Tulum's Jaguar Park hosts Quintana Roo's first gathering of traditional cooks on November 21 and 22

Quintana Roo's first gathering of traditional cooks will be held at Tulum's Jaguar Park on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and entry is free. Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa announced it in a bulletin dated October 31, saying certified cooks from communities across the state will bring dishes made in cocinas de humo, traditional smoke kitchens.

The state government's bulletin calls it the first event of its kind in Quintana Roo's history. The Encuentro de Cocineras Tradicionales is open to residents, visitors and tourists alike, and the governor presented it alongside the state's tourism secretary, Bernardo Cueto Riestra. Cooks will come from Chetumal, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Nuevo Durango and Lázaro Cárdenas, "entre muchas," among many, according to the announcement.

What will be on the table

The bulletin names several dishes. Taco de pulpo con castacán pairs octopus with castacán, a Yucatecan pork cut with a layer of skin browned until crisp, which México Desconocido calls a staple of the southeast that few people know in the rest of the country. Relleno negro is a Yucatecan turkey stew made with recado negro, a black seasoning paste; relleno blanco is on the list too. Chalupitas de chaya y toksel bring together chaya, a leafy green native to the Yucatán peninsula, and toksel; the bulletin's list goes on to mention a white-bean stew prepared over hot stone. Other dishes were promised but not named.

The bulletin says those attending will be able to try these specialties. It does not say whether the food will be served free or sold by the cooks, so it is worth carrying some cash.

Why Jaguar Park

The choice of venue fits a pattern. Jaguar Park, the protected park that takes in Tulum's archaeological zone, has hosted more of Tulum's public program this autumn. In October the state culture institute scheduled part of the Festival de Cultura del Caribe at its visitor services center, as we reported in our piece on Tulum's October sport, culture and artisan calendar. The cooks' gathering is narrower and more domestic: a weekend built around, in the bulletin's words, the traditional cooking of Quintana Roo's Maya communities.

What is not yet known

The announcement leaves several practical details open. It gives no number of participating cooks, no daily program, and no exact spot inside the park, which is large. Nor does it say whether the gathering will become an annual fixture. For now, the dates, the hours, the venue and the free entry are the confirmed facts.

For anyone in Tulum that weekend, it is a chance to eat food from across the state, prepared by certified traditional cooks.

Sources: Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo, "Anuncia Mara Lezama Primer Encuentro de Cocineras tradicionales de Quintana Roo en Tulum," October 31, 2026; México Desconocido, "Castacán de Mérida, un manjar poco conocido."