Mayan Cooking Class in Cozumel: Learn Ancient Recipes

Cook Mayan dishes the way they've been made for centuries

This hands-on cooking class in Cozumel teaches you to prepare four traditional Mayan recipes using ancestral ingredients and methods. You'll make beans with pork, cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork marinated in sour orange and red spices), sikilp'aak (a regional snack), and cornbread dessert. A live guide leads the class in English or Spanish, and children from age 5 are welcome to join.

The experience

You start by learning the foundations of Mayan cooking through the flavors themselves. The class walks you through each dish: beginning with beans and pork, the two staples of southeastern Mexican cooking, then moving to cochinita pibil, where the pork gets marinated in sour orange juice and a blend of red spices made from axiote seeds. These aren't simplified versions. You're working with the same ingredients and proportions Mayan cooks have used for generations, which means the seasoning and texture are what make the food distinctive, not a shortcut or a modern interpretation.

Sikilp'aak comes next: a snack so tied to this region that you won't find it anywhere else in Mexico. The class shows you why it matters locally and how to build it from scratch. By the end, you finish with cornbread dessert made without flour, which shifts how you think about what cornbread can be. The whole sequence takes about three hours, and you're making, not watching. The guide is there to show technique and answer questions, but your hands are doing the work.

The class is wheelchair accessible, and the space welcomes infants in a pram or stroller as well as children from age 5 who want to participate. Service animals are allowed. Public transportation options are nearby if you're getting there without a car.

What’s included

• All four dishes you prepare (beans with pork, cochinita pibil, sikilp'aak, and cornbread dessert).
• live guide instruction in English or Spanish.
• use of cooking equipment and workspace.

Information

Lasts 2h 45m, runs Monday to Saturday at 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30, from US$ 60.99 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30Another time? ›

GroupPrivate2 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (13 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ix Kool

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want hands-on cooking instruction in English or Spanish where you learn techniques step-by-step, not just taste finished dishes.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What four dishes do I learn to cook in this Mayan cooking class?

You prepare beans with pork (the two foundational ingredients of southeastern Mexican cooking), cochinita pibil (pork marinated in sour orange juice and red spices made from axiote seeds), sikilp'aak (a traditional Mayan snack found only in this region), and cornbread dessert made with corn and no flour.

How long does the cooking class take?

The class runs for about three hours, giving you time to learn the technique and prepare each of the four dishes without rushing.

Is the cooking class accessible for people with mobility needs?

Yes, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and the space is set up to accommodate people with different mobility requirements.