Beachfront Cafe: Al Pastor Cooking Experience
5.0
55 Ratings
Mahahual

Dive into Mexican flavors at Cafe Jaguar’s cooking class in Costa Maya. Craft tortillas, guacamole, and more with stunning beach views.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Café Jaguar - Escape the bustling cruise crowds and embark on an authentic culinary adventure in the heart of Mahahual! At Jaguar Cafe, traditional Mexican cuisine meets the stunning Caribbean backdrop. Situated on the downtown boardwalk, just a 5-minute taxi ride from the Costa Maya port, our interactive class offers a prime view of turquoise…
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What's Included
  • Free high speed internet
  • Locker
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Alcoholic beverages
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Private transportation
Meal Options
  • Guacamole & Pico de Gallo & Tortilla Chips - Master the “Golden Rules” of avocado selection! Learn to balance lime and spice for the ultimate creamy guacamole and fresh, vibrant Pico de Gallo.
  • Hand-Pressed Tortillas - Experience the joy of making tortillas from scratch. Use traditional wooden press and a hot comal to cook them to perfection—just like…
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Additional Information

In contrast to typical port excursions, this service provides a “Home Base” experience. Participants are not merely attending a 2-hour class; they are gaining entry to an exclusive beachfront café located just 5 minutes from the pier. Learn the art of using the comal and crafting traditional Al Pastor marinade with the stunning Caribbean Sea as your…

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Location
Café Jaguar
Malecón
At the Costa Maya Port get a taxi from port parking lot. If there is a line then walk out to main gate towards pyramid and there will be several more taxis. Tell the taxi Cafe Jaguar at campo - calle cherna. Go to beach and we are the second building in on the left.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(55 Ratings)
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266arthurm
Jan 27, 2026
Wonderful Costa Maya Authentic Mexican Cooking Class With Lunch at Café Jaguar - This is a wonderful option for a day at Costa Maya if you have already seen the Mayan ruins and don’t want to do water sports. Café Jaguar in Mahahual hosts a hands on cooking class. The restaurant is owned by a lovely Canadian woman who welcomes you to the 10:30 class that will run with 2 to 18 people. They bring you pre-cut pork, pineapple, onion, sour orange juice, and spices to marinate and skewer, which go on top of a special grill. Then you make your guacamole and pico de gallo. Finally you make your tortillas from scratch. When all is cooked, you feast on your efforts. Margaritas, beer or pina coladas are included. The Café faces the beach so you can bring your towels and swimsuits and go into the ocean there. The staff is excellent; English is spoken by all staff, and the cooking is not challenging with the prep work already done. It was $80 each for 2.5 hours including the food and drinks. Although no tip was requested, we tipped $10/person for the staff. We consider this ‘tour’ a rare gem and highly recommend it. We will definitely return. They also do full menu, copy attached. To reach Café Jaguar from the cruise ship: 1) walk off the pier into the cruise ‘village’; 2) with the ship at your back at ‘ southerly 6pm’, make your way past the large swimming pool, heading northeast towards roughly '10 am' passing the flamingos; 3) look for ‘exit’ or ‘taxis’, not for ‘evacuation route’; 4) when you finally exit into a large parking lot, keep walking 3 blocks through the port security gate and out to the public taxis—from the ship, it is about 10 minutes total—the hardest part is finding the exit. Tell the cab you want Café Jaguar Malecon Mahahual. The cost is $5 per person. It takes about 10 minutes to drive. Do not walk. Although it is only 2.5 miles, you must navigate a maze of residential streets with no sidewalks. Cabs for return trip are plentiful on the main road. You can book thru a 3rd party or contact Café Jaguar directly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Teresa_m
Jan 21, 2026
Near Krazy Lobster - The Mexican cooking school experience was fun and informative! The gals made it fun and they offered great drinks! If taking a cab tell them to take you to the krazy lobster and the jaguar cafe is just a block from there. Taxi drivers acted like they had no idea where the jaguar cafe was located. Also, Julie, message on the beach for $20 was a great value!! Great time!
Review provided by Viator
Michael_h
Jan 21, 2026
Amazing people and so... - Amazing people and so friendly - excellent time. Make sure you know local time not ship time so you’re not late like us but the did wait for us.
Review provided by Viator
Shelikes2travelalso
Jan 19, 2026
Great food, easy preparation, Fantastic Hostess - WOW! What a fantastic experience. We were welcomed and offered drinks then showed to our seats for the cooking preparations. The instructions were really done well. The marinade for the pork was fun to make as we rubbed the ingredients on the already cut pork then added it, onion and pineapple chunks to skewers. Then we made the pico de gallo and the guacamole. We were served homemade chips. Once the skewers were on the grill we learned how to make homemade tortillas. Such a great meal!!!! The owner, Colleen was very personable and fun to visit with. Thanks,Colleen for a wonderful afternoon!!! Highly recommend this cooking class/lunch!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sueann_b
Jan 19, 2026
Excellent cooking class! One of the best shore excursions I have ever taken. - Absolutely one of the best shore excursions I have ever taken! The venue is a little tough to find. Colleen and her staff were the best of the best. Entertaining, helpful and funny. Lots of food, come hungry. Don't miss this!
Review provided by Viator
Gg929
Jan 18, 2026
Authentic and fresh Mexican meal - Perla and Flor were fantastic instructors and made us feel like family by the time we completed our cooking class! They were extremely friendly and answered all of our questions. We made pastor tacos, including the tortillas, pico de gallo and guacamole. The food we made was delicious and unique to our individual tastes because they walk you through step by step to season to your liking. Margaritas and smoothies were offered (and consumed!) throughout the class. They made their bathroom facilities and WiFi available to us as well for as long as we were at the beach. 💜 We were even given achiote so we could recreate the meal at home! Logistics: I booked this on my own for a shore day during our RC cruise. The port time differed from the class booking availability but I explained via email prior to booking they were extremely accommodating and allowed us to arrive as soon as we could, which I appreciated! Taxi was $5/person and a short ride plus a one-block walk to the restaurant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michellesb1862oy
Jan 15, 2026
Great food! - Unbelievable food and service! Not pushy, great prices! Say hello to Digby the waitress! She's so funny!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jndcen73
Jan 14, 2026
Awesome experience - highly recommend! - We loved this experience and would highly recommend!! We arrived a few hours early and enjoyed the beach before the class began. The class was intimate and so much fun! The entire team was amazing! This is a woman owned, small business so we loved supporting them even more! Colleen, Claudia, Dixby, Portia, and the entire team were so attentive! We learned about the local culture and flavors and made a delicious lunch of pico, guacamole, tacos pastor, and of course - tortillas! We have done many cooking classes and this one is top notch! Could not recommend this experience more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lance
Jan 14, 2026
Amazing beach/excursion experience! - What an amazing experience! Run.. Don’t walk here! Plan this in advance as you have a cruise stop here! Owner Coleen and her staff were amazing! Food, beach and drinks were tasty!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshine17551304332
Jan 14, 2026
Best Experience in Costa at cafejaguarbar - Excellent Food and Tour Costa Maya and the experience is worth memories forever This place is awesome, show you how to make tortillas and all
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $79
From $79
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).