56 OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
11.19Dispatches Base Camp
COURTESYOF^ HOTELRODAVENTOAccess: Valle de Bravo is a
two-hour drive from Mexico
City. (The hotel will send a car
for an additional cost.) Forest
suites start at $375.Weather: The driest months
are November to April, when
temperatures hover between
64 and 77 degrees. Avoid July,
the rainiest month of the year.Local Flavor: Chef Otoniel
Tercero is originally from
Tapachula, Chiapas, and
makes a mean pastor-style
pork-belly taco.Detour: In November, mil-
lions of monarch butter-
fl ies migrate south to the
Piedra Herrada Sanctuary, an
oyamel fi r forest. The hotel
is a 15-minute drive from the
sanctuary and can arrange
transportation, a hike, or a
guided horseback ride to
catch a glimpse.Forest Gazing
HOTEL RODAVENTO IN VALLE DE BRAVO, MEXICO, SERVES UP
AN ENTRANCING MIX OF DOWNTIME AND ADRENALINE
BY STEPHANIE PEARSON
VALLE DE BRAVOsits on the shores of Lake Avándaro, two hours west of the largest metropolis in
North America: Mexico City. Which makes it surprising that this 16th-century colonial town of 61,000
is such a relaxing, otherworldly escape. With consistent spring winds and balmy water, the lake is a
haven for wind- and kitesurfi ng fanatics, and the surrounding hills offer beginner-to-expert single-
track for mountain bikers, ample trails for horseback riders, and, in the Monte Alto State Reserve, ideal
thermals for paragliders. The 36-room Hotel Rodavento blends into the surrounding forest with its
clean, sparse lines and glass-enclosed rooms, and has eight new suites with fl oor-to-ceiling views of
the foothills. Spend the day on horseback, biking, or hiking, do laps on the 26-foot on-site climbing
wall, or SUP and fi sh for bass or rainbow trout on the resort’s private lake. If you reel one in, chef Otoniel
Tercero will prepare it for dinner. After hours, book a massage in a yurt and follow it with a plunge into a
series of hot, warm, and cold outdoor pools under the stars.
VALLE DE BRAVOMEXICO