USA TODAY 10 Best
  • 10Best Home
  • Travel Guides
    • Featured Travel Guides
      • Dallas, TX
      • Nashville, TN
      • Orlando, FL
      • Seattle, WA
      • Charleston, SC
      • Amsterdam
      • Paris
      • Savannah, GA
      • Berlin
      • Houston, TX
      • Miami, FL
    • United States (89)
      • Mid-Atlantic (9)
        • Baltimore, MD
        • Buffalo, NY
        • Gettysburg, PA
        • Long Island, NY
        • New York, NY
        • Philadelphia, PA
        • Pittsburgh, PA
        • Washington, DC
        • Williamsburg, VA
      • Midwest (9)
        • Branson, MO
        • Chicago, IL
        • Cincinnati, OH
        • Columbus, OH
        • Detroit, MI
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • Kansas City, MO
        • Madison, WI
        • St. Louis, MO
      • New England (3)
        • Boston, MA
        • Newport, RI
        • Portland, ME
      • Pacific (15)
        • Big Island, HI
        • Honolulu, HI
        • Kauai, HI
        • Los Angeles, CA
        • Maui, HI
        • Napa Valley, CA
        • Orange County, CA
        • Palm Springs, CA
        • Portland, OR
        • Sacramento, CA
        • San Diego, CA
        • San Francisco, CA
        • San Jose, CA
        • Santa Barbara, CA
        • Seattle, WA
      • Rocky Mountains (6)
        • Boulder, CO
        • Denver, CO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Reno, NV
        • Salt Lake City, UT
        • Tahoe, NV
      • Southeast (35)
        • Asheville, NC
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Birmingham, AL
        • Boca Raton, FL
        • Charleston, SC
        • Charlotte, NC
        • Columbia, SC
        • Daytona Beach, FL
        • Destin, FL
        • Fort Lauderdale, FL
        • Fort Myers, FL
        • Greenville, SC
        • Hilton Head, SC
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Key West, FL
        • Knoxville, TN
        • Lexington, KY
        • Louisville, KY
        • Memphis, TN
        • Miami, FL
        • Myrtle Beach, SC
        • Naples, FL
        • Nashville, TN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Orlando, FL
        • Outer Banks, NC
        • Palm Beach / West Palm Beach, FL
        • Panama City, FL
        • Pensacola, FL
        • Raleigh, NC
        • Savannah, GA
        • Space Coast, FL
        • St. Augustine, FL
        • St. Petersburg / Clearwater, FL
        • Tampa, FL
      • Southwest (12)
        • Albuquerque, NM
        • Austin, TX
        • Dallas, TX
        • Fort Worth, TX
        • Galveston, TX
        • Houston, TX
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Santa Fe, NM
        • Scottsdale, AZ
        • Sedona, AZ
        • Tucson, AZ
    • Canada (7)
      • Edmonton, AB
      • Montréal, QC
      • Niagara Falls, ON
      • Québec City, QC
      • Toronto, ON
      • Vancouver, BC
      • Victoria, BC
    • Mexico (2)
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Cancún
    • Central America (1)
      • Costa Rica
    • Caribbean (6)
      • Aruba
      • Jamaica
      • Nassau
      • Saint Martin/Sint Maarten
      • San Juan, PR
      • U.S. Virgin Islands
    • South America (3)
      • Buenos Aires
      • Lima
      • Rio de Janeiro
    • Europe (21)
      • Amsterdam
      • Athens
      • Barcelona
      • Berlin
      • Brussels
      • Copenhagen
      • Dublin
      • Edinburgh
      • Florence
      • Frankfurt
      • Lisbon
      • London
      • Madrid
      • Munich
      • Nice
      • Oslo
      • Paris
      • Prague
      • Rome
      • Stockholm
      • Vienna
    • Asia (6)
      • Bangkok
      • Beijing
      • Hong Kong
      • Mumbai
      • Osaka
      • Singapore
    • Australia & Pacific (1)
      • Sydney
    • Middle East (1)
      • Dubai
  • Readers' Choice
    • Current Contests
      • Best BBQ in North Carolina (2019)
      • Best Beans & Cornbread in West Virginia (2019)
      • Best Brunswick Stew in Virginia (2019)
      • Best Burgoo in Kentucky (2019)
      • Best Chicken & Dumplings in Georgia (2019)
      • Best Cultural Festival (2019)
      • Best Emerging Festival (2019)
      • Best Film Festival (2019)
      • Best Fried Catfish in Arkansas (2019)
      • Best Fried Green Tomatoes in Alabama (2019)
      • Best General Food Festival (2019)
      • Best Gumbo in Louisiana (2019)
      • Best Hot Chicken in Tennessee (2019)
      • Best Hot Tamales in Mississippi (2019)
      • Best Music Festival (2019)
      • Best Shrimp & Grits in South Carolina (2019)
      • Best Specialty Food Festival (2019)
      • Best Stone Crab in Florida (2019)
    • Recent Contest Results
    • All Contest Results
      • Attractions (256)
        • Tours & Activities
        • Nature & Outdoors
        • Sports
        • Theme Parks & Water Parks
        • History & Culture
        • Zoos & Aquariums
        • Shopping
        • Parks & Gardens
        • Casinos
      • Destinations (220)
        • North America
        • Regional
        • Caribbean
        • International
      • Food & Drink (196)
        • Dining
        • Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries
        • Nightlife
      • Gear & Tech (39)
        • Gift Guides
        • Apps & Websites
        • Travel Gear
      • Holidays, Seasons & Events (157)
        • Summer
        • Winter
        • Festivals & Parades
        • Holidays
        • Fall
        • Spring
      • Hotels (69)
        • Hotels
      • Transportation (87)
        • Airports & Flight
        • Cruise
        • Land Travel
      • Traveler Type (169)
        • Family-Friendly
        • Adventure
        • Luxury
        • Romance
        • Budget
        • Business
  • Interests
    • Explore
    • Tips
    • Gear & Tech
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Health & Wellness
  • Food & Drink
    • Food Culture
    • Food & Travel
    • Drinks
    • Recipes
  • Arts & Culture
    • Festivals & Events
    • Galleries & Venues
  • Follow 10Best
  • Like 10Best
USA TODAY 10 Best
  • Home
  • Travel Guides
  • Readers' Choice
  • Interests
  • Food & Drink
  • Arts & Culture
search
  • Follow
  • Like
close
Cancún
Overview
See & Do
Eat
Party
Stay
Shop
Regions
Cruise
 
