Rustic Cuisine
The rustic cuisine of Baja California holds in its flavors a legacy that has given identity to the people of the region. This 6-hour tour includes transfer to Rancho Carisuva; switch vehicles to a Jeep 4 x 4 to take you through the mountains; switch vehicles again this time to a cargo mule all the way to La Candelaria; introduction to local artisans and a rustic dinner in La Candelaria before heading back to Cabo San Lucas.
ROAD TO THE RUSTIC KITCHEN
9:30 AM
As scheduled with your hotel concierge, the “Rustic Cuisine” tour will begin at 9:30 AM at the entrance of your hotel. Your driver will arrive with the car selected. There are several options of car models available depending on the number of passengers, make sure you point this out when you book your experience. We suggest having a light breakfast before starting your journey on the no.19 road.
The drive will be around 30 minutes long during which you will make your way through the desert to a small stretch of dirt road towards this ranch facing the sea. Upon arrival, you’ll descend from your unit in an enabled space in front of the Rancho Carisuva reception center. Horses, donkeys, mules, goats and Vietnamese pigs are the domestic fauna of the place. From this point your rustic culinary experience begins. This is the culture inherited from the Southern California ranchers that remains on this land.
CAFÉ DE TALEGA AND DEPARTURE TO THE MOUNT
10:20 AM
They receive you with a “café de talega”, a true tradition in these lands. Coffee in hand, you will begin a small tour of the ranch, where you will learn the details of the local traditions and the history of the place. A cowboy mounted on a mule will intercept you and invites you to come into his modest home.
Wide walls made of mud and reeds, the roof and vents constructed with palo de arco and palo de zorrillo tied together with datilillo yucca and covered with palm leaves, this is a typical Southern California rancher’s house. Inside you will talk about the botanical garden where damiana abounds, a plant with ample benefits and said aphrodisiac qualities.
Your kind host will guide you into his kitchen, while talking about his story and that of his ancestors. The concrete plate and the fire place are the central elements and protagonists of the room. You can detect traces of soot on the ceiling witnessing the hours spent in the kitchen. They will offer you chimango, an empanada or a flour tortilla freshly made with machaca. This is just the experience’s entrée. This will be the end of the first stage of your journey, you will then continue on your way to La Candelaria.
KEEP IN
MIND
TEMPERATURE
Minimum of 16 °C (61 °F) and Max. 24 °C (75 °F)
WHAT TO WEAR
Comfortable shoes, light jacket and a hat.
OFF ROAD TO LA CANDELARIA
11:40 AM
To reach the Candelaria you will need to ride in Jeep-type units with 4×4 traction. The off-road vehicle will enter a dirt road where you will notice changes in the vegetation as you continue the ascent. If you are a closet botanist you will rejoice before the native flora finding species such as zalates, fan palms, date palms, reed beds and bougainvillea. Finally, the last bit of the way, about a kilometer long, must be crossed on a load mule.
RUSTIC CUISINE IN CANDELARIA
12:20 a 3:00 PM
Every guest will ride their own mule as you advance through the mountains to the community of La Candelaria. You will cross the village and stop in front of Lorena’s house. Ring the bell at the gate and from the orchard you’ll be invited in. Your hosts will share their history and life experience.
Lorena is originally from Oregon but made this desert her home. As an artisan potter she mixed her knowledge with the native traditions using the materials that exist in this land. She will offer an interesting talk about her technique and processes, how to choose the proper materials and work with them to create the beautiful pieces that are on display on her shelves.
As you get hungry it is time to move to Lorena’s kitchen: a circular construction made from reed with a palm leave roof and a dirt floor. in a circular shape construction made of reed with palm roof. Some of the main ingredients of the rustic cuisine are exposed, such as the dried beef. Ismael – Lorena’s nephew – and his wife Andrea, are in charge of the kitchen.
Flour tortillas are heated in the comal, as well as pots with beans and rice. There is queso de rancho (ranch cheese), as well as vegetables grown in their home garden, chiles and other regional fruits. This is an authentic rustic kitchen, the result of the cultural heritage of the ancestors of the region and their exchange with the first settlers. The typical dish of Baja California Sur is the burrito de machaca de res with a side of beans, queso de rancho and a cup of talega-strewn coffee. For dessert the house has prepared coyotas, arepas and chimango with piloncillo, a true choyero feast prepared by Don Tonino. The ideal next step after your meal is to exercise your holy right to nap in one of the hammocks at the back of the garden.
BACK TO CABO
3:45 PM
After a day full of adventures it is time to return home. Your vehicle awaits to drop you off at your hotel door in Cabo San Lucas; a destination transforms itself day by day, balancing the wonders of the ancestral with the comforts of our times.
SEASONALITY
All year long
WHAT IS INCLUDED:
- Luxury vehicle transportation with capacity for up to 12 passengers
- Driver and professional guide
- Pick up and return to hotel
- Food and drinks
- Tips
For more information please email: info@visitloscabos.travel
