There is no doubt when you enter a special place. You know you’re in a special space. This is a special place. Wildly photogenic too. Stunning views from a mountainside that reach all the way to the Pacific 7500’ below. Lush gardens full of incredible vegetables. Mountain stream running through it, cascading to waterfalls below. The proprietor, a Danish man named Thomas, told us he bought it immediately after laying eyes on it and I see why.
A roaring fire was stoked in our cabin when we checked in, and dinner was being served in the dining hall next door. The other guests included a Norwegian aristocrat who lives in Guatemala, a British yoga instructor who’d lived in Mexico the last 5 years, and a German professional working remotely.
One bite of the appetizer – homemade whole grain and seed crackers with garden fresh parsley chimichuri and I was in love. I never wanted to leave. I’ve ranted a bit about the pathetic state of salads in Mexico, but I don’t think I mentioned that these salads are pretty much the only vegetables readily available in restaurants. Nopales (cactus), tomatoes and onions make regular appearances in tacos and salsas but that’s about it. Dark leafy greens and other vitamin-rich vegetables as well as fruits are difficult to find and had become priceless to me.
We didn’t leave the Refugio for 4 days. We ate every meal there, and loved it. We hiked down to a waterfall on the property one day, to the river another day, and at least one of us took a yoga class every day.
Nina had a reluctant playmate in the proprietor’s 6-year-old daughter. But it was cold, and 4 days seemed like the right amount, and we were itching to get on a surfboard again.
Loco Dirty Familia 
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