“Escape the cold and savor Tepoztlan cuisine ”
8 Day Land of Eternal Spring Cooking and Culinary Vacation in Tepoztlan, Morelos
La Villa Bonita Mexican Culinary Vacation, Prol, Calle Aniceto Villamar 150, Tierra Blanca, 62520 Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico
Delightful Mexican Cooking Vacation
Escape the cold! Since pre-Columbian times, Tepoztlan has been appreciated for its wonderful weather. This area of Mexico is known as “the land of eternal spring” because of year-round temperate climate - 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, sunny, and dropping down to lovely sleeping weather in the evening with the mountain climate. Chef Ana's specially-designed culinary resort located in the foothills of the Tepozteco mountains. Purchase your ingredients from local producers in the market. Cook dishes handed down over generations in a specially-designed, open-air kitchen with a breath-taking view of the 16th Century ex-convent. Have lunch while being embraced by a 360-degree view of the majestic Tepozteco mountains. Enjoy small-town life as a local.
Meet the instructors
Ana
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Highlights
- 4 hands-on cooking sessions
- Trips to the daily market, farmer's market, and tortilla mill
- Traditional pottery demo and a trip to Pueblo Magico Tlayacapan
- Walking-eating tour to try a wide variety of local delicacies in the market
- Daily big breakfast and lunch of dishes prepared with beer, wine, and cocktail service
- Complimentary scheduled airport transfers
- Gourmet chef's table welcome dinner
- 7 nights accommodation
Styles
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French, Spanish
Group size: Maximum of 12 participants
Airport transfer included:
Mexico City International Airport
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
12:00
Check-out Time:
11:00
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Dining area
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Wireless internet
Welcome to Chef Ana´s mountain home that was specially designed for her culinary program. The property consists of six guest rooms all with private baths. Each room has a different design and is very comfortable. All rooms have a king bed and some rooms have the possibility of two twin beds or one king. All rooms have french doors that open up to a common courtyard with incredible views of the surrounding mountains and steps from the open-air kitchen.
La Villa Bonita is built in a citrus orchard on a hectare of terraced land, complete with an herb and vegetable garden. The specially-designed open-air kitchen is complete with a living area, three sinks, lots of cooking and prep space as well as a 360-degree view of the majestic mountains. Above the kitchen sits a 16-person-capacity glass table with an incredible panoramic view of the Tepozteco mountains, the ex-convent, and the town below. La Villa Bonita is located in a very quiet residential area of town away from the downtown hum.
Program
Day 1: Sunday - Make yourself at home!
Guests arrive at Mexico City International Airport (MEX) with airport pickup provided. The trip takes one and a half hours from Mexico City to La Villa Bonita and guests will be greeted upon arrival with a delicious homemade cocktail such as Chef Ana’s famous Margarita made with her own Calamondine Orange liquor as well as snacks such as guacamole, cheeses, home-made salsa, and tortilla chips.
Later that afternoon/evening, guests will enjoy Chef Ana’s 4-course chef’s table gourmet dinner made from primarily local ingredients grown in the garden or from local providers. Dinner is served within an ample open-air kitchen with a view of the valley below or above the kitchen in the elevated dining area with a 360-degree view of the mountains. Chef Ana will explain her dishes to the guests and also discuss how the week will unfold.
Day 2: Monday - Mexican comfort food
The day begins with Chef Ana’s famous big breakfast with fresh fruit, biscuits, homemade jams and jellies along with a new traditional Mexican main dish each morning. Guests will go to the local Tepoztlán market to select the best ingredients from Chef Ana’s local providers and bring these ingredients back for the cooking session in the open-air kitchen.
Today is a day to enjoy Mexican comfort food with a focus on the famous tortilla Azteca with chicken, refried beans, and Mexican vegetable soup, ensalada casera. The dessert will be sherry rompope gelatin. Cooking generally takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon with lunch of dishes prepared in the open-air kitchen or the elevated terrace with wine and beer service as well as coffee or tea with dessert. An “agua fresca” of the day will be prepared such as mandarin water.
Each day, you will make a different agua fresca with different fruit, Jamaica flower, or tamarindo to accompany each lunch. As well each day, you will have a new signature cocktail which is a Mango Margarita. Today, you will also learn about the process of nixtamalization so that you can make your own tortillas during the week from ancestral corn grown in the area.
Day 2: Tuesday - Let’s learn about Tepozteco Cuisine
The day begins as always with a fabulous breakfast, optional yoga class (15 USD), and a trip to the market to select ingredients and to meet the local butcher and cheese vendor. Guests return to LVB to cook up a storm.
Today is a day to learn how the locals eat on a daily basis with Zompantle or Colorin flower cakes and green bean cakes in a guajillo chile sauce with green rice and fried plantains along with mushroom quesadillas and chile Morita salsa. For dessert, you will make a delicious Tejocote pie.
The agua fresca of the day cantaloupe water and the signature cocktail is Chef Ana’s classic margarita made from her homemade calamondine liquor. Learn how to use red, white or blue masa made from ancestral corn varieties produced locally and make your own tortillas and place them on the comal with Mari your “ama de llaves” or mayordomo during your stay at La Villa Bonita.
