Playa del Carmen Mexican Cooking Experience and Local Markets Tour

Badge of ExcellencePlaya del Carmen, Mexico

5 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Chefs, home cooks, and foodies who appreciate a good meal will enjoy this hands-on cooking class led by a local. Meet up with your host and the rest of your small class at a local spot, then hit the shops and spice markets to gather ingredients for the meal. You’ll be cooking at your hosts’s home, and the best part is that you get to eat the dishes you prepare.

Learn how to make authentic corn tortillas
Vegans and vegetarians welcome
Prepare traditional Mexican dishes with a small group
Prepare a meal in a local’s home for an authentic experience

Sample Menu

Starter

Guacamole

Learn to cook Salsas, Guacamole and the best of the traditional Mexican recipes

What's Included

Bottled water
Food tasting
All ingredients
Cooking class by Master Chef
Lunch
Snacks

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Electrica y Plomeria Silva
50 Avenida Nte., Ejidal, 77712 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
Please ask the driver to drop you off at the corner of "SILVA" store; Chef Alma will be waiting for you right there.

Start time

09:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Stroller accessible
Language: English & Spanish

Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Please Let us know about Food Allergies, Food restrictions or Mobility issues
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Kris_R

Alma was very friendly and funny. She taught us a lot about Playa's history & culture. The food we made was excellent. We loved everything. She adjusts menus accordingly if there are allergies. We will definitely go back next time we are in the area.

Reviews

5.0

227 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 227 reviews

So fun!

Elissa_P, Apr 2024

Excellent. We had an amazing time yesterday cooking and learning so much history about Mexico and playa del Carmen. Thank you again!

Absolutely Fabulous Food & Fun

Katherine_S, Mar 2024

Alma and team were fabulous at fulfilling and exceeding expectations. We were a family of four with kids 6 & 9 years old. They ensured everything was engaging and enjoyable for the kids and indulged my husband and I in history and culture. The food was absolutely fabulous and the margaritas were top notch! Everyone enjoyed the stroll through the neighborhood to get the items for the meal as well as the cooking experience. It's obvious Alma has inveated a lot of time and energy into curating the perfect menu and itinerary. Highly recommend, especially as a family activity.

Craig_K, Mar 2024

Our teenage son picked this experience, and initially my husband and I were skeptical about cooking in a “stranger’s” house, but in just a few short hours, it felt like Alma and Lilly (our knowledgeable and wonderful chefs) were family. We began by meeting at a plumbing store. Don’t’ worry - it’s just a good landmark to meetup. We had a brief walk to Chef Alma’s home and learned a bit about the history of Playa Del Carmen. We were then ready to explore the town a bit. We saw a local tortilla maker and gained an immense appreciation for the art of making quality, delicious, fresh tortillas. Then we headed to a local convenience store to get a sense of the local neighborhood. And we ended at the premium produce market to see the local ingredients and meet the store’s cat! Then we headed home to start cooking. We learned the fundamental flavors to Mexican cuisine. Everyone had a job from crushing peppers with mortar, to chopping veggies, to making our own fresh tortillas - we all got involved in making our special lunch. One of our party was a vegetarian, and Chef Alma had no trouble in accommodating the dietary differences. We left our day with full bellies and full hearts, happy to have shared our cultures. What a beautiful way to experience this area firsthand!

Highly recommended

Andre_G, Feb 2024

Alma was a perfect host and her cooking instruction were easy to follow and interesting to learn. Enjoy your class

Great local cooking experience

K_P, Feb 2024

Alma shared the history of the growth of Playa del Carmen, and her day to day life here. The menu we prepared was simple and easy to replicate back home.

Great experience!

Marla_R, Feb 2024

Really wonderful and interesting to spend the morning with Alma and Lilly. We even learned to make tortillas!

Local Mexican experience

Jill_M, Jan 2024

Auntie and Chef were perfect hosts! Learned a lot of region and Mexican cooking! Thanks for a great mexican experience.

