Cozumel Expects Over 7,000 Attendees for Fifth Mexican Caribbean Gastronomic Festival

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The island of Cozumel is preparing to welcome more than 7,000 people for the fifth edition of the Mexican Caribbean Gastronomic Festival, set for February 21 and 22. The event is solidifying its status as one of the region’s premier culinary gatherings and a driver for local tourism and economic activity.

Coconut Takes Center Stage

Organized by the Gastronomy Promotion Committee, this year’s festival will feature coconut as the guest ingredient, highlighting its cultural, historical, and culinary significance in the Mexican Caribbean identity. Coconut will be showcased in sweet and savory dishes, as well as beverages.

Quintana Roo’s Deputy Tourism Secretary, Andrés Aguilar Becerril, announced that the festival will bring together the cuisine, culture, and traditions of the 12 destinations in the Mexican Caribbean. He said it strengthens the state’s tourism promotion through its gastronomic wealth and the talent of chefs and traditional cooks.

Free Entry, Accessible Experience

Aguilar Becerril detailed that entry to the event will be free, while food and drink purchases will use a gastropeso system, making the experience accessible to both local residents and national and international visitors. The festival will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both days.

Tourism officials said they expect to surpass the attendance recorded at the previous edition in Bacalar, which could translate to hotel occupancy above 80 percent in Cozumel that weekend. This reinforces the state’s strategy to diversify its tourism offerings.

“The Mexican Caribbean Gastronomic Festival has established itself as a platform to promote regional gastronomy, the consumption of local products, and the culinary identity of Quintana Roo, positioning the state as a reference for gastronomic tourism in Mexico,” Aguilar Becerril stated.