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Photo by Kelly Cassidy
Pour one out for all the dogs who haven’t been to Valle de Guadalupe yet. But for real, this is a relatively easy international trip to bring your four-legged bestie with you and still thrive sipping wine all day. Trust me on this one: Valle de Guadalupe is one of the most dog-friendly destinations out there and bringing Prima, my 14-week-old Australian Shepherd puppy, to Mexico’s wine-country stunner was way easier and way more fun than I ever thought.
Let’s get logistics out of the way first:
Valle de Guadalupe is about two hours south of the San Diego/Tijuana border and about 30 minutes from Ensenda. In addition to the Tijuana border crossing, which is probably the most well-known and the busiest, there are other border crossings at Calexico/Mexicali and Tecate that are quicker to cross but require more of a drive to get to Valle de Guadalupe.
Where you decide to cross also depends on where you’re driving from – we drove from Phoenix to Calexico and only waited at the border for 15 minutes. If you’re traveling from LA or San Diego, Tijuana is the closest, though not always the easiest, so do your research ahead of time for best times to cross (aka like the crack of dawn – we’ve got wine to taste, people).
As for your pup, you’re required to have proof of your dog’s rabies vaccination going into Mexico and crossing back to the U.S. Although we were never asked to show our dog’s records, we had a copy of all her vaccinations ready to go in the glove box just in case.
Valle de Guadelupe has a great selection of pet-friendly accommodations that vary in price, style, and amenities, but all with gorgeous architecture and picture-perfect views. We looked at Casa Mayoral, Ojo Azul Resort and Agua de Vid, but eventually we went with Casa Mayoral for its location, adorable accommodations, and free breakfast (because, duh).
Let me just say, Casa Mayoral exceeded all of our expectations and is literal dog heaven. Not only is their property stunning (there’s meadows with flowers, tall eucalyptus trees and even two resident donkeys), but they also encourage your dogs to roam free around the huge fenced in property. If Prima could talk, I know she’d say, “f**k yes, this is it.”
Another reason we loved Casa Mayoral was because of its unique accommodations. Instead of a traditional hotel room, Casa Mayoral offers individual cabin-style lodging with a small living area and outdoor terrace so you and your dog get more personal space. They also didn’t charge a pet fee, so consider that as extra funds toward wine tasting.
Moving on to all the fun things:
We stopped by Vena Cava for fresh oysters, fried pork belly and other tapa-style plates from their delicious food truck and to taste some wine. They don’t allow dogs inside in the tasting room, but you can try their wines by the glass on the patio and take in the views with your dog. Just an FYI: we loved their sauvignon blanc so much that we brought home 12 bottles of it, not kidding.
Decantos Vinicola was also great, and the owners are pretty much as dog-friendly as they get. Fun fact: their wine is made with no machines involved, just the force of gravity, which is kinda neat.
If you’re staying at Casa Mayoral, Cavas Sol y Barro is a small, funky vineyard about a five minute drive away, ideal for a quick wine tasting while your pup takes a nap at the hotel. Note: this winery is not dog-friendly.
If your accommodations allow leaving your pet in your room for a couple of hours, I highly suggest making a dinner reservation at Fauna, a gorgeous restaurant that’s always the talk of the town. Order a cocktail or two (definitely try one with mezcal if that’s your thing), then do the chef’s menu paired with a bottle of their wine made on the property.
Did I miss something? Have questions? Want to chat wine and/or dogs? Message me or talk to me in the comments! On another note, if you’re looking for fun weekend trips from Denver, check out my other travel journal: Weekend Escapes from Denver.
Vail born and raised and currently living in Phoenix (can confirm it’s a dry heat), I'm up for anything that has to do with wine, skiing and dogs. Oh, and I love to travel, but that’s a given :) Message me for any Vail/Colorado, American Southwest or Portugal recs!
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