If you are looking for something fun and truly different to do in the Southwest, take a look at Ranchos Los Baños and Tierra Chamahua Eco Adventures. Located in Sonora, Mexico, just 60 miles south of the Arizona border, this ranch caters to individuals seeking adventures in the wilderness while respecting Nature. Rancho Los Baños is a 30,000 acre privately owned nature preserve and working cattle ranch located at the foot of the Sierra Madre. Here you can experience vast mountain vistas as well as narrow sandstone box canyons, rich riparian areas as well as the beauty of the Sonoran-Chihauhaun Desert. The ranch is miles away from humanity and miles away from the ordinary.
Two things make Rancho Los Baños truly unique — the accommodations and the eco tours!
No more than 8 – 12 guests at a time are allowed at the ranch (although it can accommodate slightly larger groups if necessary), which means you get first class service and personal attention to every detail, including fantastic gourmet meals.
Three levels of accommodations to fit any budget:
Level 1: Cabañas El Fernando and Camping Tents are available. The cabañas and tents are rudimentary bunkhouses where you must bring your own food, although kitchen supplies and a refrigerator are supplied.
Level 2: Cabaña de Los Peñascos is a rustic lodge in the Mexican western tradition that includes wood stove. This accommodation is near and dear to the hearts of the present owners because it used to be the home their grandmother. The lodge has been maintained as she decorated it and is filled with many beautiful antiques.
Level 3: The El Cumaral Lodge is a completely modern facility with solar power, heat, air conditioning, television and all the amenities (although according to the owners, the TV just does get turned on because there is so much to see and do). This very modern lodge has views right out of the Old West. Situated on a hill you overlook rock formations and canyon and the vista that go on forever.
Fantastic gourmet dining:
Level 2 and Level 3 guest accommodations include three meals a day, prepared from scratch on a Mesquite fired stove, using all organic materials. Menu tends to be slanted toward Mexican faire, but the resort will cater to guest preferences.
Outstanding eco tours:
Once you arrive at the ranch, the fun really begins! Your personalized adventure itinerary (set up prior to your arrival both by you and an adventure consultant) will cater to you, which means you have the freedom to choose what adventures or activities you want to enjoy. Your choices include hiking, trekking, canoeing and kayaking on the river when water levels permit, tours of nearby Lake Angostura, birding, jeep tours, mountain biking, challenging horseback rides, camping, stargazing and wildlife safaris, all while respecting the wonder and majesty of Nature.
According to Manuel, the Director of Operations for Ranchos Los Baños, “There are 20 box canyons on the property to explore. You could do one tour a day for three weeks and still not be done with all the hiking tours. On those tours you can explore cave systems, see petroglyphs and enjoy the ecology and geology of these hidden canyons. El Cajon Canyon on the property is home to 2,000-year-old petroglyphs hidden deep in a cave, as well as some of the most stunning canyon scenery you can imagine. The jeep tours cover over 80 miles of rugged roads which allows you to see all the scenery of the ranch property and are also popular with our bird watching guests,” says Manuel. “Mountain biking is a real challenge on the same roads because there are plenty of ups and downs and, of course, fantastic scenery. Lake Angostura is pristine — it is rare to find anyone, let alone another boat, on the lake,” says Manuel. “And the fishing is fantastic.”
In short, everywhere you turn at Ranchos Los Baños you will discover magnificent scenery, peace, tranquility and relaxation.
Rancho Los Baños has been protected by true conservationists and environmental stewards, the Valenzuela family. Kept secret for centuries, this hidden jewel is a combination of natural beauty, unspoiled habitats, untamed land and serene peace and tranquility. And the family is determined to keep the land as unspoiled and untamed as possible — a last frontier of unspoiled wilderness. The Valenzuela family is proud of their integrity and honesty, as well as their approach to life. They say, “Here, we do not live to work; here, we work to live, to enjoy life, to take life slowly, to enjoy family, to enjoy our brief time on Earth.” And they are happy to share both their home, their ranch life and the beauty of the area with you.
Rancho Los Baños
Telephone: 520-955-2577 or 520-955-1079
E-mail: moc.serutnevdaoceauhamahcarreitnull@tcatnoc or moc.serutnevdaoceauhamahcarreitnull@tnatlusnoc
Editor’s Note: See The Southwest normally sticks to adventures and attractions in the Four Corners states (Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico), but we were so wowed by the ranch, the beauty, the family and the unique adventures available, that we had write about Rancho Los Baños!
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