Things to do with kids in Valle de Guadalupe

11 family-friendly places in Valle de Guadalupe: zoos, aquariums, playgrounds and more.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Corona del Valle
Bright, airy, modern winery just off the busy MEX 3 highway. Surprisingly family friendly with a kids play area and several dishes on a kids menu in the restaurant (most wineries seem to assume that wine drinkers never travel with kids). The winery produces an outstanding Chardonnay and several red wines, including Merlot, Malbec, and Tempranillo.
Tue-Sun 13:00 - 21:00
Eat
Familia Samarin
Russian place
Rustic restaurant, nice menu, wine and cheese tasting room, and a little garden with chickens and a couple of animals that kids will enjoy. The Russian Community Museum is part of the complex, with a simple home of Russian Molokan settlers outfitted as it would have been.
US$10 per person without alcohol
See
Jersey Kids Zoological Park
This is a 1-stop family weekend playground. The zoo area includes camels, tigers, flamingoes and more. There are several pools, a splash pad, and a shallow wading pool for the tiniest tots. Palapas with picnic tables and barbecue grills. No alcoholic beverages allowed.
Wed-Sun 09:00 - 18:00
Do
La Casa Vieja
Small family-run ranch producting natural wines from Misión and Palomino vines planted over 200 years ago. The tasting room is in their historic 1800s adobe home.
10AM - 8PM Sat and Sun
Eat
Meson Leonardo's
Popular breakfast stop for visitors from Ensenada coming for the wine country tours. Traditional Mexican breakfast favorites like chilaquiles or huevos con chorizo as well as all-American family breakfast favorites like Mickey Mouse pancakes and apple pie.
Daily 07:00 - 14:30M$200
Do
Vinicola Retorno
This small, family-run winery opened in 1997 and produces 5,000 cases per year and reflects humble beginnings from just before the boom in small wineries hit. It reflects a passion that's almost more hobby than business, though the stability of its operation attests to the quality of its wines. It's a startling contrast to the valley's bevy of over-funded technology-heavy glass and stainless wine labs. The family built their cave from adobe, by hand. They crush grapes using a wooden press, by hand. The Pa Abola is a blend of Barbera and Tempranillo with 6 months in American and French oak. Mezcla Bordelega is a French-inspired red blend of Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that ages 12 months in American and French oak and one to several years in the bottle. The house signature wine, labeled Retorno, is a blend of 90% Grenache and a hint of Syrah, aged 2 years in the barrel and one year in the bottle.
Daily 10:00 - 18:00
Do
Vinos Bibayoff
Friendly, unpretentious vineyard owned by the Bibayoff family, Russian Molokans who have operated the rancho since 1931. They produce a range of white and red wines, including an excellent zinfandel and also produce old vine grapes for other wineries.
Thu-Sun 11:00 - 17:30
Do
Viñas de Garza
This family-run vineyard is one of the larger artesanal wineries, producing over 9,000 cases of wine per year. The property is immaculately landscaped with the tasting area atop a hill with soft breezes blowing through the spacious outdoor tasting pavilion. There is no restaurant on site, putting the focus squarely on the wine itself. Three different tasting packages are offered, differing by the quantity and quality of wines you want to sample. Chances are good that your tasting will be guided by one of the owners, who love to share their passion for wine and Baja with visitors. Wines may include a Chardonnay aged 10 months in French oak, a blend of Grenache and Tempranillo, or perhaps the Especial Edition blend of Grenache Syrah and Mourvédre.
Fri-Sun 11:00 - 16:30
Do
Viñas de la Erre
The Rocha family had owned the land for more than three decades before deciding to start a vineyard in 2014. It's a charming small winery that produces 1,500 cases per year. Their Mezcla de la Erre is a complex blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, tempranillo and zinfandel---it earned the winery a silver medal in San Francisco. It is a wine that draws well outside the lines of traditional French (or even U.S.) conventions. So does their wine Selección de Tintos Reserve, a blend of cabernet franc, petit verdot, merlot and cabernet sauvignon aged 28 months in French oak.
Fri-Mon 11:00 - 18:00 (closed Tue Wed Thu)
Eat
Wa Kumiai Tabita
Interesting family-run restaurant with a fusion of traditional Mexican cuisine with dishes inspired by age-old Kumiai methods and ingredients (the Kumiai are an indigenous group that historically occupied territory from San Diego to south of Ensenada and east to Tecate; people from San Diego often spell it Kumeyaay).
Sat Sun 09:00 - 15:00M$200
Do Not mapped
Globos Baja Aerostáticos
One-hour rides over the vineyards of the Guadalupe Valley. Various packages for up to 4 people (2 adults + 2 kids)
Closed · opens 6 am tomorrowM$3000 - M$8000

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Valle de Guadalupe (CC BY-SA 4.0).