Visiting a restaurant and sampling a region’s cuisine is enjoyable, but taking part in memorable, hands-on culinary experiences elevates both your travel and your palate. These immersive activities reveal local food culture, history and production while delivering delicious moments you won’t forget.
© Villa Bokeh
Elote Time in Guatemala
At Villa Bokeh, guests can join La Experiencia Maíz, an interactive celebration of one of Guatemala’s most treasured ingredients: corn. Known locally as elote, corn is central to Guatemalan cuisine and culture. This immersive experience traces the ingredient from field to table, honoring the farmers and traditional techniques that shape its flavor. Visitors sample a selection of bite-sized preparations made from different corn varieties, learning how cultivation, processing and cooking each influence texture and taste.
© Southernmost Beach Resort
Hook and Cook in Key West
Southernmost Beach Resort offers a fresh take on seafood with its Hook and Cook option. Guests who catch their own fish—anything from marlin and sailfish to mahi mahi—can have the resort’s chefs prepare the catch to their liking. This hands-on approach highlights the immediacy of the ocean-to-plate experience and showcases expert preparation techniques for truly fresh seafood.
© Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Pastechi Cooking Class in Aruba
At Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, guests can join a private cooking class with the executive chef to learn how to make pastechi, a beloved Aruban pastry. Wearing a special chef’s apron, participants prepare the half-moon-shaped dough and choose fillings like gouda, ham, chicken, fish, potato, spinach with feta, tomatoes or vegetables. The class also explores a variety of sauces—such as sambal pica and papaya-based aiolis—so you can customize flavors and take home practical skills for recreating pastechi.
© Grand Universe Lucca
Wine and Olive Oil Tasting in Tuscany
Grand Universe Lucca offers curated tastings that showcase Tuscany’s acclaimed wines and olive oils. The Tuscan Wine & Olive Oil experience presents guests with a choice of two wines—options include Montalcino, Montecarlo, Super Tuscan and Chianti Classico—paired with a guided olive oil tasting. The session explains regional production methods and the relationship between soil, climate and flavor. Afterward, visitors can explore the resort’s Eterno Wine Cellar, a historic space housing an extensive collection of Tuscan bottles.
Secret Vegan Menu in Puerto Rico
Caribe Hilton’s restaurant Caribar serves a hidden vegan menu for guests who ask. Order using the code word “homegrown” to access a selection of plant-based dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. This off-menu offering emphasizes farm-to-table freshness and includes options such as butternut squash risotto, grilled portobello with truffle notes and a flourless chocolate cake—each dish crafted to highlight island flavors without compromising creativity.
© Vittle Art Curaçao
Vittle Art Experience in Curaçao
Vittle Art, led by local chef Kris Kierindongo, offers a private farm-to-table workshop and dinner that showcases Curaçao’s flavors. The experience features a personalized nine- to ten-course menu made from ingredients grown on the chef’s farm and prepared using local and ancestral techniques. Served al fresco at sunset, the meal pairs fresh, authentic dishes with panoramic island views for an intimate culinary evening.
Clam ‘Chowdah’ Cook Off in Massachusetts
Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod runs a Clam ‘Chowdah’ Cook Off that invites guests to make classic New England clam chowder under the guidance of resort chefs. Participants learn traditional methods for building flavor and can experiment by adding vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, carrots or sweet potato. After cooking, the chef tastes each chowder and names a winner who receives dining credit to use at the resort. The class serves up to 10 guests and is available to overnight visitors—reservations can be made by contacting the resort’s activities team.
© W Punta de Mita
Tequila Experience in Mexico
At W Punta de Mita, the Mesa1 dining experience pairs a five-course menu with Clase Azul tequila for a refined exploration of Mexican ingredients and spirits. Chef Ismael Gonzalez crafts dishes that blend local products and bold flavors, each course matched to a carefully selected tequila to highlight complementary notes and enhance the overall tasting journey.