Hotel And Restaurant

El Bocadito

Coba, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Run by Francisco Itzá Xuluc and his family El Bocadito is a sure bet for traditional Mayan food, El Bocadito is a must stop for the adventurous traveler who visits the little known Coba Ruins. This traditional restaurant and hotel is located just across the street from the bus stop and a half a block from the city offices of Coba. If you will be traveling to Cancun or South to Playa del Carmen or Akumal, you might not have a chance to enjoy authentic Mayan cuisine. At El Bocadito you can sample delicious hearty Mayan dishes, and your wallet will breath a sigh of relief. An entire meal including soup, main course with rice, beans and vegetables, choice of dessert and tea or coffee will only set you back about $4 US. Main courses include pollo pibil - chicken cooked in a banana leaf with Mayan spices or, the regional favorite, cochinita pibil - shredded pork slow cooked in those same savory spices.

Coba, the Enchanted City, offers the largest set of ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula. There are over 6,000 unexcavated ruins located in the once great Mayan city of Coba. Don Fransico tells stories that his great grandparents told him about the enchanted city of Coba. According to legend there are still ghosts who carry on normal life in the once thriving city. Make sure to visit but don't stay too long, for as the legend says, once Coba rises again to be a powerful city, the world will come to an end.

Home to the second tallest pyramid in the Mayan world, the trip to Coba is well worth the effort, and should be enjoyed now while over 95% of the ruins are still covered by dense jungle. The site just 1 km down the road from El Bocadito.

El Bocadito also offers quaint inexpensive lodging so those travelers who arrive late in Coba have a place to rest before spending a full day at the ruins.

Coba is 21/2 hours South of Playa del Carmen. An easy drive to Tulum, then turn right on the Coba road. Busses run frequently from Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun.

The family that runs El Bocadito doesn't have a computer or phone, so tell them you saw their website. They will get a kick out of it!

For more about the region, visit Cancun South.