When Cancun was founded a little more than 40 years ago, the intention of it was to create a new place that could have all the accommodations for tourists all over the globe and share the beauty and exotic nature of this part of Mexico.

Over the years, as Cancun and Riviera Maya have boomed with 5 star hotels, and its once fishing villages flourished into exciting travel destinations, it’s not rare to find wonderful events where you can experience all the luxury and leisure, the finest cuisine and drinks that can be found here! That’s what the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine and Food Festival is all about.

Last Sunday I got the chance to take part is some of the great festivities of this amazing festival, in one of the most exquisite hotels near Cancun. Being such a food and wine lover as I am, spending an afternoon at the Gourmet Tasting Village was a delicious experience to say the least.

Just at the entrance you could see all the colors, you could smell so many flavors and feel your mouth watering instantly. You just have to grab a glass of wine take a leisurely stroll to find food samples of well-established restaurants, 5 star hotel restaurants, new edgy cafes, pastry shops, wine cellars and artisanal breweries from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya as well as other regions of Mexico and all over the world.

I particularly enjoyed the selection of wines that I found at Wines from Argentina and an artisanal beer from Monterrey, as well as a stand with smoothies of typical fruits of the Yucatan Peninsula.

My jaw dropped at one stand that had Crocodile Stew! Yes, crocodile stew; and you know what, even if at first I felt strange trying; it actually turned out to be pretty delicious. I am generally open minded and enjoy trying new things when I have the opportunity.  This was the perfect venue to do so!

Other delicacies that I could try belonged to Nikkei Cuisine (recently introduced to the area), chocolate bullets spiced with chipotle chili, shrimp and mango ceviche, stuffed mushrooms with different kinds of cheese, oreo cookies made out of olives, smoked salmon (this was one of my favorites as the salmon perfectly smoked just how I like, yumm) and the other dessert that caught my attention was one called Damiana Sour.

This last one is based on Damiana Liquor cream transformed into ice cream by introducing it into liquid nitrogen on site, which was actually something pretty amazing to watch! It tasted like a mix of fresh and delicious herbs, like a minty sweet explosion inside my mouth. To neutralize the effect, you had to try a Guanabana fruit mollusk; which was a much softer flavor but equally delicious.

By the end of the day I was full with an over the top culinary experience and my heart was also full with love and happiness. Since I moved here 10 years ago I have never stopped being grateful to the Universe, Mother Nature and the human beings that, just like me, decided to take a chance on this area and made it our home.

If you too want to live here and be grateful for these experiences, you are more than welcome to take a look at our blog Let´s Retire in Mexico for more insights on events, places to go and life in paradise.

-By Bea Lozano