Food Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at the Cancun airport. Upon arrival transfer by private vehicle to Casa Hamaca guesthouse in Valladolid, about 2 hours from Cancun. Relax, unpack, and swing in your hammock before enjoying appetizers and dinner by the secluded garden. Enjoy double occupancy rooms reserved in the 8-room guesthouse, each with a hammock, private bath and air conditioning. Each room is spacious with beautiful decor. Casa Hamaca features a beautifully restored hacienda-style main building and is filled with many Mayan artifacts and Yucatan-themed murals. It is surrounded by lush gardens, an expansive veranda, a small pool, and plenty of places to relax. Indulge in a relaxation massage or facial in your room!
- Check in time: 3pm or later
- Hotel: Casa Hamaca – Rated #1 Inn in Valladolid on TripAdvisor
- Meals included: D
Day 2
After enjoying a delicious breakfast at our guesthouse we will get to know the food and culture of Valladolid. First, we will enjoy a tour of Casa de los Venados, which hosts the largest privately held collection of museum quality Mexican folk art in Mexico. It is simply stunning. From there, we will enjoy lunch at restaurant Zaci, a restaurant near the center of Valladolid which is known for its delicious traditional Yucatecan cuisine, from relleno negro to hard sausages and panuchos. The restaurant overlooks a delightful cenote where we can take a refreshing dip. An afternoon outing to Xkopek, a family run apiary where will will have a private tour and tasting of local honey. Later, sit on the square with the locals, shop, grab some food at a nearby restaurant or just relax on the veranda of the hotel with a drink.
- Hotel: Casa Hamaca
- Meals: B, L
- Excursion: Apiary; Cenote Zaci, Art Museum
Day 3
Wake up to a delicious homemade breakfast and coffee under the palapa covered dining room. We’ll head out early to the central market to get ingredients for our cooking class. It’s full of fruits, spices, local hot pepper sauce and more! We’ll enjoy a snack upon our return before starting our cooking lesson with local chefs. Learn to make tamales from scratch which we will then enjoy for a late lunch. If time permits, we’ll visit Ek Balam, ancient Mayan ruins that are recently discovered, or another local point of interest.
- Hotel: Casa Hamaca
- Meals included: B, L
- Excursion: Central Market
- Cooking Class: Tamales
Day 4
After an early breakfast we will head to Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Getting there early means we beat the crowds and enjoy a private guided tour of the amazing site. From there we head to the nearby village of Yokdzonot where we will enjoy a light lunch and refreshing swim in the beautiful cenote, run by a local women’s cooperative. We will then learn more about Mayan culture and cuisine with a cooking class taught by local Mayan women. We’ll head back to our guesthouse after our class to relax in a hammock at our guesthouse or stroll around the ornate town square. Dinner on your own.
- Hotel: Casa Hamaca
- Meals included: B, L
- Excursion: Chichen Itza; Yokdzonot cenote
- Cooking Class: Traditional Mayan food
Day 5
Start your day with a delicious homemade breakfast at our hotel and pack up before exploring the city, doing some shopping or just reading in the hammock. Grab lunch on your own before we depart for our island paradise around 1pm, about a 3 hour trip including a ferry ride from Cancun to the island. Here we will enjoy 4 nights in a private villa that overlooks the turquoise waters. Upon arriving at our private luxury home in Isla Mujeres, we will enjoy a catered dinner from Chef Lori Dumm who has successfully operated 4 restaurants on the island, combining Mayan and Caribbean flavors with global influences.
- Dinner at Casa de Cinco Caballos
- Hotel: Casa de Cinco Caballos
- Meals: B, D
- Travel to Isla Mujeres
Day 6
Enjoy breakfast from the privacy of our spectacular home and then enjoy a free day! Perhaps indulge in a massage on the beach, swim in the ocean, chill by the infinity pool, take a guided fishing trip or go snorkeling! We’ll rendevouz for dinner at a neighborhood restaurant. After dinner we’ll head back to the villa for a private Mezcal tasting and mixology class – with plenty of samples!
- Hotel: Casa de Cinco Caballos
- Meals: B, D
- Class: Mezcal tasting and cocktail class
Day 7
Ahhh, paradise! Perhaps you want to enjoy a private yoga class overlooking the vast sea while watching the sunrise, and then enjoy a delicious breakfast. We’ll have some time to explore the island before we start our cooking class from the comfort of our villa with local executive chef Arturo Lopez. Chef Lopez combines traditional cooking techniques with modern Mexican dishes. We will learn to make traditional dishes using local ingredients with regional Mexican influences.
- Dinner on your own
- Hotel: Casa de Cinco Caballos
- Meals: B, L
- Cooking Class: Vegetarian Mexican and Seafood
Day 8
Wake up and watch the sunrise or take a morning stroll before a delicious breakfast. Today we will head to town to explore the local market, an ancient pirate’s grave and a women’s beading cooperative where you can pick up souvenirs. As the sun dips down, we will enjoy an informal food tour highlighting some of the great locally owned restaurants that prepare delicious traditional food of the island, such as huaraches, seafood platters, micheladas and arrachera tacos. Enjoy a sunset over the water before heading back to the villa or go out dancing!
- Hotel: Casa de Cinco Caballos
- Meals: B, D
- Culinary & History Tour of Isla
Day 9
Enjoy the morning breeze, or watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand — a great start to the last day of our vacation — followed by a delicious breakfast. Take a final stroll on the beach, a dip in the pool or just gaze at the sea before heading by ferry to Cancun for your departing flight.