Guests enjoy lunch of dishes prepared with drink service in the open-air kitchen or the elevated terrace. After late lunch, guests will have an opportunity to take a walk into the downtown, relax around the pool with a good book or take a great nap! You are on vacation, it is up to you!
Day 4: Wednesday - “The Walking Locavore”
Breakfast starts a day of pottery and incredible local cuisine. After breakfast, guests will witness a demonstration of how to make traditional lead-free artisan pottery from a producer in Tlayacapan by the name of Dona Chayo. Her family has produced pottery in the traditional way for generations. Almost all of Chef Ana’s earthenware in the house Dona Chayo. Learn how these noble vessels are made! Guests will have an opportunity to purchase his traditional rice and bean pots, flatware, cazuelas among many other great items.
Today, guests will join Chef Ana on a walking/eating tour of the Tepoztlan market, visit the Ex-Convent and museum as well as try a wide variety of local delicacies in the market. Walk, learn and eat like a native, delicacies such as itacates, pancita, cecina, and traditional Morelos quesadillas. This is the farmer’s market day in Tepoztlan with an opportunity to see the wide variety of ingredients and dishes that Tepoztlan has to offer.
Day 5: Thursday - Cochinita Pibil, a Yucatan classic
After a hearty breakfast and an optional yoga class (15 USD), guests will dedicate the day to the production and use of masa with a trip to the Masa Mill to produce your own masa from corn grown locally. Guests will then return to prepare a Yucatecan classic - Cochinita Pibil.
Learn the technique that you can use to create this traditional favorite. Along with the cochinita guests will make xni-pec red onion relish, tortillas, white rice, seasoned black beans, a Yucatan Lima soup, a jicama salad with avocado and oranges and a delicious local ice cream for dessert. The agua fresca of the day is Agua de Chaya and the signature cocktail is a Jamaica flower mezcalita.
Day 6: Friday - Tamale day
You start with a fabulous breakfast as usual and begin your preparations to enjoy the grandeur of the tamale. Today is dedicated to the production of different types of tamales in both banana leaf and corn husk such as chilpan rojo pork, picadillo with chicken, cheese as well as strawberry and pineapple tamales for dessert.
The meal will be accompanied by a nopal salad and a variety of salsas like chile de arbol, roasted tomato and raw green salsa. The signature cocktail of the day is a Gavilan Ancho Reyes (grapefruit) and the agua fresca is horchata.
Day 7: Saturday - Free day
After your delicious breakfast, you have a day to enjoy on your own. Take a hike, enjoy the weekend artisan market, go out for lunch or just relax. Today is a day to do whatever your heart desires.
In the evening, enjoy an optional farewell dinner (additional fee) with Chef Ana as she prepares a 4-course chef’s table dinner. Feel free to come up to the kitchen as Chef Ana prepares the gourmet meal and enjoy a glass of wine as you reminisce about the week you had at La Villa Bonita.
Day 8: Sunday - Departure
After breakfast, La Villa Bonita will organize your return to the Mexico City airport and count the days until you see each other again for a new culinary adventure.
Instructors
Ana Garcia
Ana Garcia is one of the most vivacious traditional Mexican chefs and teachers in Mexico today. The inspiration for Chef Ana’s recipes and hospitality grow out of her long, rich family history in central and northern Mexico. She has taken this extensive knowledge and incorporated it into a culinary repertoire that includes traditional central and northern Mexican specialties, as well as nouvelle Mexican cuisine using traditional ingredients in new and gastronomically adventurous ways.
Location
Tepoztlan, a “Pueblo Magico” (magic village) and one of Mexico’s most unique destinations is located about 5,280 feet above sea level and roughly one hour 15 minutes south of Mexico City making transportation easy. Because of its incredible “eternal spring” climate, Tepoztlan is a year-round destination where this award-winning package take place.
La Villa Bonita is located on the upslope of the Tepozteco mountains with a privileged perch above the town and an incredible view of the ex-convent below. It is a 15-minute walk to the central downtown circuit so there is not an excessive amount of traffic in front of La Villa Bonita but it is just minutes away from the centro and zocalo.
Due to its year-round average daily temperature of 83 degrees Fahrenheit or 28 degrees Celsius, Tepoztlan has become an off-the-beaten-path destination for those who want a wonderful climate with a picturesque, authentic, and traditional Mexican backdrop. Tepoztlan’s temperate climate with prevailing sunshine, its wonderful adobe facades, incredible local festivals, and ancient cobblestone streets attract Mexicans and foreign tourists from all over the world who seek a traditional, small-town environment.
Tepoztlan is one of the most unique, authentic, and safest places you can visit and has a lower crime rate than most cities and towns in the US. You will get this understanding in the first 15 minutes after setting foot in the village. It is a place that time seems to have forgotten with time-honored culinary traditions, wonderful local produce, and a very enjoyable pace of life focused on family and friends.
Tepoztlan is made up of stubborn townspeople and subsistence farmers who vigilantly guard their traditions from change, which makes it an ideal destination for the “foodie” and the traveler seeks to experience rich culture. “Tepoztecos,” as they are known there, appreciate the foreign tourist because you appreciate their culture. You can walk anywhere day or night and people will say “hello” to you, be cordial, but not overburdening.
