The 7 wonders of Yucatan food

The Yucatecan culture has a wide range of flavors, condiments, chili peppers, vegetables and for this reason the ancestral recipes are recognized throughout the world. Here we leave you just some of the many dishes that Yucatan brings us to enjoy. Which one have you already tried?

1. Huevos Motuleños

Start your morning off right with some tasty huevos motuleños. The northern Yucatán city of Motul created this delicacy.

This dish doesn’t require any complicated ingredients. Huevos motuleños are fried tortillas topped with eggs, red onion, habaneros, refried beans, green beans, cheese, plantains, turkey ham, and a spicy salsa roja. ¡Delicioso!

Cochinita Pibil, The Best Yucatan Dishes And Yucatan Cuisine

2. Cochinita Pibil

Cochinita Pibil is one of the quintessential Yucatán dishes. A traditional way of making it is by slowly roasting a whole suckling pig in banana leaves underground.

Pork shoulder or loin are meat cuts often used as alternatives. Bitter oranges and achiote give the dish a distinct flavor. Sides typically served with Cochinita Pibil include yellow corn tortillas, refried beans, pickled red onion, and habaneros. This dish melts in your mouth!

Papadzules, The Best Yucatan Dishes And Yucatan Cuisine

3. Papadzules

If you like enchiladas, you’ll love papadzules. This dish is ancient, even older than enchiladas!

Papadzules are corn tortillas dipped in a sauce made from pumpkin seeds flavored with epazote. The tortillas have a hardboiled egg filling and a tomato and chile topping. It’s a must-try dish!

Sopa De Lima, The Best Yucatan Dishes And Yucatan Cuisine

4. Sopa de Lima

Sopa de Lima is the ultimate comfort food that will warm your soul. It translates in English as “lime soup” because of the lime used to flavor it.

The soup is simple and is typically a broth with chicken or turkey, lime juice, and seasonings such as oregano, cloves, and cumin topped with fried tortilla strips and habaneros.

No matter where you come from, this dish will make you feel at home.

Queso Relleno, The Best Yucatan Dishes And Yucatan Cuisine

5. Queso Relleno

Queso Relleno is wildly popular among locals. The dish pays tribute to the peninsula’s multicultural heritage and Dutch influences.

This melt-in-your-mouth delicacy consists of Edam cheese hollowed out and stuffed with ground meat, raisins, olives, hardboiled eggs, and seasoned with various spices. The cheese is steamed and topped with a tomato and white sauce. You’ll have to try this decadent dish!

Panuchos And Salbutes, The Best Yucatan Dishes And Yucatan Cuisine

6. Panuchos and Salbutes

Panuchos and Salbutes are very similar dishes with slight differences. Both are made with corn masa and topped with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, meat, pickled onions, and avocados. However, the corn dough for panuchos is stuffed with black beans and fried lightly.

Salbutes do not have refried beans in them and can also have pork, beef, seafood, scrambled egg, or stews as toppings. They are not as crunchy as panuchos, but both are delicious appetizers that you can buy at a panucheria with a soda on the side.

Dulce De Papaya, The Best Yucatan Dishes And Yucatan Cuisine

7. Dulce de Papaya

If you have a sweet tooth, you have to try Dulce de Papaya. This popular Yucatán dessert consists of papaya slow cooked in water with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. It is served cold, soaked in syrup, and topped with either coconut, shredded cheese, or Dutch cheese cubes. It’s the perfect treat to end your Yucatán meal!

Things to do in Isla Mujeres.

See & Do

Golf carts are a very popular mode of transportation on Isla Mujeres and, on any given day, you’ll see caravans of carts tooling around the island.  Half-day and full-day cart rentals are available. During your island tour, stop by the Turtle Farm (La Tortugranja) to see baby sea turtles and other marine life. If you are lucky, you might be able to participate in a turtle release, where humans help newly-hatched sea turtles make their way to the sea. After your visit to the turtle farm, continue going toward the southern end of the island, where you will find a small Mayan temple and spectacular sea views. Continue your journey around the island and you will pass by the “seashell house”, an unconventional home that is built in the shape of a conch shell. Make your way back to the north end of the island, to North Beach, and finish your island tour by shopping and having some ice-cold cervezas (beers) at one of the quaint beach bars.

Eat

Isla Mujeres is small and narrow, so water is always nearby. For that reason, dining by the sea, or somewhere with a water view  is quite common. Finding fresh seafood is not difficult either. Go to any of the seaside restaurants in the downtown area and on North Beach and you’ll have some of the freshest, most delicious (and relatively inexpensive too!) seafood that you’ve ever tasted. In fact, many times, the fish is caught just moments before it’s served to you. The restaurants on the beach may not look like much, but don’t let that fool you. Some of the best food you can find, in Mexico, is often served at the most unassuming of venues. Minino’s, located just steps away from the Ultramar ferry dock, is one of those unassuming restaurants that serves delicious, fresh food at low prices.

