Huay-Pix, Quintana Roo — The small lagoon community of Huay-Pix, located just outside Chetumal, is preparing to host its first Festival de la Jaiba, a new food-focused event designed to draw more visitors to southern Quintana Roo through local gastronomy, nature, and community tourism.
The festival will take place July 31 through August 2 along Laguna Milagros, one of the best-known natural attractions in the area. The event is being organized through the Descubre el Sur tourism promotion program, in coordination with local restaurateurs, tourism representatives, business sponsors, and municipal tourism officials.
For restaurant owners in Huay-Pix, the festival is more than a weekend event. It is a chance to place the community more firmly on the tourism map. Local service providers said they had wanted to organize this type of activity for years but had not found the right support to make it happen. Their message is simple: they want people to look toward Huay-Pix.
That concern is easy to understand. Although the community is only about 10 to 15 kilometers from Chetumal, many residents of the state capital still do not know it well. Restaurateurs say that is beginning to change as more organizations join forces to promote the area.
The event has received support from Gustavo Pech, president of the Tourism Commission in the Othón P. Blanco municipal government, who has been involved in organizing the festival through the broader Descubre el Sur effort.
That program was created to promote the tourism assets of southern Quintana Roo, including restaurants, hotels, archaeological zones, lagoons, natural attractions, and community-based experiences. The goal is to give visitors clearer information about where to go, what to do, and which local services are available in and around Chetumal.
Débora Angulo, a representative of the hotel association for the southern and central region of Quintana Roo, said the purpose of the festival is to strengthen tourism promotion and encourage people from Chetumal, other parts of Mexico, and abroad to discover the natural attractions of the south, particularly Laguna Milagros.
The festival’s theme is built around jaiba, or crab, a familiar ingredient in the coastal and lagoon communities of the region. Organizers are promoting the event under the slogan “Enamorando tu paladar a la orilla de la Laguna Milagros,” inviting visitors to fall in love with local flavors beside the lagoon.
Participating restaurants are expected to serve dishes featuring crab and other regional seafood. Local reports named restaurants including La Jaiba Borracha, Brisas del Caribe, El Abuelo, Maya Luum, Nayo Princess, and Las Miches Chingonas among those involved.
The choice of Huay-Pix is also part of the appeal. The community sits beside Laguna Milagros, a turquoise lagoon that forms part of a larger water system connected with the Estero de Chac, Xul-Ha, Bacalar, and the Río Hondo. The area is known for calm water, kayaking, boat rides, swimming, waterfront restaurants, cabins, camping areas, and easy day trips from Chetumal.
Municipal tourism materials describe Huay-Pix as a destination where visitors can enjoy both natural scenery and local food. Seafood, fish dishes, and jaiba al mojo de ajo are among the regional specialties associated with the community.
Laguna Milagros has also been used for rowing and canoeing activities, and the nearby Estero de Chac is promoted as a route for kayaking and boat tours through clear water and mangroves. For travelers who already know Bacalar, Huay-Pix offers a quieter, less crowded southern lagoon experience within easy reach of the state capital.
The First Festival de la Jaiba is also part of a larger push to diversify tourism in Quintana Roo. While the northern part of the state remains dominated by Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the Riviera Maya, southern communities have been working to attract visitors with nature, food, culture, history, and lower-key experiences.
That is especially important for Othón P. Blanco, where tourism has long been overshadowed by the larger beach destinations to the north. Events like this give small communities a practical way to build recognition while keeping the economic benefits close to local families and businesses.
The festival will run for three days, with participation from local restaurateurs and sponsorship from various business organizations. Additional program details are expected to be announced closer to the date.
For visitors, the appeal is straightforward: local crab dishes, lagoon views, small-community hospitality, and a reason to explore a part of Quintana Roo that often gets overlooked.
For Huay-Pix, the hope is bigger. The community wants people to stop seeing the south as something to pass through and start seeing it as a destination worth visiting.
