This summer season is an ideal opportunity to taste the delicacies of Mexico’s ancestral cuisine of the magnificent Ruta Maya – a region encompassing the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo in the country’s southeastern region. Perfect to enjoy with family and friends, the Ruta Maya delights travelers with an extensive variety of delicacies, some recipes even dating back to the country’s pre-Columbian period.

The different destinations along Mexico’s Ruta Maya provide travelers with rich historical, cultural, and natural heritage, an amazing gastronomic experience, pristine jungles and wildlife habitats, all particular to each area. The Mayan Culture used corn as the main ingredient in many of their dishes, including the most renowned tortillas, tamales, and atole, in addition to fully taking advantage of the rich vegetation of the region to make it part of their daily diet, not to mention fishing and hunting activities, sources of much of their protein. Mexico’s characteristic pre Hispanic era flavors provide the region with colors, tastes, aromas, and textures that are filled with history and unique ingredients, such as cocoa and chile.

A worthwhile summer escapade would include locations throughout these five states of Mexico, perhaps on a road trip that allows travelers to make different stops to enjoy the cuisine and fully experience local traditions along the way. A variety of properties of the Hoteles City Express chain are situated on average every two and a half hours along this region, ready to offer visitors everything they might need during their travel.

City Trip is a destination guide prepared by City Express listing over 60 cities in Mexico situated along the country’s best known tourism routes. Following are a number of outstanding suggestions of some of the tastiest dishes and recipes we recommend you try while traveling along the Ruta Maya.

An ideal start off point for a Southeastern Mexico cuisine tour is in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital city of the State of Chiapas, with a journey through the Central Park and a visit to the San Marcos Cathedral. A walk to open appetites will be quelled by delicious Chiapaneco tamales, a bean recipe known as tasajo con frijol and a very traditional beverage made of corn, cocoa, achiote, sugar and cinnamon called tascalate or perhaps a drink of agua de pozol, another nutritional original made of cooked corn, cocoa and pochotl seeds.

Your next stop would take you to the Sumidero Canyon National Park, and after a trip down the beautiful Grijalva River, stay in the city of Chiapa de Corzo, near the Canyon, home to several great restaurants offering numerous dishes rooted in the indigenous Mayan cuisine, including pepita con tasajo known also as ‘the big meal’, a dry meat based dish in tasty pumpkin seed sauce, herbs, and spices; or baked cochito, pork and rice, the local stew, prepared with delicious meat in achiote sauce and all the other local ingredients, such as almond based mole, adobo marinated pork, or a variety of cold cuts. Next, and driving through Palenque, a typical local restaurant and an obligated stop for travelers is Maya Cañada, which offers guests specialties such as oven baked pork, chipilín soup (made with a local area plant known for its healthy properties, with high iron, calcium, and beta-carotene content), and grilled octopus.

The next state on an ideal road trip is Villahermosa in Tabasco, where the ultimate journey starts in the Zona Luz part of the city’s historical downtown where the feel and flavor for colonial times is very alive, with the Concepción Temple and at the Interactive Chocolate Museum, where visitors can closely observe and follow the process necessary to transform cocoa, including directly participating in harvesting activities, as well as the selection and production process, and upon completion of the visit, sit back to enjoy and taste products. Another stop in Tabasco is the municipality of Paraíso, where local cuisine is best known for their typical seafood based dishes, including the famous tapesco oysters au gratin.

The state of Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico, comes next on a road trip, where Ciudad del Carmen is an ideal first stop for a meal in the local market, Mercado Municipal, for an artisanal experience of grilled fish, and perhaps to shop for fresh oranges, corn, and cucumbers. The city provides an extensive array of gastronomical options, including the typical fish baked bread (pan de cazón), a lasagna style dish containing layers of tortillas, fish, black beans, and tomato sauce with a touch of habanero chile. Sweet and sour tastes are also a fantastic local option, with coconut shrimp, and why not? Crispy campechanas for dessert. Another must is the area’s traditional homemade bread, baked in wood stone ovens from renowned Pumuch Bakery.

Your trip takes you up the Yucatán Peninsula into Mérida, the capital city of the state of Yucatán, and another perfect location to enjoy a Mayan and colonial heritage. The Yucatan cuisine is as wide as it is delicious. This is the perfect place to taste cochinita pibil (finely shredded pork meat in achiote based sauce), or perhaps the Papadzules; or the corn tortillas smothered in pepita sauce with delicious egg filling. Another local favorite are panuchos, with beans and fried tortillas. The different desserts constitute the perfect ending, enjoyed at the city’s portales, the archways surrounding plazas that are the perfect setting to sip a great cup of coffee or a classic sorbet.

The final stop of the journey along the Ruta Maya takes travelers into Playa del Carmen, including the famous 5a Avenida, home to a variety of national and international cuisine restaurants, or perhaps the more hidden Fundadores Park, for local delicacies such as baked corn, flavored sorbets and marquesitas. The park is often an ideal site for cultural events, from local artists or book fairs.

The City Trip destination guide for the Ruta Maya includes information on 16 different City Express hotels with 1,871 guestrooms available throughout the entire region and located along the five states. For a restful stop that makes travelers feel like they’ve come home, all properties are an ideal break along the way. Hoteles City Express operates 3 of the 5 different brands that are part of the leading hotel chain, including City Express, City Express Junior, and City Express Suites along the Ruta Maya.

Take advantage of the extensive coverage provided by Hoteles City Express to plan the ideal trip for you, one that will suit all of your travel preferences and the tourism vocation of each singular destination – colonial, archaeological, gastronomical, rainforests, small villages or dynamic cities and beaches. Enjoy your best adventure yet, together, we can travel through Mexico, #ViajemosTodosPorMéxico.