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Rancho Los Baños is located in northeast Sonora, Mexico, just 60 miles from the Arizona-Sonora border, a mere 180 miles from Tucson. From Douglas, Arizona, driving time is roughly three hours, though this has nothing to do with the distance. From Bisbee, Arizona, driving time is roughly three hours and thirty minutes. The obvious contradiction in time and distance is due to the fact that while we might be only 60 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, the ranch is not on the main highway, Mexico 14. On the contrary, we are miles away from humanity, miles away from ordinary.

While Mexico 14 -- a two-lane paved highway -- is in good condition, and it does not take long to travel this road, to access the main gate of the ranch, a vehicle must take a well-maintained though rocky and bumpy dirt road that must be taken at a slow driving speed. This road was built in the early 1930’s as part of the same project that constructed Angostura Dam. The workmanship and quality of the road-building is apparent and the road itself has withstood almost 80 years of monsoons, erosion and weathering. The road, however, is built in land that is very rugged and rocky, an inescapable fact in this part of the world. Once a year the road does undergo fixing, thanks to a Caterpillar bulldozer that is rented to help maintain the road system.

Deviating from Highway 14 after 50 miles of driving, a vehicle enters a checkpoint run and operated by Grupo Mexico (Mexicana de Cobre), a large copper consortium with operations in the vicinity. This checkpoint acts like the ranch’s personal security checkpoint, for no unauthorized vehicle can enter the region without express permission granted by ranch owners or Grupo Mexico. This benefit serves to add a sense of real protection to the ranch. An already isolated an unknown ranch thus remains free of unwanted people. From this checkpoint, then, the dirt road that will take you to Rancho Los Baños is a mere five minutes away.

Once on the dirt road, we must pass two ranches before we reach Los Baños. These ranches, in conjunction with Los Baños, give added security thanks to a system of gates, some of which are locked and cannot be opened by the general public. Only those ranchers which the dirt road gives access to their ranches have keys to these locks. It can thus be safe to say in full confidence that the ranch is hardly ever visited by unwelcome strangers or individuals. We go to great effort to protect the integrity of the ranch’s borders, as well as great effort to prevent unwanted entry in the land. From the beginning of the dirt road to your arrival at base camp is roughly one hour and a half, usually going 10-15 miles per hour given the rocky and bumpy road. We see it as part of the adventure, an opportunity to slow down, take in the sights and scenery, and enjoy what will surely be the bumpiest ride of your life. We also think it the price to pay for untamed, unspoiled, isolated and people free land. How else, if not to take roads less travelled in lands rarely seen, is one to get as far away from modern life as possible?

Security and Safety

Tierra Chamahua EcoAdventures is well aware that some American citizens are hesitant to travel into Mexico for fear of violence, harassment and other forms of illicit activities. While we understand your concern, we also feel that this fear and hesitation is, for the most part, unfounded. Mexico does indeed have sections of the country that are prone to violence and crime, and some regions where American citizens have been targeted. We are also quite aware of the ongoing internecine drug war among drug cartels associated with Mexico, and of the government’s effort to combat cartels, corruption and violence. Yet, except for a random act of criminality, northeast Sonora, and the region where Rancho Los Baños is located in particular, have not experienced crime or violence or harassment against American citizens to even remotely compare with other parts of the nation. Like all countries, Mexico has its good sections as well as its bad ones, and fortunately, the area where we are located has not suffered the same fate as other sections. An American citizen is more likely to suffer and act of criminality or violence in his or her own country and city than they are to have a bad experience in and around Rancho Los Baños. The murder, rape, aggravated assault and felony rates of Mexico are dwarfed by those of the United States, except you hear more about Mexico in the nightly news. Fear mongers always find ways to scare people. Parts of Mexico are, in fact, dangerous, but it would be an exaggeration and an outright lie to impugn all of Mexico for a few bad apples.

We are also of the belief that you find trouble, trouble does not find you. The ongoing drug battle in Mexico is a fight that rarely, if ever, finds innocents killed or hurt. Violence is being committed by criminal gangs on criminal gangs, or criminal gangs on law enforcement, or vice versa. Ordinary citizens rarely, if ever, become targets or are caught in the crossfire. Only in southern Mexico, far removed from Sonora, have kidnappings for ransom been reported among the general, though elite, population. Here at Rancho Los Baños we always maintain a low profile, always travelling in comfortable yet nondescript, unflashy vehicles. Our family has an outstanding reputation of honor and integrity in the region, one based on years of trust and respect, generation after generation. We do not aim to draw attention, or jealousy, simply to get from point A to point B and back again. You will always be transported in and out of the ranch in Mexican owned and licensed vehicles, without fear of harassment due to travelling in an American car. We are Mexican citizens, with full cultural and language understanding. As such, and as our guests, you will be treated with honor and respect by anyone you might encounter on the way to the ranch.

The vast majority of citizens are honest, hard-working, kind, peaceful and moral individuals who stay out of crime. This is especially true of the people who call this region home. Most want an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s job, and most live life happily content with what they have. The people who live in this region are salt of the earth type of individuals, products of the land they live in.

In reality, Mexico remains a dynamic and incredible country. It is as safe as you allow it to be. You will be as secure as you wish to be. The smart tourist is also a safe tourist. Millions of tourists flock to all corners of the country, with few reports of crimes being committed on foreign nationals. Yes, Mexico remains an underdeveloped nation, though not as much as people might think. Mexico, while not as economically wealthy as Europe or the U.S., nonetheless has amazing wealth.

This can be seen in its people, its cities, its beauty and its warmth. Mexico has its own set of priorities, some of which differ radically from those of the U.S. 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. Mexicans are some of the nicest, most welcoming people on the planet. Our hospitality is well-known, as is our delicious food. In Rancho Los Baños you will see a Mexico that perhaps you did not know existed. You will see an added dimension to a country full of beauty. Only 60 miles away from the U.S. border, yet a world away. Come experience a part of Mexico that is as mesmerizing as anything the country has to offer. Rancho Los Baños is a Mexican gem waiting to be discovered.