Cozumel Food Tours

[Ski Mom 2]

Has anyone been on the Cozumel Food Tours? Will be there next week and wondered how it was. Thanks!

[c-leg5]

7 hours ago, Ski Mom 2 said:

Has anyone been on the Cozumel Food Tours? Will be there next week and wondered how it was. Thanks!

we have taken the food tour and Cooking with Josefina through Cozumel Chef. 
 

Both were very good and an interesting change. There is a lot of food included on the food tour. It is not a budget tour, despite the local food, but you are driven in a private vehicle from place to place (and places the average tourist wouldn’t frequent) so very little walking necessary.

 

There are some good reviews on the internet.  I read several and knew what to expect before we went. Not sure if you want a spoiler ( ignore if you don’t!) but this is a good review and very similar to our tour.

https://globalmunchkins.com/destinations/travel-abroad/cozumel-chef-food-tour-review/

 

[Ski Mom 2]

28 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

we have taken the food tour and Cooking with Josefina through Cozumel Chef. 
 

Both were very good and an interesting change. There is a lot of food included on the food tour. It is not a budget tour, despite the local food, but you are driven in a private vehicle from place to place (and places the average tourist wouldn’t frequent) so very little walking necessary.

 

There are some good reviews on the internet.  I read several and knew what to expect before we went. Not sure if you want a spoiler ( ignore if you don’t!) but this is a good review and very similar to our tour.

https://globalmunchkins.com/destinations/travel-abroad/cozumel-chef-food-tour-review/

 

Thank you so much for the link and information! We have done Cooking with Josefina (with only 1 other couple!) and it was wonderful! This looks delightful and I can't wait!!

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Ski Mom 2

[airlink diva]

I highly suggest taking this tour!  I did it in 2018 as a solo cruiser.  There was only five of us on the tour.  We had a driver and tour guide Gerry.

Tour is about four hours so no worrying about getting back to the ship too late.  It's also like a tour of Cozumel that many don't see.  We ate in local places,went to the market and a bakery at the end.

There was one person in our group that was a vegan, and she had equal items to enjoy.

It's a great tour if you want something different than a beach day and without being in a crowd.

I book Cozumel Food Tours.  

[Jenny in TX]

We just did the Cozumel Food Tour this last week and loved it!  We went with our parents who are in their early 70's and everyone enjoyed it and the food was delicious!  Our guide was Gerry and he was wonderful!

[c-leg5]

3 hours ago, Jenny in TX said:

We just did the Cozumel Food Tour this last week and loved it!  We went with our parents who are in their early 70's and everyone enjoyed it and the food was delicious!  Our guide was Gerry and he was wonderful!

+1 for Gerry!

[G8R On Board]

This sounds like a great tour.  One question right off the bat....where do you meet the tour?  We'll be on Harmony of the Seas, docking at the International Pier.  

[c-leg5]

9 minutes ago, G8R On Board said:

This sounds like a great tour.  One question right off the bat....where do you meet the tour?  We'll be on Harmony of the Seas, docking at the International Pier.  

It used to be Mega mart at the beginning of town, $$8-10 taxi ride each way for up to 4 people. We walked back but the driver will take you back to the pier for the extra fare.it depends on time of year, heat, and mobility whether or not you want to walk. (2.5 miles)

Edited July 29, 2022 by c-leg5

[G8R On Board]

Thanks  for the info.  

 

[Ski Mom 2]

I realized I didn’t report back after our tour. It was WONDERFUL! We did meet at the Mega Mart and it turned out we were the only ones on the tour! So it was my husband and myself, the tour guide and the driver. We made so many stops and all the owners and workers were so friendly and the food and drinks so so good. The driver took us back to our ship and we paid him for that and ripped both him and the tour guide and they deserved it. Book it!!

[hrt4girls]

This looks so interesting.  Our ship doesn't arrive until noon.  The food tours that I found have a starting time earlier than that.  Does anyone know of a food tour that starts later?  We are in port from noon to 8pm.  Thanks

[Ski Mom 2]

Why not ask the food tours you’re interested in if they will adjust the times for you especially if you explain the timing of your ship?

[c-leg5]

3 minutes ago, Ski Mom 2 said:

Why not ask the food tours you’re interested in if they will adjust the times for you especially if you explain the timing of your ship?

I agree it is worth a shot especially if they don’t already have a group booked. However, certain restaurants, especially family owned local places often only open for a few hours per day - maybe lunch, maybe dinner and afternoons can be siesta. But I agree you have nothing to lose by asking.
 

Alternatively pick a good local restaurant away from main drag and get a taxi for your own meal; or get a reputable driver for a few hours to take you on your own personal tour of local restaurants; or try one of the new food truck areas that have set up since Covid where you can sample multiple local dishes in  one common area.

[cleoruby]

On 7/29/2022 at 8:20 PM, Ski Mom 2 said:

I realized I didn’t report back after our tour. It was WONDERFUL! We did meet at the Mega Mart and it turned out we were the only ones on the tour! So it was my husband and myself, the tour guide and the driver. We made so many stops and all the owners and workers were so friendly and the food and drinks so so good. The driver took us back to our ship and we paid him for that and ripped both him and the tour guide and they deserved it. Book it!!

Which did prefer - Josefina's Cooking Class or the Cozumel Food Tour excursion?

[Ski Mom 2]

Hmmm. Different experiences.
 

Josefina’s gave us a chance to visit with her and her helpers; learn about her take on local foods; visit the market; help prepare the meal; and enjoy! We did help “pick” the menu which was fun too and since it was only us and one other couple that was easier I think than if it was a bigger group (I don’t eat a lot of fish so she also made chicken too).

 

For the food tour I loved visiting places we never would have found on our own. And we for so lucky that we were the only ones on the tour so one on one service was special. 
 

Both were wonderful in their own way; I don’t think you can go wrong!
 

 

[c-leg5]

5 hours ago, cleoruby said:

Which did prefer - Josefina's Cooking Class or the Cozumel Food Tour excursion?

 

I agree, I have done both - different experiences. 
 

I did the cooking a number of years ago with Josefina in her kitchen before she became ill. I understand her son has taken over the cooking class now and follows a similar format and maintains good reviews.

 

The food tour is via Emily (the Cozumel Chef from USA), who also acts as the booking agent for the cooking class. 
 

Both are well administered.
 

The cooking class is hands on. The food tour is experiencing local diners that the average tourist wouldn’t find. Link above unless you don’t want a spoiler. They are the type of places divers and land visitors frequent as opposed to most cruisers. 

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by c-leg5

[dctravel]

Thanks for these reviews. Seriously considering this for our trip in March. One question: the information from Cozumel Chef (I contacted them) notes that they are on island time (which makes a lot of sense). In March, it looks like Cozumel time and ship time are the same (sailing from Galveston). Does anyone know if that is correct?

 

Since the tour meets at 11 am (island time) and is 3ish hours, I want to make sure we have plenty of extra time to get back to the pier (Carnival) and shop, if we want in the duty free, etc...

 

Thanks!

 

dctravel