Apapaxoa Inauguration – The GastroCultural Festival Elevating the Culinary Experience in the Riviera Maya

The Riviera Maya once again became the epicenter of luxury and haute cuisine with the inauguration of Apapaxoa, Xcaret’s flagship GastroCultural festival. An event that celebrates the culinary arts at their finest, bringing together renowned chefs, unique flavors, and experiences designed to awaken the senses.

This edition of Apapaxoa began with a red carpet that welcomed chefs, personalities, members of the press, influencers, and special guests. This gathering set the tone for the opening day: a vibrant atmosphere where gastronomy, art, and hospitality intertwined from the very first moment.

Apapaxoa opened with a ribbon-cutting full of meaning

Visual artist Amador Montes had the honor of inaugurating the Apapaxoa Gastronomic Festival with a heartfelt speech that officially kicked off this celebration in the Riviera Maya. His participation set the tone for an event where art, memory, and hospitality take center stage.

He was joined at the ribbon-cutting ceremony by key divs from Grupo Xcaret, including Arq. David Quintana, Marcos Constandse, Akis Neocleous, and Leticia Aguerrere, Corporate Director of Arts and Culture, who also shared words about the festival’s essence.

“We won’t just be talking about gastronomy during the festival; there will be music, storytelling, and a space for everyone to have fun,” they noted during the ceremony.

The remarks emphasized Apapaxoa’s holistic vision, one that transcends the culinary to become a cultural and sensorial encounter:

“This festival is more than a series of culinary activities. Here at Xcaret, we believe cuisine is a way to create unique experiences that allow us to tell stories, build unforgettable memories, keep our roots alive, and project them to the world with pride and creativity.”

The speech concluded with a phrase that defined the festival’s spirit:

“Apapaxoa, which means to embrace, is what we want to achieve: a great embrace between tradition, innovation, and hospitality.”

The Work of Amador Montes: Herencia de la Tierra

The inauguration featured the presentation of “Herencia de la Tierra” (Heritage of the Land) by artist Amador Montes, who has over 25 years of experience and whose work is part of important public and private collections in Mexico, England, Spain, the United States, Korea, Sweden, the UAE, Monaco, Poland, Australia, and Finland, among others.

The piece was exhibited in two iconic spaces: the foyer of Hotel Xcaret Arte and the Jardín del Arte, showcasing a proposal that combined memory, resilience, and beauty. At the heart of the installation were restored century-old vases, gifted to the artist by an elderly woman he met while helping rebuild an affected area.

Moved, Montes shared:

“It fills me with joy to see them now gathered in one place. These vases have stories, and today they are part of a piece that speaks about our land and what we inherit from it.”

The result was a deeply symbolic work that not only beautified the spaces but also conveyed a message of gratitude, memory, and cultural continuity.

Edible Art: Chocolate for the Senses

The first day also shone with an edible chocolate art exhibition created by chefs Mao Montiel and Camila Fiol, who presented a concept where the visual, tactile, and gustatory merged into a single experience.

Mao shared his artistic vision around chocolate:

“Before becoming a chocolatier, I wanted to be a designer or an architect—there was always that artistic side in my life. When I discovered chocolate, I realized how malleable and flexible it could be, allowing me to do everything I had dreamed of before dedicating myself to gastronomy.”

“We started this project many years ago, about 14, in Singapore and Tokyo, and that’s where we began shaping it. My goal is for people to have fun and interact.”

Camila highlighted the playful and sensory aspect of their proposal:

“We want people to taste it; in the end, it’s as much audiovisual as it is gastronomic. Usually, when you make art it’s only visual—but here it’s everything: visual, tactile, and edible. We want people to dare, to step back, and become kids again.”

With laughter and complicity, both chefs emphasized that their proposal was not just an ephemeral artwork but also a bridge for people to rediscover the joy of playing, experimenting, and being surprised.

A Closing with a Flavor of Tribute

The first day of Apapaxoa concluded with a profoundly emotional evening: a tribute dinner to chef Enrique Olvera, a key div in showcasing Mexican gastronomy on the global stage. The dinner was prepared by those who have walked alongside him and trained under his guidance—a culinary tribute told dish by dish.

Each course was designed as a memory and a reflection of Olvera’s legacy:

• Fish ceviche with almond chileatole, corn, hoja santa, pork crackling, and bean purée, by Chef Luis Arellano (Criollo, Oaxaca de Juárez).
• Bean tamale with charred avocado and turnip, by Chef Jorge León (Alfonsina, Oaxaca de Juárez).
• Baby snapper al pastor with pineapple nage and garden herbs, by Chef Diego Hernández (Dh, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California).
• Durango filet with Mexican-style tendons, white beans, aromatic herbs, tortillas, and salsa, by Chef Paco Ruano (Alcalde, Guadalajara, Jalisco).

• And for the grand finale: mole tartlet with tascalate ice cream and caramelized grasshoppers, crafted by traditional cook Claudia Santiz (Casa Santiz, San Cristóbal de las Casas).

The evening closed with a special moment: the presentation of a recognition to Enrique Olvera, awarded by Arq. David Quintana. A gesture that celebrated not only his influence in contemporary cuisine but also his essential role in putting Mexico on the global gastronomic map.

With this tribute, Apapaxoa closed its first day reaffirming its essence: to be a space where tradition, innovation, and talent come together to honor those who make Mexican gastronomy a source of universal pride.

But this is just the beggining, want to find out what happened on the rest of this experience? Check out our next posts about the rest of the day at Apapaxoa 2025.