Rancho Cortez, a dude ranch and fitness farm located near the cities of Bandera and San Antonio, has revealed its unique way of providing guests with recreational and fitness activities featuring the rustic Texas Hill Country lifestyle.
A dude ranch caters primarily to guests and tourism instead of full-scale agriculture, allowing city dwellers or 'dudes' to experience the American West in a safe and comfortable environment. Owned by Larry and Mary Cortez, Rancho Cortez combines the features of a dude ranch with a fitness camp through its Cowboy Wellness Program.
For dude ranch guests, Rancho Cortez offers a wide variety of activities, such as trail rides, horseback riding lessons, lasso throwing, hiking, swimming, hot tub, cattle feeding, and a nightly campfire. They can enjoy Western entertainment during the campfire, including singing, storytelling, and trick roping, conducted by real cowboys. All meals are served at a common dining hall, allowing people, even those from different groups, to interact and get to know each other. Day visits are available, as well as multi-day stays for guests of all ages. The Girls' Horse Summer Camp and the Boys' Cowboy Camp teach younger guests equestrian and ranching skills.
The Cowboy Wellness Program allows fitness-minded guests to enjoy the dude ranch, combined with other fitness activities such as outdoor workouts, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, pilates, strength training, and water aerobics. It also has an air-conditioned indoor gym as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Rancho Cortez offers healthy meal options in proper portion sizes with the guidance of a registered dietitian. Most of the vegetables and meat served are produced locally on the ranch, supplemented with produce from a local food co-op. One- or two-week fitness programs are available, as well as a 60-day fitness ranch work program, where guests can stay for longer and receive a substantial rate discount by working on the ranch.
According to Rancho Cortez co-owner Mary Cortez, the ranch attracts a wide variety of guests, including individuals, families, and large groups, such as corporate, school, and church retreats. There is also a significant number of guests from overseas, such as Europe, who are curious about the cowboy lifestyle and would like to experience it for themselves.
Cortez says that the number one draw of the ranch is the friendliness of the staff and the family-like atmosphere. The common dining hall and campfire reinforces the sense of community and camaraderie between the guests and the staff. Over the decades, this has led to Rancho Cortez having several regular guests, who stay at the ranch for weeks to months on end every year, making it their second home. Some guests who had visited the ranch as children eventually return as adults, bringing their own children.
“Rancho Cortez is a beautiful place where people can be close to nature and enjoy the Western lifestyle while taking a break from city life and the constant buzz of technology. Our rooms don't have televisions, and that's by design. There's so much to do all day, and, in the evenings, guests head down to the campfire for entertainment and socialization. You can be as busy as you want, or you can just kick back and relax and enjoy life at a slower pace. It may take some guests, especially the younger ones, some time before getting used to a less technologically consumed life, but they soon learn to enjoy and appreciate the various activities and life in the West,” Cortez says.
Media contact:
Name: Mary Cortez
Email: [email protected]
