Young at Heart.
By Angelica Gavaldon.
Hugo Torres is the former Mayor of Rosarito, Baja California who is responsible for transforming the city into a safer, cleaner and more beautiful place for all. As the owner of Rosarito Beach Hotel (RBH) and a man full of passion, he is the perfect example of how foregoing retirement, living a healthy life and staying active can help you live longer.
In the 1980’s, Rosarito was part of Tijuana. Mr. Torres began promoting the idea of Rosarito becoming an independent city to the state legislature, in part to expand basic services for the neighborhood. He thought his work would bear fruit in a few months, however, it took more than 12 years. In 1995, Rosarito finally became a city.
Mr. Torres has led a very successful life. He served as the city’s mayor in 2007, when he was also named “Man of the Year” by a famed state newspaper. As for his hotel, personalities such as Rita Hayworth, other actors, and royals, have been among its early guests. Recently, many actors and crew have stayed and even filmed at RBH due to its proximity to filming studios and beautiful background views- think Titanic and Fear of the Walking Dead!
At 82, Mr. Torres is still very active. He has five children, as well as many grandkids, and still runs the Rosarito Beach Hotel and condominiums along with its restaurants and shops. He also operates charities for the young and tirelessly promotes his city including a recent project to sink a ship in the nearby ocean to form an artificial reef so that an ecosystem may later grow to attract divers. This is a day in his life:
4:30 a.m. Wake Up
Mr. Torres gets up to read various local, domestic and international newspapers. He then puts on his Fitbit and works out on the treadmill for about an hour while watching the news to stay current on important affairs.
7 a.m. Breakfast
After his workout he east a healthy breakfast. He usually has steel cut oatmeal with cinnamon and other spices along with blackberries for an antioxidant boost.
8 a.m. Getting Down to Business
Mr. Torres walks to his office, checks reports, meets with staff and takes calls and appointments.
12 p.m. Lunch
His lunch is at noon (American style). He typically has frijoles de la olla, a natural bean stew, to start. He then follows it with a meal of salmon, spinach and other vegetables. For desert he enjoys seasonal fruit. After lunch, he heads back to work.
6 p.m. Finished with Another Day
Mr. Torres usually wraps up work around 6 p.m., heading home for family time and to enjoy the rest of his day.
With many passions, an established business and a big family, Mr. Torres maintains a busy but fulfilling life that has kept him young at heart.
