Isla Mujeres Ceviche and Cocktail Contests for 176th Anniversary

ISLA MUJERES, Quintana Roo — Ceviche, cocktails and local bragging rights will all be on the menu this August as Isla Mujeres celebrates its 176th anniversary with two culinary competitions open to cooks, mixologists and food enthusiasts.

The municipality has opened registration for the fifth edition of the El Cangrejito Playero Ceviche Contest, scheduled for Friday, August 7, and the Isleño Cocktail Contest, which will take place Thursday, August 13.

Both events will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Plaza in downtown Isla Mujeres and form part of the island’s annual Fiestas de Fundación, a weeks-long celebration of local history, music, food and traditions.

Mayor Atenea Gómez Ricalde said the competitions are intended to preserve and promote the island’s culinary identity by highlighting recipes, ingredients and traditions connected to Isla Mujeres while creating opportunities for local talent to be recognized.

For residents and visitors, the events also offer something a little more interactive than the usual anniversary concert or ceremony. Contestants prepare ceviches and cocktails inspired by the flavors of the island, with prizes going to the five highest-ranked entries in each competition. All participants receive recognition certificates.

The Ceviche Contest Returns for a Fifth Year

The El Cangrejito Playero 2026 Ceviche Contest will be held Friday, August 7.

The competition is open to people interested in preparing traditional ceviche or their own variations, provided the dishes highlight ingredients and flavors representative of Isla Mujeres.

Registration closes Wednesday, August 5.

The contest has become part of the island’s anniversary traditions. In 2025, the fourth edition was held during the Fiestas de Fundación and drew cooks competing with ceviches designed to showcase local seafood and Caribbean flavors.

Ceviche is a particularly fitting centerpiece for an Isla Mujeres celebration. Long before tourism became the island’s dominant industry, fishing was central to the local economy and way of life, and seafood remains an essential part of the island’s culinary identity.

A Cocktail Contest Inspired by the Island

The Isleño Cocktail Contest 2026 follows on Thursday, August 13, also at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Plaza. Competitors are asked to create drinks using ingredients representative of the destination. Registration closes Tuesday, August 11.

Although some initial announcements have described this as an inaugural event, municipal records show that the Isleño Cocktail Contest was already in its fourth edition in 2025. Last year, mixologist Julio Quiroz took first place and a 10,000-peso prize, Diana Muñiz finished second with 5,000 pesos, and Oswaldo Alcaraz placed third with 3,500 pesos.

How to Enter

Registration for either competition costs 600 pesos. Participants can register in person at the General Directorate of Economic Development and Tourism, located on Avenida Guerrero, without street number, in downtown Isla Mujeres, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Entry forms can also be requested by email at: im.dirgraltur@gmail.com

The corresponding payment order must be obtained to pay the registration fee. Contestants are expected to follow the official rules and use ingredients that reflect the culinary character of Isla Mujeres.

The top five contestants in each competition will receive prizes, although the municipality has not yet publicly detailed the exact 2026 prize amounts in the announcements reviewed. All entrants will receive participation certificates.

Part of a Much Bigger Island Celebration

The food and cocktail competitions are just two events in a much larger program marking the 176th anniversary of Isla Mujeres.

The island traces its modern founding to 1850, when Maya and Yucatecan families fleeing the Caste War settled there and established the community then known as Dolores. Federal historical records date the founding of the Pueblo de Dolores, now Isla Mujeres, to August 1850.

The 2026 Fiestas de Fundación began in late July and continue through August with cultural performances, music, sports, gastronomy and traditional ceremonies. The official anniversary celebrations are designed for both local families and visitors.

The two culinary contests fit naturally into that larger celebration. Isla Mujeres may now be internationally known for its beaches and tourism, but its identity has always been closely connected to the sea, fishing and the food traditions built around them.

This August, anyone with a favorite ceviche recipe or a talent for mixing a distinctly island-inspired cocktail has a chance to put that creativity to the test before a live audience.

And for everyone else, the Municipal Plaza should offer a pretty good place to watch, cheer and see what Isla Mujeres tastes like in 2026.