Please keep in mind we are located in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico and a valid passport is mandatory for travel to Mexico from the US.
More about our Covid Protocols
We provide scheduled, complimentary ground transportation for your Saturday arrival and departure to and from San Diego International Airport. Arrival and Departure plans must be submitted no later than the Wednesday prior to your arrival. Any additions or changes beyond this date are subject to availability.
Buses depart San Diego airport for the Ranch at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Schedule your complimentary Saturday arrival transportation.
Please note: Buses leave on time and cannot be held for late-comers. (See below in the event of a late or delayed flight.)
The Tecate Border Crossing is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends and weekdays.
Arrivals
The airport has two terminals. Our San Diego Airport shuttle will only pick up guests at Terminal 1*. If you arrive at Terminal 2, please claim your luggage and head over to our Terminal 1 meeting point.
- Terminal 1 – A Ranch representative will be waiting directly to the right of the escalators near baggage claim #4, right in Front of Pacifica Breeze Café. View Terminal 1 Map
If you are arriving by private car or cab at the airport on Saturday, please meet us in Terminal 1. Our staff cannot seek you out in the terminal, and we do not pick up your luggage from baggage claim carousels. Travel time to the Ranch is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.
Arriving in San Diego by train? We don’t meet guests at the train station, but save your taxi receipt. We will reimburse your fare from the train station to the airport, where you can catch one of the scheduled Ranch buses.
If you arrive late to the meeting spot please call and we will do our best to assist you.
- Terminal 1: 01152 665 393-6658
- Direct number to The Ranch: 858 925-1214
Departures
Arrangements for return transportation to the airport must be made in advance (Schedule your complimentary Saturday departure transportation). Please connect with the front desk staff or the concierge while at the Ranch to obtain the appropriate color-coded luggage tags which will help determine which terminal your luggage will be delivered to.
Allow 3 hours travel time due to the varying time it can take to cross the border back to the U.S., plus additional time for check-in at the airport. Return flights should not be scheduled before 11:30 a.m. Please note: Actual driving times from the Ranch back to the airport are only about 1.5 hours, but we must allow an additional 1.5 hours for U.S. Customs at the border.
Buses depart Rancho La Puerta for the airport at
7:30 a.m., 10a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Midweek or Late Arrivals
If your flight does not arrive in time for the last bus or you are arriving midweek, transportation to and from the Ranch may be arranged through the Orange cab Company (619) 291-3333. Expect to pay an average fare to the border of approximately $100 to $150. Orange Cab rate flier
Please inform the front desk (858-925-1214) of your intended arrival time and a Ranch driver will be able to meet you at the drop off location at these scheduled pick up times: 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.
405 Tecate Road, Tecate, CA 91980, USA
Map Link to Recommended Driving Route
Carbon Fund
Rancho La Puerta supports organizations that promote the health of planet Earth. One that we would like to call your attention to is CarbonFund.org, a non-profit that funds renewable energy, efficiency and sequestration projects. The idea is to offset the damage that is being done by our industrialized society to water, land and air by donating to “green” resources and alternatives. We encourage you to exchange your air travel miles for carbon credits, so that your journey to the Ranch has no effect on the overall health of the planet.
For more information, visit CarbonFund.org.
Driving to The Ranch via the Tecate border crossing is easy and peaceful.
(Due to summer tourist traffic between the Mexico and US border we strongly advise you to leave your car on the US side of the border. Parking is easy and secure, and we provide shuttles to The Ranch from the border. Be advised that if you chose to drive across, border wait times on Saturday are typically between three and five hours long.)
The highway from San Diego that takes you to the Tecate turnoff is CA-94, one of the most scenic country drives in California. In the San Diego metropolitan area, CA-94 runs east-west and roughly parallels Interstate 8, which is farther north. Consequently, the city’s main north-south highways (I-5, 163, 15, 805 and 125) all intersect CA-94. East of San Diego, CA-94 turns southeast, toward Mexico.
We recommend obtaining additional insurance coverage for driving in Mexico. Check with your current insurance provider as some US insurance companies cover a short distance across the international border (we are 4.4 miles across). Another option would be AAA. As a last resort, just before crossing the border, there is a small store to purchase Mexican Auto Insurance.