Party

Life on the island is very laid back and relaxed and you will not find much nightlife here. There are a number of bars open in the evening but people wanting late-night parties in big nightclubs will be majorly disappointed on Isla Mujeres. Sure, there are a couple of discos (clubs are still often referred to as “discos”, in Mexico) on the island but the nightlife pales in comparison to that of Cancun, which is only a short ferry ride away. When on Isla Mujeres, Jax Bar & Grill is one of the best spots for a fun-filled night out on the town. They have live music, gourmet food, great drink prices, and an ocean view…although, you’ll have to return for a meal, during daylight hours, to enjoy the ocean view.

Stay

Visitors to Isla Mujeres will find a wide variety of lodging options, at different price levels.  A number of bed & breakfasts, boutique hotels, luxury resorts, and condos can be found on the island, but Hotel Villa Rolandi Thalasso Spa, Gourmet & Beach Club is the best and brightest of them all.  This 35-suite, boutique hotel has been a fixture on Isla Mujeres for many years and is known for its fantastic food and outstanding service, and, most recently, for it’s full-service spa. The resort does not have stuffy dress codes, like some other nearby resorts of this caliber. Fitting with the island’s casual vibe, jeans and t-shirts are fully acceptable attire at Villa Rolandi. When making hotel reservations, you can choose between two different meal plans. This upscale resort only accepts guests ages 13 and older.

Shop

The downtown area (at the north end of the island, by the ferry docks) is the island’s main locale for shopping. You’ll find the typical souvenir & t-shirt shops in this area but, if you want to purchase unique mementos or gifts; like wood carvings, Talavery pottery, hand-painted rugs, or handicrafts and works of art created by local artists, you will find those too. There are also shops and boutiques that carry bathing suits, beach bags, silver jewelry, cigars, batik clothing & clothing from different parts of Mexico.

Cancun Underwater Museum of Art – MUSA

8 years ago, in 2009 a monumental underwater contemporary museum of art called MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte) was formed.

On land, Mexico is widely regarded as a country shrouded in the magic and mystery of ancient Mayan histories and traditions.

But the big blue ocean that surrounds this remarkable part of paradise houses many secrets of its own…

Prepare to be enchanted by a little-known spectacle awaiting to be discovered on the ocean bed floor.

There is an underwater world that lies beneath the crystal clear waters of Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and Punta Nizuc.

Inhabited by over 500 eerie structures it is a sight not to be missed!

What is the Underwater Museum of Art?

Roberto Díaz Abraham (former President of the Cancun Nautical Association) and Jaime González Cano (Director of the National Marine Park) founded the project in an attempt to save, protect, and promote the vibrant coral reefs that surround Quintana Roo.

Together they hired an English Sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor to create the intricate and striking structures that would later be submerged in the water.

Museum of art

Today, in MUSA there are now over 500 permanent life-sized structures and it is one of the largest and most ambitious underwater attractions in the world.

Unlike conventional museums there are no walls, the only thing separating it from the rest of the world is the big blue ocean. Are you ready to dive in?

Why did they build the Underwater Museum of Art?

This genius idea aims to demonstrate a conscious interaction between art and environmental science.

The structures, over time, will hopefully form part of a complex reef structure for marine life to colonize and inhabit.

Museum of art

All of the sculptures are fixed to the seabed and made out of specialized materials. The marine grade cement consists of a PH-neutral surface that promotes coral growth.

Taylor allowed the plaster to dry before removing it and filling in the remainder of the sculptures.

Since they were submerged the statues have become covered in algae and coral, they sure are a stunning sight to behold!

If you visit you may notice that some of the structures look like people you would meet in your everyday life.

Taylor did this on purpose as a satirical commentary on humanity. He created “The Banker”, a series of men in business suits who have their heads buried in the sand.

He got the idea after visiting a climate-change conference in Cancun.

“It represents the loud acknowledgment made about the issue, but when it comes to taking action nobody wants to stick their neck out and do something about it,” Taylor said about the work.

His masterpieces are scattered across the ocean bed floor occupying an area of over 420sq meters.  In total, the sculptures weigh in at over 200 tons.

museum of art

How do you visit MUSA?

Snorkeling

On our Isla Contoy & Isla Mujeres and Cancun Catamaran to Isla Mujeres tours there is the opportunity to snorkel areas of the Underwater Museum of Art, however, visibility can sometimes be limited dependant on the weather.

On a beautiful day, it is likely you will see them, but some of the structures are situated 8 meters deep.

This is the perfect choice for people who still want to witness the amazing museum, but aren’t comfortable going fully underwater.

The water surrounding Isla Mujeres is often shallow and you are guaranteed to see some vibrant marine life.

Glass Bottom Boats

Unfortunately, we don’t offer this option here at PlayaDelCarmen.Com, however, for people not comfortable being in the ocean, there are tours that offer to take you in a glass bottom boat.

You can inquire about this option from tour stands in Playa del Carmen, Tulum, or Cancun. It’s an activity for all ages, and you’ll be able to view the depths of the ocean without getting wet at all.

Are you ready to explore this underwater world frozen in time beneath the depths of the ocean?

Need a little more convincing?