For clients who want to do more than watch a parade, this year’s Dia de Muertos offerings put them in the middle of the tradition, whether that means making pan de muerto, building an ofrenda or learning to carve a ceremonial mask from a fourth-generation artisan. Read on for part two of two:
Dia de los Muertos by Marriott
Hacienda del Mar, Los Cabos marks Dia de Muertos on Nov. 2 with an evening celebration from 6-10 p.m. The meal plan is included, and the dress code is black and white.
The lineup includes a parade of Catrinas and Charros Negros, who tell traditional Mexican stories through performances. Entertainment displays and balloons fill the property, along with Mexican street treats such as esquites, cotton candy and lollipops. At the Motor Lobby, a Mexican buffet of traditional cuisine and beverages comes with live music.
Guests can also join contests and activities throughout the evening.
Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres is an adults-only beachfront property that ties its programming to local culture, wellness and gastronomy. This Dia de Muertos season, it will bring Hanal Pixan to life. The ancient Mayan tradition, known as “Food for the Souls,” comes from the Yucatan Peninsula and honors loved ones who have passed. It also celebrates the connection between the living and their ancestors.
Guests can create a traditional altar, join sunset rituals honoring loved ones who have passed and take part in Path to Xibalba, an intimate visit to a local cemetery that explores regional customs. Hands-on culinary workshops cover Yucatecan tamales inspired by mucbipollo, pan de muerto and traditional sugar and chocolate calaveras.
Mexican music, a Xibalba-inspired fire show, wellness programming and additional activities round out the schedule.
For more information, visit travelagents.marriott.com.
Posadas for Fall
Posadas is filling its fall calendar with food, family and Mexican traditions, and two of its properties have Dia de Muertos events dated for early November.
Advisors with clients heading to central Mexico can look to Live Aqua San Miguel de Allende, where Journey to Mictlan takes place Nov. 1. The evening draws on Michoacan traditions and opens with a welcome drink inspired by the traditional ofrenda, followed by a traditional dance performance and live classical music. Guests then light candles to honor loved ones before a four-course pairing dinner featuring Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Tequila. The dinner comes from a culinary collaboration between Chefs Gerardo Rivera and Ernesto Narvaez.
In Playa del Carmen, Devossion by Live Aqua, Playa del Carmen holds a Dia de Muertos celebration Nov. 2, two days after its Halloween celebration on Oct. 31. Clients traveling from late October into November can fit both into one stay.
For more information, visit agentscashincentive.com.
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo on Mexico’s Costalegre coast is hosting its first month-long Dia de Muertos celebration, running through Nov. 15. Food, wellness, craft and gatherings anchor the program.
On Oct. 30, the resort’s Shaman guides A Night of Remembrance, a Temazcal (house of heat) ceremony centered on reflection, renewal and remembrance. On Oct. 31, Mictlan: Dia de Muertos opens with a ceremonial blessing and procession inspired by Mictlan, then moves into cultural storytelling, artistic activations, live performances and an open-air culinary experience.
At Sal, Chefs Osiel Solorzano and Abraham Serug of Casa Bacuuza cook a four-course Dia de Muertos dinner drawn from the culinary traditions of Oaxaca and Puebla, using fire, regional ingredients and ancestral techniques.
Visiting Mexican makers lead hands-on workshops on traditional techniques all season. Over Dia de Muertos weekend, fourth-generation artisan Guadalupe Candelario Castro of Suchitlan teaches papelillo rojo mask making, a tradition closely connected to the Danza de los Morenos. The Mezcal & Alebrijes Workshop, led by mixologists, pairs a tasting of four artisanal mezcals with the history and symbolism of alebrijes, icons of Mexican folk art.
For more information, visit preferredpartners.fourseasons.com.
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit will host the fourth annual Mexology Fest on Nov. 2 and 3, folding an agave-spirits program into its celebrations. Tastings trace the traditions behind tequila, mezcal and raicilla, and cocktail sessions pair contemporary technique with those spirits.
The host lineup includes bartenders and content creators from Los Angeles, Toronto and Mexico City. Saeed “Hawk” House, a Los Angeles bartender, has been part of the event since the beginning. Ahmad N. Rustom leads The Art of Freestyling at Sen Lin. Danica McGuinness hosts The Mexican Cocktail Codex at Azul Restaurant Terrace. Carolyn Pascual, founder of The Social Sipper, leads Craft Your Flavor, where guests build an alcoholic or nonalcoholic cocktail around a local seasonal ingredient.
Rayo Bar of Mexico City takes over the resort’s Half Moon Terrace. A raicilla virtual reality experience shows the agave fields where the spirit is produced and ends with a cocktail. The festival closes at Majahuitas, reachable only by boat, with a beach farewell, a live DJ and a signature cocktail from each host at sunset.
Mexology Fest is included in the all-inclusive rate for guests staying at the resort, with rates starting at $570 per person per night.
For more information, visit mexologyfest.velasresorts.com.
Toro Toro Fort Worth
Advisors with clients in Fort Worth through November 3 have a dining option at Toro Toro Fort Worth, where a three-course Dia de los Muertos menu follows the sun from the first marigold petal to the last flame. The theme, El Sol Dorado (The Golden Sun), ties dishes and cocktails to points in that arc.
Luz de Mar Tiradito represents First Light, with salmon, sea bass and saffron aguachile topped with mango relish, macha salsa, crispy sweet potato and marigold. Fuego de Sol Short Rib stands for Zenith, the sun at full power: achiote-braised short rib with a charred poblano cheese enchilada, topped with plantain puree, zucchini blossom sauce, green zucchini and affilla cress. Amanecer Pumpkin Brulee marks dusk, pairing piloncillo pumpkin creme brulee with salted caramel ice cream and pepita brittle.
On the cocktail list, the Saffron Sour, tied to Zenith, combines El Tequileno reposado tequila, egg white, cinnamon-saffron syrup, lime and tangerine. Punch Calavera represents the altar and is made with hibiscus, guava, fresh orange juice and strongly brewed cinnamon tea. The DDLM Sangria stands for dusk and blends red wine, Anejo rum, passionfruit, grenadine, mango, piloncillo and cinnamon.
For more information, visit torotorofortworth.com.