(Note: You may opt to leave your car on the U.S. side in Tecate, California, just north of the border crossing. We will send a Ranch van and driver to pick you up at the border, escort you through the simple visa process, and on to the Ranch! Please keep in mind the Tecate border crossing is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The lot where you leave your car is one we use frequently and typically costs about $10-15 per day.)
Have fun! The drive is easy…especially if you watch for CA-94 signs all the way. This highway has a few splits and turns that drivers occasionally miss. For example, if you are coming from San Diego, be sure to stay on 94 EAST where the highway splits near Lemon Grove. You will leave Highway 94 where it connects with Tecate Road (Highway 188), two miles north of the border.
Map Link to Recommended Driving Route
Please plan to call the Front Desk when you reach Campo Rd., so we have an estimated time of arrival at the US/Mexico border (858)925-1214
From Interstate 5 and downtown San Diego/airport vicinity
Take Interstate 5 south to the Highway 94 turnoff.
Go EAST 13.3 miles.
Turn RIGHT onto CAMPO RD / CA-94. Continue to follow CA-94 for 23.6 miles.
Bear RIGHT to go onto CA-188 / TECATE RD for 2 miles, to the Tecate border.
Interstate 5 south to the Highway 94 turnoff
From north of La Jolla, via I-5 South to I-805
.
Merge onto I-805 South via the exit on the LEFT. Go 14.7 miles.
Merge onto CA-94 East. Go 11.2 miles.
Turn RIGHT onto CAMPO RD / CA-94. Continue to follow CA-94 for 23.6 miles.
Bear RIGHT to go onto CA-188 / TECATE RD for 2 miles to the Tecate border.
Via Interstate 8 from Arizona
Near the summit after the climb on I-8 out of the desert into San Diego County’s mountains, take the CA-94 exit toward Boulevard/Manzanita.
Turn LEFT onto CA-94/Ribbonwood Road. Continue to follow CA-94 0.6 miles.
Turn RIGHT onto CA-94/Old Highway 80. Continue to follow CA-94 25.6 miles.
Turn LEFT onto CA-188/Tecate Road. Go 2 miles to the border gate.
Once you cross the border in Tecate
DRIVING FROM THE BORDER of TECATE TO RANCHO LA PUERTA
-
- Proceed STRAIGHT three blocks, to the second stoplight. You’ll see the town’s tree-shaded plaza ahead on your left.
- Turn RIGHT on Juarez (Tecate’s main street) and go WEST 3 miles.
- Turn RIGHT into entrance to Rancho La Puerta. Note: Past the downtown district, the road appears to fork; on the right, up the hill, is a residential area. Stay left to continue on Juarez, which becomes a divided four-lane road. Watch for easy-to-miss stop signs at cross streets, and topes (speed bumps). If you cross a small bridge over a river, you’ve gone too far.
TECATE BORDER HOURS
The border is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
RETURNING TO THE U.S. FROM RANCHO LA PUERTA
(Due to tourist traffic between the Mexico and US border we strongly advise you to leave your car on the US side of the border. Parking is easy and secure, and we provide shuttles to The Ranch from the border. Be advised that if you chose to drive across, border wait times on Saturday are typically between three and five hours long.)
If you drove your own car to the Ranch, please note that the return drive to the border crossing is not quite the same. Visit the Front Desk or Concierge near the end of your stay for driving directions and information about crossing at Tecate’s garita (border gate).
If you wish to spend a night (or more) in San Diego either before or after your Rancho La Puerta visit, we are delighted to be in a partnership with this following San Diego hotel.
Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina
The Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina (1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego 92101) offers Ranch guests an exclusive rate (on a space available basis) starting at $209* + tax, per night (valid on stays through December 31, 2022). Located across from San Diego Airport on San Diego Bay’s Harbor Island, the Sheraton provides complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport (a 5-minute trip), making it easy for you to link with Rancho La Puerta’s shuttle bus service on Saturdays.
Reservations can be made by calling the Sheraton at 1-877-734-2726 and referencing code: 86W.
Note: Any applicable Resort Fees are not included in rate. Contact Sheraton for details on the cost and what it entails.