Culinary or gastronomic tourism is a key branch of cultural tourism, defined fundamentally by exploring a region's local culture through its relationship with food. This, of course, includes the food itself, whether found in fine restaurants or humble street stalls. But it also encompasses cooking classes, gastronomic tours and festivals, and visits to local farms, gardens, and markets.
Just as Mexican food sometimes "struggles" to differentiate itself from Tex-Mex (which originated in the United States), Yucatecan food also struggles a bit to differentiate itself from what is commonly known as "Mexican food." And by "struggles," we don't mean it's difficult to tell them apart; we mean that each one is simply less known than the one before it. Just as many foreigners are surprised not to find hard-shell ground beef tacos with cheddar cheese in México, many others wonder why Yucatecan dishes feature little green salsa other than that made with habanero (ah-bah-NEH-roh) chile, or any cheese other than the distinctive Edam cheese (queso de bola).
The Yucatán Peninsula is geographically and culturally distinct from the rest of México. Although the milpa (corn farming system) developed here as well, the climate and culture led to very important distinctions long before the Spanish arrived. Even after the Conquest, Yucatán remained more commercially and culturally connected to the Caribbean and the Antilles than to central México. These centuries of separation resulted in a cuisine with its own identity, featuring specific characteristics that are well-differentiated from those of the rest of the country. If you add to that a population proud of its roots and eager to share them, the result is an ideal destination for gastronomic tourism, with countless options to discover.
Of course, there are levels to everything—in this case, levels of quality, authenticity, depth, and price. Regardless, it is well worth setting out to explore the options and find your favorite. Here are a few to get you started.
Gastronomic Tour and Cooking Class: Corazón del Mayab
A Tour of the Lucas de Gálvez Market and Traditional Cooking with a Yucatecan Mom
To experience the regional gastronomy up close, what better option than to do it hand-in-hand with local people? Join Gustavo Gurubel Pech and his mother for an immersive experience that will make you feel like part of the family. Natives of Mérida with 10 years of experience, Corazón del Mayab (Heart of the Maya Land) seeks to share the essence of Yucatán with pride, introducing visitors to daily customs. The founder sums up their mission with the unique acronym C.H.I.D.O., which references tourism that is Cálido (Warm), Humano (Human), Interesante (Interesting), Divertido (Fun), and Original.
Your tour begins at Parque Hidalgo before heading to the popular Lucas de Gálvez Market with Gustavo as your guide. Delve into an engaging narrative about the area's history and culture.
Once at the market, delight in a colorful journey through the varied flavors, aromas, and textures that shape Yucatecan cuisine and identity. Comfortably navigate the bustling labyrinth with an expert to discover the most renowned stalls. You'll also hear unique tips and secrets for choosing your ingredients and antojitos (street snacks) like a true Meridano. You'll purchase the ingredients you'll take back to Gustavo's mom to cook while sampling exquisite sauces, spices, and products commonly used in local food.
After the market tour, you will visit a warm Yucatecan home, where Gustavo’s mother eagerly awaits to share her knowledge. Create lasting memories as you interact with authentic local culture through those who know it best. With detailed instructions, you will transform your ingredients into five different regional dishes. You'll use generational processes and techniques, prepare your own salsas, and pair your meal with refreshing aguas frescas (AH-gwas FRES-kas).
Before saying goodbye to your hosts, enjoy your creations with a family dinner. Don't worry about taking notes; afterwards, you'll receive a document with all the recipes, as well as photos of your experience. Return home having acquired the skills to recreate the dishes that characterize daily life in Yucatecan society.
The activity is available in both Spanish and English and, given its instructive nature, it is suitable for all ages, including children, young people, couples, and entire families. If you prefer, you can request that the cooking portion be held at your own accommodation or Airbnb.
Celebrate the culture of Yucatán by participating in a tour that aims to activate local businesses and support fair trade, with guides who value the preservation of the region's most deeply rooted customs.
Corazón del Mayab
WA 999 908 1201
Agro-Gastronomic Festival: The Maxcanú Jicama Festival
Activities, Culinary Samples, and Tours Centered on a Very Special Tuber
If the only jicama (HEE-ka-mah) you know is large and round, like an onion, you are about to discover something in Maxcanú (mas-ka-NOO) that will change your life. This municipality in western Yucatán grows a variety of jicama that is smaller, shaped more like a drop with three or four bulbs—something like a giant garlic clove. Most importantly: this jicama is juicier, with a deeper, sweeter flavor.
