In the Riviera Maya, gastronomy is preparing to take center stage in cultural conversations with the arrival of the third edition of the Apapaxoa GastroCultural Festival Xcaret 2026, which will be held from September 18 to 23 at Hotel Xcaret Arte, Hotel Xcaret México, and La Casa de la Playa.

Conceived as a meeting point between gastronomy, culture, and territory, the festival will bring together the 23 chefs of the Xcaret Gastronomic Collective alongside national and international guests, establishing itself as one of the most important platforms to understand the contemporary evolution of Mexican cuisine.

Over six days, the event will gather chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and culinary creators from various countries in a program that combines gastronomic experiences, creative processes, and spaces for reflection. Beyond dinners and tastings, the festival is designed as a forum for exchange, where cuisine functions as a common language between cultures.

For international travelers, it represents a unique opportunity to approach Mexico from its deepest dimension: through its ingredients, techniques, and traditions reinterpreted with a contemporary perspective.

The Colors of Mexico as a Conceptual Axis

The 2026 edition will be guided by the concept The Colors of Mexico, a narrative that proposes exploring the country through its cultural hues. Each color is linked to ingredients, landscapes, and symbols that are part of the national gastronomic imagination.

From the yellow of corn to the red of chili, the green of the milpa, or the black associated with traditional processes, the festival creates a multisensory experience where color connects cuisine with disciplines such as art, fashion, photography, and music.

The program also expands into other creative languages. In addition to the culinary offerings, the festival will include experiences around beverages—such as mixology and wine—as well as artistic expressions, literature, design, and craftsmanship.

Highlighted activities include workshops, interdisciplinary encounters, and a book fair that extends the conversation into words and memory. This multidisciplinary approach positions the festival as a space where gastronomy dialogues with other creative industries.

The venues—Hotel Xcaret Arte, Hotel Xcaret México, and La Casa de la Playa—provide not only infrastructure but also a narrative where hospitality, nature, and culture merge into a single experience. Together, the Apapaxoa GastroCultural Festival Xcaret 2026 reaffirms its role as a far-reaching cultural platform, presenting Mexico to the world through its culinary diversity and creative richness.

For the international visitor, attending is not just participating in a festival but accessing a contemporary reading of the country, where tradition and innovation coexist on the same stage.

For more information, visit: apapaxoa.com