Puerto Morelos Announces Fifth Caribbean Grill Festival, Expects 4,000 Visitors

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo — Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Muñoz led a press conference announcing the fifth edition of the Caribbean Grill Festival, which will take place on Oct. 24 and 25 at Ventana al Mar and Parque Fundadores.

The event will bring together 22 grill specialists from Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico City, Nuevo León, Querétaro, Jalisco and Spain. The program includes grilling classes and workshops, masterclasses, wine and craft beer tastings, a chocolate tasting, and participation from local entrepreneurs and artisans. Live music, DJ sets and local and invited bands round out the lineup.

Merari said Puerto Morelos stands out for a culinary scene that blends with the destination’s natural surroundings, and predicted the festival would match the success of previous editions while boosting local commerce and benefiting families in the municipality.

“Our commitment as a municipal government is to provide security,” she said. “During these two days we want everyone who comes to take away the best possible experience and feel safe coming and returning home. We will do the same with Traffic, Civil Protection and Firefighters so that everyone can be at ease.”

The mayor said the 2025 edition drew more than 3,000 visitors and that organizers expect about 4,000 attendees this year, along with a larger contingent of chefs from other states and from abroad.

“We are looking for this cultural and gastronomic exchange,” she said. “Puerto Morelos is now also recognized for its local cuisine, and we want to bring out the best of all of it so that those who visit us enjoy themselves and come back.”

Chef Luis David Sánchez Orea said this fifth edition will feature specialists from Querétaro, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, as well as grillers from Spain, strengthening the festival’s national and international character. Organizers will set up 40 stands: 22 for grillers and 18 for beverages and other experiences.

They estimate the event will consume about two tons of protein, including cuts of meat, fish and seafood from various brands. Eighteen experiences are planned across the two days, among them grilling classes, masterclasses, wine and craft beer tastings and a chocolate tasting.

For the second consecutive year, a percentage of ticket sales will be donated to the Sistema DIF Quintana Roo, reflecting the festival’s charitable component.

Elena Gutiérrez Briceño, secretary of Economic Development and Regulatory Improvement, said the festival is also an opportunity to drive the local economy by creating space for entrepreneurs and artisans from Puerto Morelos.

“This festival is much more than a gastronomic festival; it moves the economy of Puerto Morelos,” she said. “For this fifth edition we are planning an artisan corridor where our artisans and entrepreneurs will take part.”

Karina Vázquez Díaz, secretary of Sustainable Tourism, invited residents and visitors to enjoy the gathering, describing it as a chance for community life and a boost to culinary tourism, with expected spending that will benefit local businesses.

Alejandro García, operations manager for Grupo Daniel Ovadía in the southeast and manager of the Buba restaurant, thanked municipal authorities for their support in sustaining a festival he said was born to stay in Puerto Morelos.

Zuko García Miranda, the festival’s director of marketing and communications, highlighted the entertainment lineup, which includes DJs, local bands, a group from Chile and a performance by Daniel Gutiérrez, lead singer of the band La Gusana Ciega.