Riviera Maya is undoubtedly one of the leading destinations for national and international tourism, thanks to its beautiful beaches and impressive archaeological ruins that have surprised locals and visitors over time.
It’s no surprise that it’s a big favourite among foreign tourists, with Mexican jewels like Chichén Itzá, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Cenotes, Tulum and Cozumel all helping to make Quintana Roo the Mexican state with the highest income from tourism.
People from all over the world, from the southern part of Mexico (Chiapas, Campeche, Oaxaca) to countries further afield like Italy, Germany, France, Japan, among many others, have fallen in love with this beautiful destination and made it their home. This is especially evident in Tulum and the municipality of Solidaridad, where Playa del Carmen is located, where 55% and 70%, respectively, of the population, were born outside the state.
Thanks to this wonderful mix of cultures, Riviera Maya has emerged as one of the most cosmopolitan areas in the country. This is what makes Riviera Maya what it is today. It’s no longer just about beaches, cenotes and ruins, now it’s more about enjoying a unique 360º experience, and gastronomic tourism is one of the main focal points.
Gastronomic tourism is now a central concept in luxury resorts and hotels with several high-end restaurants serving a variety of culinary delights. Mexican cuisine was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, and with it, the eyes of some of the world’s top chefs turned to the jewel of the Mayan world.
Furthermore, online platforms like TripAdvisor, Airbnb, Facebook, and others, recommend food tours, which offer full immersion into the life of the community, and are a ‘must’ for anyone visiting Mayan lands.
To find out why one of the main incentives for travellers will always be local gastronomy, all you need to do is check some of these platforms and look for the one that best suits your taste and requirements.
Gastronomic experiences
These gastronomic experience try to show the history of the region through its flavours and usually take place in markets or local people’s homes. Everything is carefully selected for you to immerse yourself in this beautiful region that has created a fusion of flavours in a place with Mayan roots, where one of its primary raw materials, maize, keeps its prominence in dishes like tamales, which are ordered here either strained or in drinks like pozole.
Although these cover the “Mexican” culinary part of Riviera Maya, it’s always worth visiting different places and asking where the locals eat to really discover the gastronomic offer. This way you can find small Italian, Peruvian and French restaurants which today play an important role in the day-to-day development of the region.
If you’re after a more refined and unique experience, you can visit Carlos Gaytan’s award-winning restaurant Ha’, Jonathan Gomez Luna’s Le Chiqué, or Jesus Gibaja’s Mi Amor, to name just a few, but there are also plenty of other small, elegant places where you can sample delightful creations.
In most places, including the best restaurants, they will have dishes from other neighbouring states, including papadzules (similar to enchiladas), relleno negro (black stuffing), lime soup, mondongo (soup), dzotobichay or brazo de reina (tamal filled with hardboiled eggs), pibipollo (chicken in corn dough), cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork), tikin-xic (marinated dried fish), stuffed cheese and many different types of delicious empanadas on the menu.
Most of the above dishes are from Yucatan, but the Riviera Maya also has plenty of international dishes. From Cancun to Tulum you can find Italian, and Chicago pizzas, surf ‘n’ turf, sushi, hamburgers, beef Wellington, top quality meats, burritos, oysters Rockefeller, lasagne, sauerkraut, and many other food and drinks. Remember, there’s a hugely impressive mix of cultures from all corners of the world in this small Mexican region.
And when it comes to desserts, you’re spoiled for choice with brownies, cannolis, churros, nitrogen ice cream and pears in red wine. Still, we recommend opting for Mexican specialities like quince jelly, buñelos, sweet potatoes with milk, sweet tamales, chongos zamoranos (milk, sugar and cinnamon), candied pumpkin, sweet breads, custard, and rice pudding. All of these are delicious treats that go great with Italian espresso, mezcal or tequila or a delicious Mayan coffee made with coffee, tequila and Xtabentún – a sweet anise after-dinner digestif.
Today we can genuinely say that Riviera Maya is a leading gastronomic destination with a vast range of dishes from all over the world for you to enjoy at any time of the day that define the region’s culinary character.
