Food, Fiesta, and Fun! Come and see the sights, taste the food, and down some drinks on this highly entertaining and educational guided walk around Cozumel's downtown square. Learn more about the island while enjoying the real tastes of Mexico on this adults-only walking excursion. Mexican distilled rum, craft beer, and tequila tasting along with authentic Mexican snacks!
Your meeting point is a short distance from the cruise piers in downtown Cozumel. Depending on which pier your ship docks at, it is a few minute's walk or taxi ride to greet your guide. Your guide for the day will not only entertain you with stories, history, and some local lore but also lead you and your taste buds on a very unique excursion!
Come prepared to have a great time! Your guide will get you checked in and pass out umbrellas, if you would like, to provide some extra shade. Large groups or small, we got you covered. Everyone will be able to hear the guide and not miss a thing. Note that all of the walking is within a 4-block radius approximately and at a slow pace!
You'll first take in some of the sights in the pedestrian-only, shade tree-lined main square area with your guide. You'll start at San Miguel Church, with its unique architecture and sculptures inside, thought to have been built in the 16th century. See and learn about the iconic Clock Tower, a symbol of Cozumel built in 1910, and its unique story of "forced" labor of the island's 322 citizens! Get some local insight into the town of San Miguel from the once sleepy fishing to the present-day vacation destination. See the enormous Mexican flag with golden eagle sculptures guarding either side of the flag pole. Enjoy a few of the amazing murals on the seawalls done by artists of the innovative ARTivism program, whose colorful art brings the message of ocean conservation around the world. Your guide will also point out other historic buildings of interest on your walk through the square. And a visit to the square is not complete without a selfie with the colorful Cozumel letter sign!
Your first stop is a walk to the Cozumel Rum Company a short 2-block walk away. Rum distillery and sugar cane production in Cozumel stopped in 1919 but rum still rules the Caribbean...just ask any pirate you find! You'll be given a welcome tea made with honey, cinnamon, and rum. You'll learn the distilling and aging process, then have the opportunity to taste some of their delicious rum made from sugar cane grown in the nearby state of Chiapas. You'll have the opportunity to taste a delicious Yuca-Tex snack (Yucatan meets Texas) such as tacos dorados filled with cochinita pibil (fried tacos with a type of pulled pork). There's an opportunity to purchase bottles of rum to take home as well.
Your second stop is just a 2 block walk away to Cerveceria Punta Sur craft beer brewery, where they make artisanal beer from cenote water and are 100% eco-friendly. Here you'll learn how it's brewed and have a chance to sample 4 different types of craft beer such as IPA, blonde ale, Jamaica Wheat, or Stout. There is also a menu if you wish to order.
Next up is a stop at a tequila shop where you'll learn how to prepare and then taste a "real" Margarita, not a touristy version. After your tequila and margarita samples, you will walk a few doors down to the famous restaurant, Casa Denis where you'll be welcomed with fresh natural fruit water, and your group will share a Yucatecan platter served family-style that includes traditional Mayan Mexican favorites such as salbutes, panuchos, empanadas, and tacos dorados. YUM! Relax and take in the scenery along the edge of the square from the oldest founded restaurant on the island dating back to 1945. Be sure to check out some of their historic photographs on the walls.
And for dessert, you will stop a few steps away at "Paleteria" (ice cream shop) to have a traditional Mexican popsicle made with fresh fruit (paleta de hielo). No worries, just as with all of the other ice, food, and beverages on this excursion, these are made with purified bottled water with flavors such as pineapple, mango with chile, watermelon, guava, strawberry, tamarindo, and many more!
At the end of your excursion, you can continue exploring on your own or you can take a taxi back to your Cozumel cruise terminal.
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