Great Time

James_B, Dec 2023

Enjoyed atmosphere of bring in someone home in another country. Enjoyed her story telling about food and family

Excellent food, and an even better experience

Andrew_W, Nov 2023

We had an excellent time with Alma and her aunt. She shared about this history of Playa, and her culinary experiences. We loved learning to make tamales, salsas, and tortillas, and the margaritas were an extra perk! Would strongly recommend this experience to anyone looking to connect with the local community, and learn about local cuisine. Truly a unique experience with wonderful people.

Cookin Playa is Fantastic

Alan_E, Nov 2023

What a fantastic experience. Alma and Tia are fantastic!! Walking to the local market and tortillaria was fun and educational. The cooking class was phenomenal, the guacamole, rice, salsa, mole and margaritas were fabulous. If you’re looking for something other than snorkeling I highly suggest this experience. I will definitely be using these techniques and recipes at home. Highly recommend this one! Thanks Alma and Tia.

Mom's cooking in Mexico 🇲🇽

Lisa_D, Oct 2023

We arrived to meet Alma and knew that we were going to have the best time because she has a fun personality and started off with a joke. We learned so many simple things that we will take with us the rest of our lives. This was a definite must if you want to learn about Mexican food. WOW! 😘 I promise you will not be disappointed.

Wonderful experience!

Jennifer_L, Sep 2023

We absolutely loved this experience. Chef Alma was wonderful as was her Tia Lily! Alma took us to a local market to shop for fresh items and told us all about the local history. Very interesting. We cooked at her family's charming compound and met her aunt. We made delicious food and learned a lot! This is a wonderful way to experience local culture and connect with people!

Well Worth It

Cassie_L, Aug 2023

Hands down one of the best food experiences we’ve ever had! Chef Alma and our new favorite auntie taught us how to navigate local markets, make salsa, guacamole, tamales, tacos, and so much more! They kept us laughing for hours and the food was INCREDIBLE. Thank you to these amazing ladies for sharing your corner of the world with us.

Worth it!

Jennifer, Jul 2023

I loved learning about the (short) history of Playa del Carmen, and the food we made was delicious! Very friendly instructor with perfect English (she spent many years in the US) and her amazing aunt.

Cooking fun !!!!

Janelle_M, Jul 2023

This cooking experience has it all. You learn some history of Playa Del Carmen as well as shop at their local market. Alma is a wonderful instructor. She gives great instruction and helpful tips while cooking our food. Once we have prepared our meal we sat down and enjoyed our delicious food with a mango margarita. I would highly recommend this experience.

Exceptional and delicious

Bryanna_D, Jun 2023

Absolutely incredible! Alma walked us through the neighborhood, talked about the history and her story of living in the area. She took us to local stores and then back to her beautiful home to prepare some dishes! Everything was delicious and it was a very fun experience for us preparing the meal and hanging out with her and her aunt! We got to take home a full belly, apron and a cookbook. Highly recommend

Delightfully delicioso

Joseph_K, Apr 2023

Learned a lot about Mexican history and culture. Introduced to a new method to prepare and steam tamales (in banana leaves).

Great time

Karen_W, Mar 2023

Awesome experience Learned a lot and had fun, bought myself a tortilla press when I got back to the US and even successfully made tortillas from scratch.

An unforgettable experience

Brendan_Z, Mar 2023

Alma and Lily were so lovely inviting us into their home and kitchen. Alma was super knowledgeable about Playa del Carmen and Mexican cuisine and we had a thoroughly enjoyable day!

Fascinating foodie morning with a local legend

Ella_S, Mar 2023

Chef alma is a highly trained chef and very generous host. She took us on a lovely walk through her neighbourhood, showing us the best food and suppliers and how we can select perfect ingredients. We then returned to her house for a fun and educational cooking session with her lovely auntie. We had a fab day, and will be recommending it to anyone who visits the area!

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