One of the best things about living and doing a Spanish or Maya language immersion course in Carrillo is all of the incredible, fresh treats that can be found around town. Discovering all of the small stores or tiendas and street vendors or puestos is a whole adventure in itself! The ingredients are always fresh and the treats homemade. On top of that, going to the small tiendas and puestos are fantastic opportunities to strike up a conversation with the vendors. They are hard at work but love meeting new people who are practicing their Spanish or Maya and enjoying their snacks.

We’ve found that it’s difficult to go through a day without getting a sweet treat. The bakeries or panaderias are scattered around the city and their fresh breads are also sold in most of the tiny stores called tienditas and abarrotes. There is much more than just fresh bread, however! If you’re wanting to expand your horizons to have some different Mexican treats, here are some of our favorites. And, as always, if you find new ones, please let us know! 

Churrería Las Torres

If you’re looking for your sweet fix, then make sure you check out Las Torres, a friendly churrería that fries up delicious corn churros. Enjoy them unadorned (churros clasicos), or mix it up with a topping (churros especiales) or a filling (churros rellenos). Choose from toppings and fillings that include coconut flakes, Hershey’s chocolate sauce, and dulce de leche, a kind of milk-based caramel. No matter what your craving is, you won’t be disappointed! For more information, visit their Facebook page. 

Pastelería La Abuelita

This fantastic cake shop makes beautiful cakes and also offers a selection of baked goods. La Abuelita’s small treats include brownies, cookies, and slices of carrot cake, tiramisu, fudge cake and more. They also sell Mexican classics such as flan, pan de leche (sweet milk bread), and conchas, a traditional sweet bread roll. If you’re wanting to surprise someone with a cake, they take orders and have many different cake styles, sizes and flavors to choose from. They will also decorate your cake as you wish with impressive artistic talents. For more information, visit La Abuelita’s Facebook page. 

Nieves El Cokero

Make sure you don’t leave Carrillo without trying El Cokero’s coconut ice cream topped with dulce! It is very popular with the locals and it’s a number one favorite with our director, Catherine’s, extended family! The pieces of coconut and fresh taste have locals returning as much as they can. He also sells a refreshing lemon sorbet which is perfect on a hot day. The chile topping is optional so we recommend giving it a try at least once to get a real Mexican delight. If a cup isn’t enough, El Cokero can scoop you a liter to go. His ice cream cart is located outside the front of the Coppel store parking lot from about 11 am until 5 pm on most days. 

Donería Punto y Coma

Donería Punto y Coma offers the best selection of donuts in town. Freshly made each day, these light and surgery donut delights come with a range of tasty toppings. These include sugar and cinnamon, chocolate, coconut, and even Ferrero Rocher. Donas are a classic Mexican treat and we prefer them to ones we’ve tried outside of Mexico! You can visit the donut shop in person or order a delivery. For more information about opening times, visit Donería Punto y Coma’s Facebook page. 

Helados ABBI

Helados ABBI is another great place for artisan ice cream. Located on a quiet leafy street, ABBI’s is the perfect spot to sit outside and enjoy a scoop of ice cream or two. There are plenty of flavors to choose from, including coconut, Nutella, strawberry, and peanut, and you can mix and match. They also offer other treats such as crepes, waffles (with a scoop of ice cream, of course!), and sorbets. The fresh and delicious taste shines through with these homemade ice creams. Visit Helados ABBI’s Facebook page for more information.

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.