Top 4 Workshops & Classes on the Riviera Maya

1.Playa del Carmen Mexican Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 306 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $113Our pick

Join Chef Alma in Playa del Carmen for a three-hour, hands-on Mexican cooking class. Make tortillas, salsas, guacamole, rice, enchiladas, tamales, or other traditional dishes, then eat your meal. The English and Spanish class is limited to eight people and includes recipes to use at home.

“We had a great experience learning and gaining experience behind the cultural aspects of different foods here in Mexico. The chef and her daughter are an amazing team and it was easy for us to follow along and still gain new culinary skills. The food was very authentic and cooked in traditional clay dishes. We used simple ingredients and learned how to develop their flavours in unique ways. We even made our own tequila drinks the right way! I highly recommend this cooking class! For everyone of all ages and skills.”

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2.Mexican Cooking Class 1 or 3 Courses Tequila and Mezcal Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $105Best value

At Co.Cos Culinary School in Playa del Carmen, Chef Coty leads hands-on one-course and three-course Mexican cooking classes in her home kitchen. You prepare your own food, learn about chiles and sauces, dine with drinks, and finish with a tequila and mezcal tasting.

“One of the best meals and best cooking class experiences I have ever had. Chef Coty is an excellent teacher and communicator. She is very knowledgeable and insightful. The way she thinks about how the tastes, textures, colors, and smells of the ingredients is very inspiring. The menu and ingredients change with every class and every season. Among the things we made were a tortilla soup and a shrimp-stuffed chile relleno. These were absolutely the best I've ever had. We also made a great flambe dessert and learned about tequila, mescal, bacanora, and pulque. I will take her class again the next time I return to Riviera Maya.”

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3.Private Kiteboarding Lesson in Tulum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 90 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $270

Spend about three hours at Mexican Caribbean Kitesurf & Paddlesurf in Tulum with an IKO-certified instructor. You’ll learn wind theory, safety, kite control, body dragging, power strokes, and waterstarts in a private English-language lesson. Mauricio and Roma can adapt instruction for beginners or returning kiters.

“Mauricio and Roma are fun, friendly, personable, reasonable, and most importantly, excellent teachers. M was very adaptable to me wanting to work on kiting tricks, strapless, and winging, and was great w my partner who was a complete novice. He was professional when wind was not working and we needed to adjust schedule, and generally made it a great experience. 5 stars.”

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4.Authentic Mexican Cooking Class in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $120

Meet Chef Isa at DAC market in Playa del Carmen, choose a Mexican main dish, shop for fresh ingredients, then walk to her home kitchen. You will make salsas, two guacamoles, tortillas, a seasonal fruit drink, and lunch in a group of no more than eight.

“This was a great culinary experience. Wonderful hosts who carefully explained every part of the meal from buying fresh food at a local market to preparing the sauces and main meal. We enjoyed helping with several traditional Mexican dishes and then eating everything afterwards. This was a great afternoon that I would highly recommend.”

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