There is so much to recommend about the lovely Calliote Canyon, a private eco-retreat nestled in Southern California’s Ojai Valley.

With its rustic beauty, its aura of tranquility, and the myriad of amenities and comforts, I am always over the moon when I am lucky enough to arrange a stay. Located just an hour and a half from Los Angeles, it is also just a hop, skip, and a jump away from L.A.’s urban chaos.

Situated in a rare, perfectly east-west facing valley, the town of Ojai is home to a magical phenomenon known as “the pink moment,” when the setting sun casts a radiant glow onto the Topatopa Bluffs which rise 6,000 feet to form the valley’s eastern wall.

Calliote’s owner if the popular Los Angeles-based shoe designer, Calleen Cordero. Having obtained something of a cult following for her luxurious handmade shoes and accessories, Cordero has infused Calliote Canyon with a similar aesthetic, blending down to earth beauty with a sumptuous core. As with her fashion line, almost everything you see at Calliote is handcrafted using natural, locally-sourced materials and designed for comfort.

Containing something for everyone, Calliote sleeps 26 and can facilitate all kinds of retreats: business, yoga, meditation, you name it. It is also licensed for weddings, and Cordero built the site’s amphitheater with just this in mind. It is perfect for family get-togethers too, and with two separate master suites, as well as two private cottages, no one has to fight over rooms because they are all charming and ridiculously romantic. Add to this an authentic Swedish sauna, creekside jacuzzi, and natural waterfall fed by underground springs during the wet season, and it is not long before you realize you are stumbled onto a bit of paradise.

Learn more at calliotecanyon.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Perez