Apapaxoa: Mexico’s Art of Caring, Served Tableside

By: Brenda Storch /Photos and video: ©Apapaxoa

Some words refuse to travel. Apapacho is one of them.

You can think of it as affection or comfort, but neither quite carries what it means to apapachar someone. An apapacho doesn’t always involve arms. Sometimes it is a warm tortilla slipped onto your plate, extra broth for your pozole, a  ¿ya comiste? that isn’t really a question, or a chair pulled closer to the table. Sometimes it is a little more salsa because someone remembered exactly how you like it.

It is affection made tangible. A sweet act of hospitality making you feel welcome. Loved.

I was reminded of that recently at Tzuco in Chicago, during an intimate evening with Grupo Xcaret and a preview of the third edition of Apapaxoa Festival GastroCultural Xcaret, coming to the Riviera Maya September 18–23, 2026.

For six days, Hotel Xcaret Arte, Hotel Xcaret México and La Casa de la Playa will become one sprawling table, bringing together the 23 chefs of Xcaret’s Gastronomic Collective with chefs and creators from Mexico and around the world for dinners, brunches, tastings, workshops and conversations.

The lineup gave me that little jolt of recognition that food people know well. There were a few familiar faces, chefs whose work I have followed, tasted or crossed paths with over the years, alongside names from around the world that immediately sent me down a curious rabbit hole. The caliber is global, but what excites me most is the conversation: so many different culinary languages coming to Mexico, gathering around the same table and seeing what happens.

The theme for 2026 is The Colors of Mexico, a palette that feels instantly familiar.

Apapaxoa takes that palette beyond the plate and into art, music, fashion and photography to tell a larger story about Mexico and the many hands, places and traditions that continue to shape it.

Tradition has a seat at this table, but so does curiosity.

Want a Seat?

Apapaxoa takes place September 18–23 in the Riviera Maya, and you don’t need to be a chef or culinary insider to participate.

You can build a trip around the festival with a stay at Xcaret, choose a festival package or book individual experiences. The program includes special dinners, brunch, tastings, workshops, music and cultural happenings across the three Xcaret properties.

Start with the official Apapaxoa website to explore the program and participating chefs, then visit Access for current packages and individual experiences.

And leave a little empty space in the itinerary.

Mexico has a way of filling it.

Apapaxoa Festival GastroCultural Xcaret 2026
September 18–23, 2026
Hotel Xcaret Arte · Hotel Xcaret México · La Casa de la Playa