  • facebook share
  • twitter share
  • pinterest share
  • linkedin share
  • Flipboard
graphic

Most Popular 10Best Lists

  • #
    Dallas: Dallas Does Romance: Ten Ways To Wow Your Lover
    View This List
  • #
    Atlanta: 10 romantic restaurants in Atlanta that combine a sexy ambiance with impeccable eats
    View This List
  • #
    Dallas: Get into the Groove at Dallas' Go-To After Dark Playgrounds
    View This List
  • #
    Portland: 10 Best Luxury Day Spas in Portland, Oregon
    View This List
  • #
    Honolulu: 10 Best Places in Honolulu to Shake, Shake, Shake Your Booty
    View This List
graphic

Most Popular 10Best Articles

  • #
    These are the favorite chocolates of the best chocolate makers in the world
    View This Article
  • #
    The most epic meal in Philadelphia is 40 courses and lasts 9 hours
    View This Article
  • #
    These products make it easy to travel safer, lighter and smarter
    View This Article
  • #
    How to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel
    View This Article
  • #
    Why the islands of the Pacific Northwest are fantastic in the off-season
    View This Article
 
10bestlogo
facebook twitter instagram pinterest
  • About 10BEST
  • 10BEST Local Experts
  • Sitemap
SHOW MORE INFORMATION
  • Cancún
Save This Page +

10Best Itinerary: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Cancun

Cooking classes, tequila tastings & Mexican-themed shows
Susan Vincil

March 1, 2012 // By Susan Vincil

By Susan Vincil
March 1, 2012

 

There is no shortage of activities in Cancun, and you can certainly stay busy during every day of your vacation, without ever leaving the hotel zone. Foodies, tequila lovers, or anyone wanting to learn a bit more about the rich Mexican culture will love this food-and-beverage-filled itinerary.

Tequila Herradura Museo Sensorial (aka, the Herradura Tequila Museum), in CancunTequila Herradura Museo Sensorial (aka, the Herradura Tequila Museum), in Cancun — Photo courtesy of Tequila Herradura Museo Sensorial

Begin your day by relaxing on the beach, and around mid-day, make your way over to the Tequila Herradura Museo Sensorial (aka, the tequila museum). It's located about mid-way between La Isla Shopping Village and Kukulkan Mall. The tequila museum offers a very interesting and informative tour that explains how tequila was invented, how it's made, and where it's made. You also learn about the different types of tequila; blanco (white), reposado (rested), anejo (aged), and extra anejo (extra aged).