November is precisely when jicamas are in season, and Maxcanú gets dressed up to show them off. Since 2020, the local collective “La Tierra de la Jícama” (The Land of the Jicama) has organized a fair completely dedicated to this delicious and nutritious tuber: the Festival de la Jícama. It has a dual objective: to share the quality and qualities of Maxcanú’s delicious jicama, of course, but also to empower the community. This includes the producers, who still preserve traditional cultivation techniques, as well as the entrepreneurs, artisans, restaurateurs, and all Maxcanuenses who promote jicama as the engine of their own growth.
Horchatas (rice milk drinks), wines and liquors, flans, breads, and ice creams are just some of the preparations you can taste during your visit, in addition to special menus at local restaurants. Don't miss the different tastings, as many of these preparations are only available in Maxcanú and only during the jicama season.
But a non-negotiable part of your visit to the Festival de la Jícama is a tour of the jicama fields. During the festival, you can take a tricitaxi (a bicycle taxi) from the town center to visit the plot of one of the families dedicated to cultivating these delicacies. There, the producers themselves will show you how they are sown, extracted from the earth, washed, and peeled. Pulling your own jicama out of the ground to consume will surely be an unforgettable part of your experience.
If you are looking for a more athletic side to your visit, sign up for the Rodada de la Jícama (Jicama Ride). Now an integral part of the fair, it functions as a tribute to the routes the jicameros (jicama farmers) themselves use, on heavy, forged-iron bicycles, to transport both the fruits of their labor and the tools they need to cultivate them. If you are a fan of mountain or dirt trail cycling, you can sign up for the ride in 20 or 40-kilometer modalities; both will take you along a spectacular route that will allow you to truly enjoy the beautiful landscapes where the jicamas make their home.
The 6th Festival de la Jícama de Maxcanú will take place on Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16, 2025.
Festival de la Jícama de Maxcanú
FB: Colectivo La Tierra De La Jícama
Maxcanú, Yucatán
Traditional Cooking Workshop: Ya’axche Ethnogastronomic Center
Halachó Market Tour and Hearthside Cooking with an Award-Winning Chef and Maya Gastronomy Researcher
If you are looking for an experience that includes a journey through tradition, the offering from the Ya’axche (YAH-ash-cheh) Ethnogastronomic Center in Halachó (ah-lah-CHOH) is for you. Led by the acclaimed Chef Wilson Alonzo, this is not just a restaurant but a total immersion in authentic Yucatecan cuisine that connects Maya spirituality with respect for the fruits of the earth.
Your day begins early with a visit to the Halachó market. Accompanied by Chef Wilson, this is much more than a simple shopping trip: it is a window into local life. Wilson will guide you through the aisles, introduce you to his aunts who sell there, and invite you to select the freshest ingredients. Take the opportunity to ask him how to choose the perfect tomatoes and limes. Observe the dynamics of the place: the child asking for vegetables, the butcher conversing, and the products of local producers. Here, you understand that great Yucatecan cuisine is founded on freshness and community.
The master cooking class is the heart of the experience. Each participant is assigned the preparation of a traditional Yucatecan dish. If you are a novice cook, don't worry: you will always be assisted by Chef Wilson or local gastronomy students, ready to answer any questions.
Among the dishes you can prepare are Sikil P’aak (a pumpkin seed dip), the classic Sopa de Lima (lime soup), Escabeche Oriental (marinated turkey/chicken), But de relleno negro (a steamed roll stuffed with black seasoning), Polcanes con relleno de Tóoksel (stuffed corn pockets), or the most laborious of all: cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork). If you have another dish in mind you would like to learn, you can also request it from the chef to incorporate it into the menu.
At the end of the day, all the prepared dishes are served in the tranquility of a palapa (a traditional open-sided, thatched-roof structure) for an epic tasting. You won't believe that these authentic-tasting stews came from your own hands.
The complete experience, which can last up to six hours, is ideal for leaving completely satisfied—in both stomach and spirit—and taking home an indelible memory of Yucatecan cuisine. You won't be able to wait to return!
Ya’axche
Halachó, Yucatán
Google maps: Yaaxche Centro Etnogastronómico /Quinta Santa Cruz
WA 997 151 0862
Other Gastronomic Experiences in Yucatán
Aldea Xbatun
Google maps: ALDEA XBATUN
WA 985 852 6555
www.aldeaxbatun.com
IG: aldeaxbatun
FB: Aldea Xbatun
La Chozita Xa’anil Nah
Santa Elena, Yucatán
WA 997 133 5768
Parador Turístico Yaxunah
WA 985 114 0808
FB: Parador Turístico Yaxunah
Festival de la Chicharra
Mérida: Mayo
TamalizaFest
Mérida: Junio y octubre
Festival del Salbut
Seyé: Agosto
Mérida: Septiembre
Festival del Mukbilpollo
Mérida: Octubre
Feria del Panucho
Mérida: Noviembre
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