I journey for meals, and I’ve simply discovered the most effective Caribbean cruise port for foodies: Cozumel, Mexico.
Mexican meals is among the many world’s hottest cuisines for a motive: it’s recent, flavorful, various, and spicy. In spite of everything, who doesn’t love chips, guacamole, and tacos?
And though Cozumel is greatest recognized for its seashores and world-renowned scuba diving, I made a decision to plan a self-guided meals tour on my current cruise ship port day.
The plan was easy: discover essentially the most scrumptious, genuine Mexican eating places in Cozumel for breakfast, lunch, and dessert. But with solely 8 hours in port earlier than my cruise ship would depart the island, I knew I needed to strategize to seek out the most effective meals in such a brief period of time.
Comply with me on a self-guided meals tour in Cozumel, which is able to absolutely encourage you to eat your approach round Mexico in your subsequent Caribbean cruise. I hope you’re hungry!
Attending to downtown Cozumel
When you’re visiting Cozumel on a cruise, there are two predominant cruise terminals: the Langosta pier, situated proper downtown, and the Worldwide Cruise Terminal, situated three miles south of downtown.
Royal Caribbean ships dock on the Worldwide terminal, so we paid $8 one-way for a taxi from the port to downtown. For comfort, I had the taxi driver drop us off at Parque Benito Juárez, the principle sq. in downtown San Miguel de Cozumel.
From right here, numerous eating places, retailers, and points of interest are inside strolling distance, and the sq. is a soothing place to spend time all through the day.
After a quick stroll across the sq., it was time to test off our first merchandise of the day: breakfast.
Breakfast
Tacos and enchiladas might get all the eye on the subject of Mexican delicacies, however Mexican breakfast is severely underrated. Whether or not candy pastries or hearty plates of eggs, tortillas, and salsa, you’ll be able to’t go improper with breakfast in Mexico.
Listed below are a few of the greatest breakfast dishes to attempt if you go to Cozumel:
- Chilaquiles: tortilla chips simmered in a crimson or inexperienced sauce, typically served with eggs or rooster
- Huevos rancheros: fried eggs positioned over crispy corn tortillas and topped with a crimson salsa
- Huevos divorciados: a type of huevos rancheros drenched in inexperienced salsa on one aspect and crimson on the opposite
- Huevos motuleños: A Yucatán specialty of fried eggs on tortillas served with black beans, cheese, ham, and peas
- Concha: a candy, fluffy bread topped with a crackly crust that resembles a seashell
Mexican breakfast is, by far, my favourite kind of meals to eat in Mexico. There are numerous eating places providing breakfast downtown, however I settled on La Candela, a breakfast and lunch restaurant situated just some blocks from town middle.
The ambiance of the restaurant was charming, with a palapa-style roof and open-air patio. I ordered the chilaquiles—my favourite Mexican dish—whereas my dad ordered huevos divorciados.
Each dishes far exceeded my expectations. Actually, the chilaquiles have been the most effective, most flavorful chilaquiles I’ve ever had. I am nonetheless dreaming about them every week later!
After all, you’ll be able to’t get pleasure from breakfast and not using a fresh-squeezed jugo de naranja (orange juice).
In complete, we spent 300 pesos ($16 USD) on breakfast.
Meals markets
After breakfast, we needed to proceed trying out Cozumel’s meals scene, so we headed to the Mercado Municipal, simply an 8 minute stroll from Parque Benito Juárez.
From the unimaginable aroma of barbecued beef and chili peppers to the extra… disagreeable odor within the uncooked meat aisles, Cozumel’s predominant meals market instantly ignites your entire senses.
Though not the largest open-air market I’ve been to in Mexico, the Mercado Municipal boasts eating places, produce and meat stalls, a sweet store, and aisles of comfort shops.
Strolling by way of the market could be a wonderful technique to be taught extra about each day life in Cozumel whereas sampling varied dishes, candies, and fruits.
We couldn’t cross up the prospect to attempt Mexican candies, and bought a number of for 60 pesos ($3 USD).
We walked again to Cozumel’s waterfront and loved the candies with an ocean view. This is a wonderful place for individuals watching and having fun with the ocean breeze in between your Cozumel meals tour.
Lunch
Regardless of our objectives of making an attempt as a lot meals as doable throughout our 8 hour port day, we confronted one drawback: we have been nonetheless full from breakfast! To cross the time, we headed to the Museo de Cozumel, a museum with artifacts and knowledge on the island’s historical past, geography, and tradition.
The doorway price was solely $7 USD per particular person, and I used to be impressed by the museum’s reveals and expertise, which gave me a brand new understanding and appreciation of the island. After all, the air con was a pleasant contact, too!
Hungry as soon as once more, we have been again on Cozumel’s streets in the hunt for lunch. On our technique to the market earlier within the morning, we handed many small, unassuming eating places and determined to go that approach once more.
A fast Google Maps search led me to Las Flamitas, a neighborhood spot just some blocks from the Mercado Municipal. The very first thing I seen as I approached the restaurant was a nonchalant chalkboard with a listing of each day specials, and I took that as a great signal.
Our waiters have been exceptionally pleasant at Las Flamitas, and we began the meal with a refreshing bottle of Fresca soda adopted by a comforting bowl of rooster soup, which got here included with our meal.
For our predominant programs, I ordered enchiladas with inexperienced salsa and my dad ordered rooster fajitas. Simply as we hoped, each dishes have been flavorful, recent, and satisfying, though we discovered it a bit humorous that the fajitas have been served with a aspect of spaghetti!
In complete, we spent 280 pesos on lunch, or $15 USD, and I’d positively come again to Las Flamitas once more.