After the tour, you move into the sampling room, where you taste several different types of tequila. The price of admission is based on the number of tequilas you wish to sample, but the highest fee is only around $15 USD, per person. Reservations are required for groups, but small parties do not need to make a reservation. The tour and tasting only take about 60-90 minutes, but it's a fun activity and it's actually educational.

Chef Rory Dunaway, preparing for his next cooking classChef Rory Dunaway, preparing for his next cooking class — Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

After your visit to the tequila museum, head down the street to The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun. It's not far from the museum, so you could walk (if it's not too hot), but a bus or taxi would get you there much faster. Inside the hotel, you'll find the Viking Culinary Center, which is an absolutely amazing, state-of-the-art kitchen that is totally tricked out with every Viking appliance and gadget you could ever dream of. And, if you thought it couldn't get any better, you should know that the Culinary Center also has a lovely view of the Caribbean Sea.

At the Culinary Center, you can take cooking classes with Chef Rory Dunaway, as well as participate in Mexican wine tastings & tequila tastings, or enjoy an out-of-this-world dinner, prepared by Chef Dunaway, at the Chef's Table.

Tequila tastings are held in the Viking Culinary Center, at The Ritz-Carlton, CancunTequila tastings are held in the Viking Culinary Center, at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun — Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

Several different cooking classes are taught but, keeping with our Mexican theme, be sure to sign up for the class that teaches you how to prepare authentic Mexican cuisine. Classes are small (no more than 14 people), so you'll definitely need to make a reservation for this activity.  During the class, you'll help the chef prepare the meal. You'll do such things as chop peppers or onions, make tortillas by hand, or you may be assigned the most important job of all: making the margaritas. Not only will you learn to prepare the most perfect Margaritas in the entire world, but you'll also get to enjoy them during class.  

Classes are only around two hours long, but during that time you'll learn proper cutting techniques, how to slice an onion without tearing up (among other useful tips), and how to make delicious Mexican dishes like ceviche (raw fish, shrimp, or other seafood that is covered in lime juice; the lime juice actually cooks the fish or seafood), enchiladas, and churros with chocolate sauce. Once the meal has been prepared, the class participants and Chef Rory all sit down to eat the wonderful meal they helped create.

Enjoy authentic Mexican food while listening to a mariachi band performEnjoy authentic Mexican food while listening to a mariachi band perform — Photo courtesy of Hacienda Sisal

To complete the trifecta of Mexican food, beverages, and fun, go to Hacienda Sisal for dinner. The restaurant resembles a Mexican hacienda and a small crop of agave plants is in the front of the building. Hacienda Sisal serves authentic Mexican food, from different regions in Mexico, and they have a wide variety of tequilas that you may want to try, now that you have learned a little about the tasty beverage.

You can opt to have dinner in the main dining room, or you can dine in the theater, where Mexican and Caribbean shows are performed each week. Be sure to go on a night when the Mexican show is playing, so you can see folkloric dancers and hear some traditional music. If you don't care to stay for a show, you can still see a mariachi band perform at 7:00 pm. They play at the same time, six nights a week.

At the end of this day, you will be filled with Mexican food, tequila, and happy memories from a fun-filled day of learning about tequila and Mexico's food and culture. And, all three of these locations are within a short distance of each other, so you won't have to run all over town to go from one venue to the next.

  

x

Next Up

Cancun Day Trip: Playa del Carmen's Shops, Food and Fun

Read More »


Susan Vincil

About Susan Vincil

Susan fell in love with Cancun the second she saw the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, during her first visit to the beautiful beach town.  At the time, she was working as a travel agent, specializing in Mexico vacations.  After working in the travel industry for over 13 years, Susan decided to return to school to study photography, her life-long love.  
When she graduated from art school, she packed up everything she could carry and moved to Mexico.  There, she combined her love of travel and her passion for photography by working as a freelance photographer and also for a part-time for a small travel company.  In 2005, following hurricane Wilma, which devastated Cancun, Susan began writing travel blogs and articles about Cancun. 
Susan has been living & working in Cancun for over 8 years and gazes at the Caribbean Sea as often as possible.  Aside from gazing at the sea, she spends her free time playing with her six rambunctious dogs, reading, going to the movies, or dining out with friends.

Read more about Susan Vincil here.

Connect with Susan via: Blog | Twitter | Google+


Share

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Flipboard
×

×