Chef Kaelin’s Newsletter

Valladolid: The food Mecca of Yucatan

I remember the first time I made it to Valladolid. My mom and dad doing planned to take me and my younger brother Jesse on vacation there. We drove from Oaxaca in a Volkswagen. Unthinkable these days and I remember how dizzy me and my brother were during the journey but so happy to finally get out of the car and explore. Fast forward to today, I find myself following the steps of my mother and deepening my knowledge about this charming city. Valladolid has a charm of a small village that never lost its identity, despite the growth of the state.

Some consider Valladolid “the Lyon of Yucatan”as it has a wide variety of local dishes such as: lomitos de Valladolid, the well-known longaniza, escabeche oriental, relleno negro and queso relleno, besides panuchos and salbutes.

Yucatan Peninsula
January 29 - February 8, 2026
10 days, 9 nights
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During our Yucatan 10-day tour we get to taste all these wonderful dishes. Not only is it rich in its culinary heritage but it is blessed with a cenote in the middle of the city called Zaci—that is absolutely stunning and 7 minutes walking from our hotel.

The colonial architecture, the haciendas in the outskirts of Valladolid and the beautiful Franciscan cathedral downtown are part of the city’s history, which we get to explore over the days spent at Valladolid.

We stay three-nights at Hotel del Marqués, which was built in the 17th century for a royal family with a distinct colonial style: big and tall ceilings, large patios, lime stone walls and renovated into 21st century comfort. It has a wonderful restaurant, where we have breakfast every morning. And for our last dinner in Valladolid, we also get to have a little of everything from their regional menu.

One of the days, we visit the iconic mayan pyramid Chichen Itzá, about 40 minutes from Valladolid. Besides paying a visit to one of the 7 wonders in the world, this city is surrounded with cenotes which we get to visit and swim in, to close the day with a full Mayan experience.

We visit the Mercado de Valladolid, filled with many food stalls and here we get to try savoury bites like polcanes and espelon tamales but of course the tropical sweets like zapotitos, dulces de coco and papaya too.

After the market tour, we head to the Zaci cenote for a swim. It is truly magical and soul purifying. You feel truly recharged after that swim!

I can’t wait to do my yearly pilgrimage to the Yucatan Peninsula!
Abrazos,
Kaelin

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