download to check wait times but it’s generally best to avoid morning and evening hours when commuters are coming/going from SD.
If you’re going straight to Guadalupe, it’s about a 90 minute drive once you cross into Mexico. There’s only one main road that gets you there and it’s a gorgeous ride along the Pacific coastline so highly recommend to drive during daylight to soak in the views. Plus the roads are unpaved and not well lit once you get into the valley. We learned that the hard way and had to pull over at a hole in the wall restaurant and ask some locals for directions (since we had ZERO reception). Turns out it was the mayor who we spoke to of all people.
Stay: Noon Sunset Hill Echo Park LA
Before heading south of the border, we spent a couple days visiting a handful of friends who live in Los Angeles. I lived there for a summer in high school but did not leave the campus of the summer program I was attending so was excited to head back to the City of Angels as an adult. You normally stereotype LA with traffic, celebrities and sprawling suburbs (which is all true) but there’s a growing indy scene in the area of Echo Park and Silver Lake where we stayed (sometimes called the Brooklyn of LA). Nestled just northwest of downtown it’s a very residential area with lots of hip shops and restaurants.
We booked The Noon Sunset Hill, a micro-hotel that felt more like an Airbnb since it was a huge house with nine bedrooms but we didn’t see anyone else during our stay and had the 3 story house to ourselves! We had a room on the top level with views of the city (except it was raining most of the time we were there so couldn’t take advantage of the decks. There was free on-site parking and it was close to all the action but still tucked away and quiet. Keep in mind it’s right next to Dodgers Stadium so if you go during baseball season you should check the schedule ahead of time.
DO: LA
Besides visiting friends, we squeezed in a few touristy things too that weren’t your typical LA stops. Sure, we stopped by the Hollywood walk of fame so I could see Lin Manuel-Miranda’s new star, but we stayed away from other traps.
Reagan Presidential Museum - since you’ll presumably have a car when in Los Angeles, the ranch/estate in Simi Valley is worth the hike. One of the few museums with an original Air Force One (which you can go inside) and a piece of the Berlin Wall. Regan was president when I was born so fitting we pay his library a visit.
The Broad - a new-ish contemporary art museum in downtown LA - a collection of all the best modern artists in a beautiful building. The architecture itself is art! Get tickets ahead of time to avoid waiting in line (although walk-up time slots are available too). Pro tip: eat/drink at Grand Central Market a couple blocks away before/after and take the Angles Flight Railway up the hill.
Stay: One Bunk Tijuana
Since we had a long drive from LA and volunteered with World Central Kitchen the next morning for migrants on the border we spent the night on the border. I hadn’t been since a kid and didn’t know what to expect, but there was no reason to feel unsafe except for crossing over to the wrong side of the main street of downtown, especially at night.
One Bunk was the perfect place to crash and worth the pit stop in itself - perfect location and great service and amenities. Plus the decor was on point - just be prepared for city sounds since you’re in the heart of the city (which doesn’t bother us being from DC). Oh, and did I mention this place is not only super chic, it’s cheap! They have a website but book the micro-hotel via Airbnb (they have a couple of rentals on the U.S. side of the border in SD too).
Stay: Lumi Guadalupe
The trip to Guadalupe was inspired by the second spot we stayed (see below) but Lumi unexpectedly ended up being our favorite. A handful of shipping containers turned into hotel rooms each with its own rooftop terrace where the owners (a young Finish/Spanish couple) deliver fresh breakfast, coffee and tea in the morning.
We arrived after dark and the owner was nice enough to drive into town to come to meet us since it was a bit off the beaten path. There is an outdoor hot tub attached to a sauna (inside a shipping container) complete with tap your own homemade draft beer which we fully took advantage of after a looong day of volunteering and driving.
The modern, Scandinavian decor was a nice contrast to the earthy Mexican wine country. And the property is on a working farm complete with animals! Minimalist Mexico 100%. Did I mention there were bathrobes and a rainshower shower with a one-way window with views of the valley? I mean…
Stay: Campera
The spot that inspired this whole trip to begin with? The Wine Bubble (aka Campera). I saw it years ago and have been dying to go ever since. Basically you sleep under the stars on a winery in a blow-up bubble. We opted for the bedroom only (no en-suite bathroom) but the shared shower and restroom were just a few steps from unzipping yourself out of the temperature-controlled bubble. Each has its own fridge and coffee maker so you can store snacks (and Mexican wine of course) and there are curtains on the beds in case you’re worried about privacy although the “rooms” are separated by walls of haystacks. (each with its own private sitting area to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sunset). It’s glamping at its best.
Eat + Drink Guadalupe, Mexico
Last but not least, where to eat and drink in Guadalupe. You seriously can’t go wrong with food and with 200+ vineyards, you won’t have any shortage of wine to drink. My good friend who loves to travel and has been there several times sent me a spreadsheet of her favorites and will recap some of the places we loved below.
Encuento - my favorite, although they didn’t produce their own wines, the gorgeous tasting room in a modern building is nestled in the hillside with a restaurant (and hotel).
Casa Frida - Mexican food cooked on an outdoor open grill with a lively outdoor environment + tasting room (and Airbnb).
Venca Cava - meaning “veins of the grape” this winery closest to Lumi we went here the first day. An underground tasting room with facade made out an old boat. There’s an outdoor bar and food trucks overlooking the lake too. There’s a resort and restaurant up the hill you can walk to. We peeked in and were going to have Sunday brunch but it was booked. Worth checking out the property though.
Deckman’s - ate here on our last night for the grande finale as it’s one of the “fancy” restaurants in the area. Must reserve in advance and they book up! (not pictured).