Bakeries
Within the temper for one thing candy? Cozumel has you lined, and the second I stumbled upon La Cozumeleña bakery, I knew I needed to choose up some pan dulce.
Like Mexican breakfast, Mexican bakeries are extremely underrated, however when you attempt the varied assortment of baked items—from savory empanadas to fruit-filled desserts—it’s straightforward to turn out to be addicted.
I settled on three objects: a coconut empanada, guava and cheese empanada, and oatmeal-cinnamon cookie. The coconut empanada was the clear winner, however you’ll be able to’t go improper with any Mexican bakery merchandise!
Road meals stalls
Our remaining cease of the day was again to Parque Benito Juárez, the place we had one remaining objective: avenue meals.
If there’s something that will get me enthusiastic about tasting new cuisines, it’s avenue meals, however I used to be upset to see only some avenue meals stalls throughout my day on the town. I could have been within the improper space or maybe the road meals scene is extra energetic at night time, however I anticipated to see extra meals carts round downtown.
Nonetheless, my plan was to discover a avenue meals stall promoting marquesitas, a dessert native to Mexico’s Yucatán state. These candy snacks are made by rolling a skinny crepe like a taco and filling it with caramel, condensed milk, edam cheese, and different non-compulsory components like recent fruits or jam.
Sadly, my seek for marquesitas in downtown Cozumel left me empty handed, as many of the avenue stalls I noticed weren’t open.
I used to be nonetheless decided to seize dessert from one in every of Cozumel’s meals stands, although, so I continued strolling across the park in search of one thing to eat.
That is once I made maybe the most effective discovery of the day: a machacado de frutas.
In a nook of Parque Benito Juárez, in entrance of the Fats Tuesday bar, I seen an older gentleman attending to his meals cart (connected to a tricycle, would possibly I add), and I used to be instantly intrigued.
The cart was stacked with bananas and a wide range of colourful syrups together with cans of condensed milk and jars of cinnamon. Even with these context clues, I had no concept what this native man offered at his cart, so I made a decision to ask.
“¿Qué tipo de comida es esta?” What kind of meals is that this?
“Machacado,” he responded kindly.
His reply left me much more confused. I had by no means heard of this dessert earlier than (was it even a dessert?). Not like churros, flan, and tres leches cake, the phrase ‘machacado’ had by no means appeared in any Spanish textbook, YouTube video, or articles I’ve seen about Mexican meals.
Evidently, l couldn’t say no to my curiosity, and he started getting ready me the most effective dessert I’ve ever tasted in Mexico.
First got here the mashing of two bananas, which have been positioned within the backside of a big plastic cup. Subsequent was a beneficiant scooping of crushed ice, adopted by a layer of creamy sweetened condensed milk. The dessert was topped with a drizzle of vanilla syrup, which soaked into the ice beneath, and a liberal sprint of cinnamon.
I handed the gents 30 pesos (roughly $1.60 USD) and I used to be on my approach.
I had by no means tasted something fairly like this dessert earlier than. It felt as if I have been consuming a do-it-yourself cinnamon roll coated in a thick layer of icing and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
It was the whole lot I may have ever dreamed of in a dessert, and even my dad, who had simply proclaimed he ‘couldn’t eat one other chew of meals,’ stored sipping away at his machacado.
My recommendations on planning a meals tour in Cozumel
When you’re a foodie who’s concerned with discovering Mexican delicacies, I can’t advocate planning a meals tour sufficient. Cozumel definitely has attractive seashores, however strolling the colourful streets downtown and making an attempt a wide range of native eating places was, by far, the most effective day I’ve had on the island but.
Listed below are my high ideas for planning your personal meals tour in Cozumel:
Self-guided versus with a information
I deliberate a self-guided tour in Cozumel as a result of I worth the flexibleness of exploring and not using a schedule and selecting the eating places myself. Nonetheless, should you’re extra snug with a neighborhood information, you’ll be able to e-book guided meals excursions on web sites corresponding to Tripadvisor and Viator.
A guided tour will doubtless offer you extra data about Cozumel’s delicacies and take you to areas you would possibly in any other case not go to your self. On the draw back, these excursions will likely be costlier than planning the day by yourself.
Cozumel 4 You Fb Web page
A precious useful resource I used when planning this tour was the Cozumel 4 You Fb Web page. This web page is a hub of knowledge on Cozumel with restaurant suggestions and concepts on the right way to spend your day on the island.
What to do in between consuming in your meals tour
An surprising drawback we encountered throughout our day-long meals tour was not feeling hungry. When you’re planning a full day of consuming in Cozumel, you’ll run into the identical drawback, so it’s useful to know what to do in between meals.
I like to recommend visiting the Museo de Cozumel, sitting by the waterfront, and strolling round varied retailers downtown to cross the time.
A wide range of espresso retailers are situated all through downtown as properly, together with the favored Aqui + Ahora Espresso Bar, and this could be a good technique to spend time all through the day.
Obtain offline maps
Whereas Cozumel’s downtown is walkable, having Google Maps in your telephone may also help you higher navigate to your vacation spot.
When you don’t have worldwide cellphone protection in Mexico, you should definitely obtain an offline model of downtown Cozumel in Google Maps to permit for simple entry when your telephone is on airplane mode.
Pay with Mexican pesos as an alternative of US {dollars}
Whereas most locations in Cozumel will settle for US {dollars}, it is simpler to pay with pesos, particularly should you’re consuming at eating places additional away from the principle vacationer space.
There are a number of banks situated downtown with ATMs depositing pesos, and having pesos available will make your life a lot simpler all through the day. Plus, you’ll be able to guarantee you might be getting the most effective price when paying in native forex.
