Mexico Flavoursome Food Adventure
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Local Market, Mexico © Photo by Real Food Adventure - Source Intrepid Travel
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Street food, Mexico © Photo by Lucy Piper - Source Intrepid Travel
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Tortilla Machine, Mexico © Photo by Erica Kritikides - Source Intrepid Travel
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Street food, Mexico © Photo by Erica Kritikides - Source Intrepid Travel
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Street Food Chefs Mexico © Photo by Lucy Piper - Source Intrepid Travel
Embark on a culinary adventure through Mexico to get a real taste of the country!
Experience the distinctive Mexican cuisine while travelling through this fascinating land. Begin your adventure in Mexico City. The nation’s capital is rife with museums and is experiencing something of a cultural renaissance. Furthermore, it boasts a thriving culinary scene, and delicious Mexican cuisine is the latest food trend. Enjoy a taco tour around the city and pull up a stool in San Juan Market, the city’s main food market. Continue to Mexico’s culinary capital, Puebla, for street food fusing Spanish and pre-hispanic elements. Wind your way through the aromatic markets in Oaxaca, and learn about Oaxacan chocolate. Indulge in fresh seafood on the beach and learn to prepare cerviche!
In addition to exploring food and flavours, this tour is full of cultural wealth and Mexican highlights. During your stay, you’ll have the chance to watch Lucha Libre wrestling, visit Monte Alban and lounge on the beach.
Dates
Dates on request
Suggested Itinerary by Air
Day 1
Bienvenidos!
Arrive in Mexico City, where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. After some time to freshen up and relax, get acquainted with Mexico City on a ‘taco crawl’ around. You will be guided through the streets, tasting delicious street food including, of course, tacos. You will also have the chance to sample some mezcal – a smoky spirit made from agave.
Day 2
Mexico City
After enjoying breakfast at a bakery brimming with breads, biscuits and cakes, embark on a walking tour of Mexico City’s historic centre. Admire the Bellas Atres Palace, travel down the city’s main thoroughfare, Paseo de la Reforma, and take in Latin America’s largest main square, Zocalo. Visit Mercado San Juan, the city’s main food market, then roam the surrounding streets and watch local vendors at work. Perhaps try freshly pressed tortillas with a sprinkle of salt. Enjoy a late lunch at one of the city’s best seafood stands before spending the rest of the day exploring at leisure. Perhaps relax in Chapultepec Park or take in some of the city’s notable museums, such as the renowned anthropological museum, considered one of the finest in the world. This evening you will again be able to explore more of Mexico City’s vibrant dining scene.
Day 3
Puebla & Lucha Libre Wrestling
Today your guide will escort you onto a colourful local bus to Puebla, Mexico’s culinary capital. The city is renowned for dishes which combine Spanish and pre-hispanic influences, such as chiles en nogada (stuffed chillies covered in creamy walnut sauce). Venture out on a culinary city tour – start with some Pueblan street food before making a beeline for Calle de los Dulces (Sweet Street) to sample tortitas de Santa Clara (shortbread biscuits) and camotes (sweet potato lollies). Check out the much-loved and very colourful Lucha Libre wrestling this evening, a unique combination of sport and theatre!
Day 4
Puebla to Oaxaca
This morning, enjoy some free time exploring Puebla and perhaps enjoy a few more chalupas, before catching a local bus to Oaxaca (approximately 4 hours) – a beautiful colonial city nicknamed the ‘land of the seven moles’. Visit the fabulous Abastos Market and enjoy some delicious regional specialities including grasshoppers, cactus fruit and Oaxacan cheese. Chocoholics won’t want to miss a trip down to the shops on Calle Mina for a taste of real Oaxaca chocolate – it’s no wonder it’s seen as the food of the gods! For dinner, you’ll have the option to dine at a restaurant where the local chef is dedicated to the preservation and sharing of dishes and specialises in ancient cooking methods from all over the state of Oaxaca.
Day 5
Oaxaca: Cook Local Dishes
Partake in a traditional breakfast of chocolate, tamales and pan y yemas, then join a local chef on a walk through Oaxaca’s renowned markets for an introduction to some distinct regional specialties. There, you’ll select some ingredients to take back for a cooking class, in which you’ll discover the secrets to preparing Oaxacan delicacies at home. Feast on your creations over lunch. Your afternoon is free to explore Oaxaca’s many other culinary delights. Perhaps visit the pasillo de carnes asadas (grilled meats hall) at Mercado 20 de Noviembre, where freshly purchased meat is barbecued right in front of you. Those with a sweet tooth can find several shops on Calle Mina where you can learn about the production of real Oaxacan chocolate – and of course taste this regional specialty. Alternatively you can visit the archaeological site of Monte Alban, an outstanding example of a pre-Columbian ceremonial centre. The terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Alban were carved out of the mountain.
Day 6
Oaxaca: Local Life
Today you will venture out of Oaxaca for an insight into regional life. Visiting Mercado Tlacolula, one of the oldest markets in Middle America, provides the chance to witness the ancient Zapotec cultural traditions of dress, cuisine and language, as the community gathers together from neighbouring villages. Here you will indulge in a meal of Oaxacan barbacoa. Then head to the ancient ruins of Mitla. Its name meaning ‘underworld’, Mitla is an important Zapotec archaeological site and was the main religious centre for the Zapotec people. On the way back to Oaxaca, stop into a mezcal distillery. Although this tequila-like tipple is experiencing a resurgence in popularity all over Mexico, it is largely produced in Oaxaca.
Day 7
Mazunte
Board a morning bus for the long but scenic drive to Mazunte (approximately 9 hours), stopping in a village for lunch en route. Your accommodation in Mazunte is at an eco-lodge with amazing views over the ocean. Rooms are simple but comfortable and like most properties in the area, there is no air conditioning, however there are fans. This is your chance to relax and unwind, as this town is located on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach on Mexico’s Pacific coast. It’s also quieter and less touristy than some of the bigger beach-side spots, although these are accessibly by taxi. Pull up a chair at one of the restaurants or laze in a hammock outside your bungalow. Perhaps pay a visit to the seafood market at the port in nearby Puerto Angel.
Day 8
Mazunte: Coastal Cooking
Head out on an early morning boating expedition. If you’re lucky you might spot turtles, stingrays or even dolphins while you’re out on the water. Back on land, enjoy a masterclass on preparing Mexican coastal-style ceviche (raw fish cooked in citrus juice) and savour this over lunch. The rest of the day is free for you to explore or simply relax by the water. This evening enjoy a traditional dinner celebrating the bounty of the Costa region of Oaxaca and make a toast to the end of your adventure with a glass of mezcal by the ocean.
Day 9
Departure
Your food tour has drawn to an end. Fly back to Mexico City for your return flight home, or alternatively, spend an extra day or so relaxing on the beach before departing Mexico.
