Small Group Culinary Vacation to Mexico - Madison Eats Food Tours
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    Madison Eats Destination Culinary Tours

    MEXICO: February 13-21, 2021 2 SPOTS

    2021 Culinary Vacation to Mexico with Madison Eats Food Tours

    Tour Dates: Feb 13-21, 2021

    Do you love to learn about other cultures through their local food as well as cultural adventures? Our small group culinary vacation to Mexico is for you! Experience the vibrant culinary and cultural heritage of the Yucatan peninsula through hands-on cooking classes, demos and excursions. Spend 9 amazing days and 8 nights enjoying cultural excursions, artisan food producers and tastings, yoga and more! Only 8 guests total!

    • Valladolid – 4 nights in the spacious Casa Hamaca guesthouse – Ek Balam ruins and Chichen Itza, cenotes, market and Yucatecan cooking lesson, Mayan honey farm tour and tasting.
    • Isla Mujeres – 4 nights in our own private luxurious oceanfront villa, oceanview cooking demos, private yoga classes, mescal tasting and cocktail class, local restaurants, traditional seafood cooking class.

    $2750/person* – only 8 spots! 

    Sign up now Request Information

    HIGHLIGHTS

    • Cooking classes & demos
    • Mayan honey farm and tasting
    • Mexican folk art museum
    • Local restaurants
    • Mescal tasting and mixology class
    • Markets and Mayan cooking classes
    • Optional daily yoga
    • Ek Balam Ruins and Chichen Itza
    • local music and nightlife
    • Cenotes
    Madison Eats curates an incredible travel experience that you simply will never get at an all-inclusive. I can't wait to do this tour again with every family member and close friend I can bring with me. Go and see!

    Alaina G.

    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.

    • Departure Day
    • Meals: B

    Tour Leader

    Otehlia Cassidy

    Owner, Guide and Event Host

    Otehlia founded Madison Eats Food Tours in 2012, after spending years trying to create her ideal job combining her passion for local food, teaching, dancing, and sustainable development. What emerged is a business connecting people with Madison’s rich local food scene through exceptional food tours and events. 

    Otehlia Cassidy

    Amy Kruger

    Private Events Host and Cocktail Designer

    When teaching yoga, I strive to raise my students' awareness of the importance of acknowledging, building and honoring our connection to others as well as to ourselves. I love teaching yoga for our small group culinary tour guests!

    Amy Kruger
    I have no hesitation in recommending this, or any other tour Otehlia curates, to anybody who wants a fun filled culinary tour with like minded people, expertly crafted and put together.


    Tim H.

    Deposits/Payments

    Deposits/Payments: Cost is $2,750/person double occupancy (Price good through Sept 1, 2020*). To hold your spot in the tour a $500 non-refundable deposit is required. This can be paid by check (address below) or Paypal (may incur fees). Any single supplement charge should also be included with the deposit. You will get an email reminder when payment is due.

    Final non-refundable payment is due 60 days before the course/tour in US dollars. You can also choose to send full payment in advance of the course/tour.

    Single supplement: $750 ensures a private room.

    Refunds and adjustments: There will be no refunds or adjustments for unused portion of the tour.

    Mail your deposit and fill out the submission form below to hold your spot. Send deposit to 2521 Hoard Street, Madison, WI 53704. Make check payable to Madison Eats Food Tours. Please fill out booking form even if mailing in deposit. Paypal transfer accepted.

    Tour Policies and Procedures

    Cancellation and Refund: If Madison Eats Food Tours cancels the tour, all fees paid MINUS the $500 non-refundable deposit will be refunded. We strongly encourage trip insurance in case of unforeseen events that result in the cancellation of your trip.

    A) Minimum Group Size:

    Madison Eats Food Tours’ trips are priced based on a minimum group size that varies by trip, making our trips financially viable to operate. Madison Eats Food Tours reserves the right to cancel any trip if the trip does not attract the minimum number of clients required to make the trip financially viable. Madison Eats Food Tours will not, however, cancel a trip due to minimum group size any later than 60 days prior to the commencement of the trip. In the event of cancellation, Madison Eats Food Tours shall not, in any case, be responsible for nonrefundable expenses incurred by the client, including, but not limited to airline cancellation fees or insurance purchases.

    Alternatively, clients may choose to pay a small group surcharge that would be assessed to each guest in groups that fall below the minimum group size, which avoids us having to cancel the trip.

    B) Force Majeure:

    Madison Eats Food Tours reserves the right to cancel a trip at any stage prior to the scheduled departure due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events which make it unviable for Madison Eats Food Tours to operate our planned schedule. In such a case, Madison Eats Food Tours will, at its own discretion, refund a portion of the trip price (less incurred costs and the non-refundable deposit), reschedule the tour, or offer an alternative tour. Should the client choose to purchase “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance coverage, and the tour becomes unviable for Madison Eats Food Tours to operate or reschedule, Madison Eats Food Tours will cover the client’s CFAR deductible up to 25% of the price of the tour.

    BOOKING AMENDMENTS

    If you wish to change your booking in any way, you must contact us as soon as possible and we will accommodate your request to the best of our ability. Surcharges may apply.

    SUBSTITUTION OF A CLIENT

    If any member of the party is prevented from traveling because of the death, injury or serious illness of the passenger, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person (acceptable to Madison Eats Food Tours) provided that written notice is given at least 30 days prior to departure. An administration fee of up to $150 may be imposed by the company to cover non-refundable costs. Airlines may impose 100% cancellation charges and the cost of a new ticket.

    Photography release: The tour participants permits Madison Eats Food Tours, LLC to photographs, films, images, text, testimonials of participants for its own commercial use without compensation to participants.

    Any dispute related to these terms and conditions or the program itself, directly or indirectly shall be settled solely in the courts of Madison, WI. In such litigation, Wisconsin law will apply.

    *Does not include round trip airfare to Cancun, airport taxes, personal expenses, travel insurance. Includes meals, alcoholic beverages and excursions as specified in itinerary as well as all tips to staff and guides for included excursions. Upgrades available.

    By registering, you agree to our Policies & Procedures including our Waiver & Liability Release policy.

    Otehlia Cassidy stands in front of the WI State Capitol.

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