This is the Absolute Best Food Tour In Cancun to Try Authentic Mexican Cuisine
THE ONLY FOOD TOUR IN CANCUN THAT YOU MUST BOOK!
If you are vacationing in Cancun and love food, you must join this tour in Cancun downtown. It’s a journey through authentic Mexican Cuisine with 5 stops to popular food stalls and restaurants, where locals eat.
In this post, I will tell you all about it in detail!
Hey! I am Isabella and I have lived in Cancun since 2010. I have never taken a food tour before because, you know I live here and I didn’t think it was necessary. Well, I was wrong. I learned so much with this tour and discovered new off-the-grid places to eat in Cancun.
The only problem I had was that there was too much to eat. So if you join the tour, remember to skip breakfast!
In a hurry? Book the food tour now!
It’s a full immersion into the authentic Mexican cuisine off the grid in Cancun.
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Tour pick up and drop off
This tour is organized by Next Experience a tour company in Cancun. The driver and the guide Nassim, picked me up at my Airbnb in Cancun in perfect time. I was the last client, so we went straight to the first appointment with food which was a few steps away from my place on the Avenida Nader.
The drop-off will also be at your hotel unless you ask otherwise.
The Cancun food tour program
During the tour, our knowledgeable guide Nassim shared interesting stories about the dishes and interesting cultural anecdotes about the Mexican food.
1. Tacos de Carnitas
The first stop was at a local eatery, like a permanent food market where locals eat. I have been walking by that spot so many times but it has never occurred to me that it could have been a place worth including in a tour. It actually looks a bit shabby, but I reckon, the line there is always long and when I tasted their taco I understood why. It’s the go-to place in Cancun for Tacos de Carnitas.
It was delicious and although it was a bit too early for me, and I knew more food was coming, I had to finish the taco. It was delicious.
2. Tamales
Not far away from the taco place, there was our second stop, a small and colorful restaurant where we tried different types of tamales and another soft drink was also included.
3. Mercado 23
I loved that we stopped at Mercado 23 as well. There was no food to eat here, but an interesting walk along the fruit and meat stalls and other interesting local shops. We had some time to browse around and take some pictures.
You may have heard of Mercado 28 more often than Mercado 23. That’s more for souvenirs and home decor shops although you can find also food stands. Mercado 23 is more where locals go grocery shopping.
4. More tacos and Tequilas
At this point, I was already full but I pushed through. We stopped by a very popular Mexican restaurant for more tacos, but this time they were accompanied by tequila shots, for those who were so brave to get tequila at 11 am. I had to pass on that, but the other guests were very pleased.
5. The real deal: El Pocito
The fourth stop was at one of the best restaurants in Cancun for Yucatecan cuisine, a restaurant that I always recommend and included in my article of the best restaurants in Cancun. If you want a great off-the-grid place where to eat in Cancun, this is it!
It’s a nonpretentious eatery but with a long tradition of being Cancun’s local favorite. Useless to say at this point I couldn’t eat anymore, and yet I did. I couldn’t say no to El Pocito. 🙂
6. Ice Pop Stop
Finally, to help digestion after all that greasy (but delicious) food, we stop by one of the local ice-cream shops chain, la Michoacana for a sweet refreshing ice-pop.
It’s note-worthy that we stopped in an area where I would never go on my own, renowned to be a bit dodgy, but clearly, they knew what they were doing and I felt very safe. I love to take tours to go in areas where as a solo traveler I would never stop by myself.
7. Cancun Murals
The absolute final stop was not foody, luckily, but an interesting cultural break. We stopped by giant murals that Cancun Municipality had commissioned local artists to embellish the grey empty walls of old buildings in an indigent area. I have always seen them from a distance but never stopped. It was a great opportunity to see the beautiful paintings and learn about their profound meaning and symbolism.
The Best Cancun food tour: Final Thoughts
This food tour starts around 9.30 am and lasts approximately 5 hours. It’s a small group tour that allows you to know about downtown Cancun a very different area compared to the luxury resorts in the Hotel Zone. It will be a delicious break from the beautiful Cancun beach and fancy malls.
