Our tour guide Carlos was fantastic and his english was extremely good. We had a great tour of a Coconut farm and Museum and roof tile making as well as a 5-star lunch at the Beach. Our conversations en route talked to the history of Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa as well as the local agriculture. We asked Carlos many questions about life in Mexico and he was knowledgeable and well spoken. A thoroughly enjoyable tour which we highly recommend as you really get to see parts of the area that are off the beaten gtrack.

We had a wonderful time cooking with Elsa and being chauffeured by Carlos. We started off in the markets with Carlos. He did a wonderful job explaining about the fruits, vegetables and herbs we weren’t familiar with, and picked up supplies for our cooking extravaganza. We made salsa, guacamole, chile rellenos (so good and light too!), tamales, enchiladas, and taquitas and chips. Their home is lovely and spotlessly clean. We felt like we were with family in their home. We would definitely recommend this experience!

Carlos and Elsa were more than accommodating! Carlos picked us up from the hotel and took us the market to get items for cooking. He was very informative and spoke very good English. We were then taken to their home to cook and made to feel like family. The only advice I would give is to skip breakfast- there was so much food! I had already eaten a light breakfast so I couldn’t eat as much of the delicious meal as I wanted to!

From the moment we were picked up at our hotel by Carlos he talked about his culture and pointed out many facts about the area. We stopped by the open market in Zihua for a few fresh ingrediencies for our lunch, which was another highlight for me. I could have stayed for at least a few hours. We were invited into a warm and inviting home of Elsa and Carlos. We were all hands-on making Chiles rellenos, tamales, enchiladas, quesadilla, tacos and salsa. By the time we left we were completely in awe of our experience, and stuffed with everything yummy that we helped create. I would highly recommend to everyone. Now I have the recipes to share with family and friends.

What an incredibly fun morning with Elsa and Carlos! Our day started with Carlos picking us up and taking us through the local food market - he took care to explain all the various foods, down to the different mango varietals, and we picked up fresh produce for the cooking class. It was a treat to join Elsa in her own kitchen (a perk of the low season!) to make dish after dish of amazing food - enchiladas, tamales, and more! We ate way too much, and still had more to bring back to our hotel. Our tip would be to do this class early in the trip so you have time to enjoy all the food you take home! We stayed for extra time, chatting - Elsa and Carlos make you feel like family.

I booked a couple tours through Westjet Vacations from the Emporio Hotel through Isidro Reyes, the Westjet representative. One of these excursions, Eco Combo, Country Side Tour, was contracted out to Julio as my tour guide. Isidro did a great job of selling me this tour, saying it was the top tour in Ixtapa. As you can see from the write up on the brochure, it includes a "venture through the mangroves of a a bird sanctuary." This part I was really excited to see. As scheduled, I was picked up by Julio as my guide for this small group tour-there were only 4 of us, which was great. Upon first getting into the van, I mentioned how excited I was to go on the boat ride to see the bird sanctuary. I was told there would be NO boat ride. What? It's part of the package. There was no explanation. Julio did the tour showing us the coastline with wonderful views, then to the coconut plantation, then to a family that makes terra cotta tiles for roofs, then to lunch in Barra de Potosi. The lunch place is where the bird sanctuary is located. I tried again to ask if we could go on the boat ride. Apparently Julio was fairly anxious to get back but said if we wanted to go, he could check it out. There was another woman and I that wanted to go, but were told it would cost 700 pesos. What? I paid for this already, so why should I pay again? I was very disappointed to say the least. The next day when I saw I Isidro, the representative who set this tour up, I told him we did not get the boat ride to the bird sanctuary. He didn't seem surprised or offer any compensation. The tour was good, what we saw. Just make sure you get the whole tour.

What a great experience! We learned how to prepare more than 5 recipes. Elsa has a ton of knowledge, which she was quite happy to share. Definitely recommend this tour.

This was a very interesting morning, and Carlos is an excellent guide. We saw a coconut plantation, a tile-making operation, and a restaurant where women were making tortillas by hand and cooking them on an open fire. In addition, Carlos is knowledgable about the local fruit trees, native woods, and birds. His English is excellent, and we conversed on a variety of topics. It was a wonderful chance to see traditional enterprises and something of life outside the city of Zihuatanejo. Highly recommended

My friends and I (8 of us) booked this day and we were not disappointed. It was everything we were looking forward to and more. Carlos & Elsa made it a great learning, fun and tasty experience. We were picked up and driven to the Mercado, Carlos taught us so much about spices, great foods and handy tools in the Market. Then Francisco drove us to the restaurant where Elsa made us laugh, taught us to cook our favorite Mexican dishes and then we were able to relax in the restaurant and enjoy the tasty dishes we created. The whole day was well organized and Carlos & Elsa were great teachers. So much fun, would definitely recommend this!!

We enjoyed our cooking class with Elsa! We were able to participate in making of 5 recipes and then eat our own creations for lunch! She took us to the market first to buy ingredients and tell us about the way they shop there for food. So informative!

Great private tour of the outlying areas away from Zihuatanejo! Carlos was very knowledgeable, spoke good English. We visited a brick and tile making company and we could make a tile ourselves. The coconut plantation was beautiful and the coconut treats we tried were delicious! We had a flavorful lunch at a seaside restaurant in Barre de Possi. Really enjoyed our day and getting to know someone from the area. Highly recommend if you want to know more about the area

Friendly, family owned tour operator. My husband and I felt so at ease and welcomed during our cooking tour with Elsa and Carlos. We thoroughly enjoyed our day cooking an authentic Mexican Cuisine with Elsa totally from scratch which we appreciated and loved. We were picked up from our hotel lobby by Carlos the owner and husband to Elsa. Once we met up with Elsa she took us shopping for some of the freshest ingredients to put into our dishes. I purchased some of the most comfortable leather sandals and some really good coffee before we went to a local restaurant to cook us up some of the best Mexican food we've ever had. Everyone we met was so friendly, we appreciated their hospitality and energy. I will definitely do this and other tours with them when we return. This was a relaxing, fun and educational time but not too educational, I mean educational with flavors!!

This central market trip and cooking class was amazing! Our guides were kind, gracias, and knowledgeable. It was a great experience walking through the Central Market and visiting the Museo de Coco. Their beautiful outdoor kitchen was a great experience to be able to cook in and the meal we prepared was delicious!! I highly recommend this excursion!!

This was the highlight of our trip! Carlos and Elsa were wonderful hosts! Our first stop was the Mercado Municipal where we bought the ingredients for our meal. We learned so much about the history of the town and met some of the merchants. It was a very culturally immersive experience. Then it was on to a lovely coconut plantation to prepare our feast. Elsa was an excellent teacher and Carlos a very gracious host! We learned to prepare some delicious authentic dishes. When the instruction was over and while our tamales and chili rellenos were cooking we were treated to a tour of the grounds. We returned to the outdoor kitchen for a delicious meal and lively conversation! A perfect day! I highly recommend this experience! Thanks Elsa and Carlos for a perfect day!!

Carlos was wonderful - he went above and beyond what was described in the tour information! We stopped to buy freshly ground coffee, then he took us to Mercado Municipal and showed us right where to go to get what we needed. His knowledge of the area and the things he showed us was amazing! The four of us had a great day with Carlos!