This Magic Village with its mystical vibe is known as the “Sedona of Mexico” and consists of a very small, tight-knit community where people are very content with their lifestyle - a full social calendar that consists of constant cultural events, celebrations, and festivals during both the week and weekend. Tepoztlan is a piece of art without comparison - exquisite but not commercial.
In Tepoztlan, you will hear the enveloping sounds of the community, the church bells, the rooster crowing, the occasional firecracker and the music wafting through the valley. So, enjoy your stay and when you go home, please tell everyone about your experience in the “hidden culinary jewel of Mexico.”
Distances
- Mexico City - 1 hour and 15 minutes
Features
Activities
- Cooking classes
- Hiking
General
- Dining area
- Garden
- Hammock
- Kitchen
Services
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry
- Room cleaning
- Tour assistance
Food
During this Mexican culinary holiday, you will be served 4-course chef’s table gourmet welcome dinner, daily big breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, biscuits, homemade jams and jellies along with a new traditional Mexican main dish, and lunch of food prepared on all cooking days accompanied with beer, wine, and cocktail.
Cooking and food highlights
- Session 1: Tortilla Azteca with chicken, refried beans, Mexican vegetable soup, ensalada casera, dessert: sherry rompope gelatin, agua fresca: mandarin water, and the signature cocktail: Mango Margarita.
- Session 2: Zompantle or Colorin flower cakes and green bean cakes in a guajillo chile sauce with green rice and fried plantains along with mushroom quesadillas and chile Morita salsa, dessert: Tejocote pie, agua fresca: cantaloupe water, and the signature cocktail: Chef Ana’s classic margarita made from calamondine liquor
- Session 3: Yucatan classic Cochinita Pibil, xni-pec red onion relish, tortillas, white rice, seasoned black beans, a Yucatan Lima soup, a jicama salad with avocado and oranges, dessert: local ice cream, agua fresca: Agua de Chaya, and the signature cocktail: Jamaica flower mezcalita
- Session 4: Different types of tamales in both banana leaf and corn husk such as chilpan rojo pork, picadillo with chicken, Nopal salad and a variety of salsas like chile de arbol, roasted tomato and raw green salsa, dessert: cheese as well as strawberry and pineapple tamales, the signature cocktail: Gavilan Ancho Reyes (grapefruit) and the agua fresca: horchata.
- Food tour: Try delicacies such as itacates, pancita, cecina, and traditional Morelos quesadillas
Vegetarian, vegan, allergies or special diets can be accommodated. Please contact La Villa Bonita Culinary Vacations prior to arrival so that they may accommodate your diet. There is dinner on the first night which is prepared prior to your arrival. Please let them know through Whatsapp if you have anything you do not eat.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
- 4-course chef’s table dinner (75 USD plus tax per person)
- Big Mexican appetizer spread and wine (70 USD plus tax for one or two people)
- Day-long tour of Taxco Silver City and Xochicalco Ruins with guide (95 USD plus tax per person)
- Tepozteco Pyramid hike (40 USD per person plus tax)
What's included
- 4 hands-on cooking sessions with trips to the daily market, farmer's market, and tortilla mill
- 7 nights accommodation
- Big breakfast every day
- Roundtrip airport transfers
- Walking-eating market tour
- Traditional pottery demo and trip to Pueblo Magico Tlayacapan
- Gourmet chef's table welcome dinner
- PDF manual with recipes
- Lunch of dishes prepared on all cooking days with beer, wine, and cocktail service
- Wi-Fi, daily maid service, and laundry service
What's not included
- Airfare
- Other meals not mentioned
- 16% Sales tax
- Tips
How to get there
Recommended Airports
MEX
Mexico City International Airport
49 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Mexico City International Airport (MEX). Transfer from and to the airport is included. La Villa Bonita Culinary Vacations will pick you up from the airport.
Please arrive before 4:00 p.m. 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm is ideal. You may arrive earlier, but there may be some wait time as other guests arrive. You can wait in the Urban Corner restaurant in terminal 1 which is the pickup point. La Villa Bonita Culinary Vacations will give you detailed instructions on how to get there.
If you cannot meet the pickup requirements, Uber is very good, reliable, and reasonably priced. If you do not want to wait for other guests or arrive after 4:00 p.m., you can take an Uber at about 60 - 70 USD which can fluctuate depending on demand or exchange rates. The fare does not include tolls that are reimbursed to your Uber driver through the app afterward (about 10 USD). So do not pay your driver for tolls as you will be charged twice. If you want to tip your driver feel free to do so. Tips are generally 100 to 150 MXN for good service.
For departure, there is more flexibility. If you would like to use the shuttle, your departure time should be after 12:00 noon. You may leave earlier for an additional fee. La Villa Bonita Culinary Vacations has an Uber driver on call who charges 1300 MXN per trip (currently about 68 USD).
Airport: Mexico City International Airport
Airport transfer included: Mexico City International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookCulinaryVacations.com. All major credit cards supported.
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