Just go! This is a gem. Yes, you might be a little apprehensive about leaving the Hotel Zone and venturing out, but this is worth it. We ended up here twice during our trip. Our first trip was during an evening where things were quite lively. Live music was playing from the stage. There was dancing, families everywhere and many street vendors. There are also a number of food court restaurants near the palapas. The ones we visited, all were outstanding and the food was extremely reasonable (ok, cheap), but bring your pesos. My daughter got three huge empanadas for 95 pesos (less than $5.50 US). I got 4 street style pastor tacos for roughly $4.50 US. We also bought esquites both times for $2 for a small cup. Well worth it. On the second visit, it was late afternoon/early evening. The vibe wasn't as festive, but still busy and lively. The HZ buses drop you off nearby and the walk is very short and extremely safe. On our second visit, we walked from Mercado 28 and it was still very safe. read more

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Hot! Bring ya hand fan!!! Tons of locals and their families flock to here on Sunday nights!!!! This is their go to spot! You want to find good local food, desserts, arts and crafts, vendors with local goods, local bars, and best prices in town, go here! Arrange uber in and out or taxi! It gets busy we rode the bus like some crazies, it was fun but packed and had ac but no private ride. Tacos, tortas, pizza, turkey legs, marquisette, crepes SnoCones, bags, clothes, art, massage stands. It's a one stop shop- socks, jewelry, kitchen dishes, souvenirs yes! I don't know if you would find a parking spot so I say uber. It starts around sundown and their out there until 11pm at least. It was so hot no winds and lots of people packed in there. Not much seating or benches, tables they had were occupied and people wasn't moving anytime soon. It depends time of year I'm sure as well, but like I said it's more locals here you will see O tourists unless they did their research hahaha read more

This is the place to go! Lots of locals and family friendly. The place has a relax yet lively vibe read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

Absolutely check this place out. Food is on the lower end, and the food court has great options for more authentic and traditional foods. I ordered a pozole from the shop, Las Lupitas, and it was amazing! Best meal of my whole trip. It felt homey and filling. Order the Aguas frescas they have. Very cheap and the prizes are all posted on most of their banners. My meal was a total of $8. Check this area on weekends (Friday-Sunday)! There's singers and venders and lots of street food. read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

We LOVE coming here when we come to Cancun. Not everyone speaks English but we manage. We love the elote, ice cream, churros and marquesitas. They recently renovated the space, so it looks really different. Kids still ride around on little electric vehicles that you can rent out. They upgraded the playscapes. The bathrooms still aren't open, which is a bummer. We get the best massage here for $10/30 minutes. My kids love doing the trampoline jump for about $3. The kids call it their Yes Place because everything is very reasonably priced!!! read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Marquesita with queso and nutella - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

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Be careful, you could pass right by it and you wouldn't know. Navigation told me, you have arrived and I promptly asked, where?!. So I kept driving on until I figured where it was. I was expecting a big sign somewhere, but either I missed it out just wasn't there. It's a small park with a bunch of taquerias (not sure if I'm using the right then) trying to earn your business. You share the available tables with the locals who go there including this little dog that goes around scrounging for food, at least when I was there. Anyway, it's authentic street style food. Give it a try if you can. read more

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By day, I was like "this is it?!" It looked like an abandoned carnival located in front of a giant palapa. Wait to come here once the sun sets. That's when the magical happens. Food stands galore. Live music. Children riding around the center on rented Power Wheels. Laughter from a carousel. Shouts of excitement from nearby bars. More locals than tourists, but everyone enjoying the atmosphere. It feels like a special place that the local community takes pride in. read more

You might wonder what to do in Cancún at night, besides going to the bar or club in the hotel zone. Well, parque de las palapas is a great place to get street food and arts and crafts. They also have music, and the park is very lively, especially on the weekend. One of the must tries that everyone on the internet talks about is marquesita. It is basically a waffle roll with cream cheese, nutella, and some kind of shredded cheese, and fruits. I think it tastes okay, but it's not my favorite dessert here. My favorites are the churros and the flan. Idk what ingredients they put in or how they mix the dough, but the churro is crunchy outside but soft inside, and very moist. I have never had any churros in the US that is good like that; I think churros of a random food cart in Havana was very good like this one. The flan is delicious as well; I wish they give us more caramel sauce tho. The drink is probably my least favorite. We have the mango chamoyada and the taste is interesting, very different. I'm not really a fan because it is sour and spicy, and I don't really like either one. The people who sells the food don't really speak english so you might have a hard time communicating if you have extra requests for food or need more napkins fyi. read more

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They took advantage of the fact that we were Americans and thought I didn't understand Spanish. They cheated us on the exchange rate. The food was good, but not amazing. Not worth the trek it took to get here by any means. Side note but not part of my review: They don't serve any alcohol here. read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Vendors on right, tables on left - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

While researching authentic Mexican experiences in Cancun I rEad a lot about Parque Las Palapas. Getting there from the hotel zone wasn't as easy as expected. But after a bus and a van which should have been used to take prisoners to jail, we found our way. It was a Sunday night and the place was hopping. There was a carnival like atmosphere with dancers and a band on stage. There were kiddie rides and grandmothers sitting on the park benches. Dads drove there kids around in remote controlled Barbie cars. There were cotton candy vendors and craft booths. The star of the show was the food booths. Oh my god, so good. We had this thing called a Chicharrón. It was this crisp wafer like crunchy base with ham and chicken and avocado and veggies and omg all such great stuff. It was big enough to share. With a bottle of coke it was $50 pesos...about $2.50 USD. We also had churros. A whole bag of about 6 for $2!! It was a great night in a truly lovely night in a family filled park with great food and a great vibe!. read more

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Located not far from Tulum Avenue, Parque las Palapas is the main park in downtown Cancun, and although activity peaks after sunset with street vendors and open-air stage performances daytime sees the space busy with locals visiting a collection of stalls offering various Mexican delicacies. Abutting Cancun's oldest Catholic church, with pigeons aplenty but no panhandlers on Saturday afternoon, it was after perusing the lineup that three stalls were selected, enough Food for three Americans fresh off a plane tallying less than 360 Pesos ($18USD) including three Beverages. Beginning at Quesadillas D'Luis, a kitchen consisting of four women at the park's rightmost border, it is safe to forget everything thought true of Quesadillas stateside, these nearly twice the size with house-braised Meats and local Cheese while Empanadas are quick-fried and topped with Crema around a molten center. Off to an excellent start, with Salsas and Condiments on the side, stop two consisted of Suadero and Chorizo at Los Taquitos Mexicanos, the ten minutes preparation yielding piping hot Meat ready to be topped as desired, and chopped Chorizo generally outperforming Suadero that was dry and underseasoned. Moving finally to the far-left of Restaurant Row, a place titled Dona Lulu, it is here that Oaxacan Food takes center stage, the 30-Peso Pambazo well sauced with freshly-prepared Papas con Chorizo and the Tlayuda oversized with plenty of tender Asada playing off crispy bits of Skin, Cheese, Beans and Vegetables. read more

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While in the downtown neighborhood of Cancun, we decided to visit this extremely popular park that all of the locals seem to visit on a frequent basis. When we arrived, you could see families enjoying the day and their children having a blast playing in the play areas, including a place where the kids can get into these little electric cars and ride around a huge paved center of the park. The children were obviously having a good time and kept occupied while the adults observed from the side lines. As we wandered the park, there were many vendors selling all kinds of beverages, food, snacks and desserts. We had a hard time trying to settle on what items we wanted to try out. Finally, we shared some street tacos, cokes, fried bananas, Marquesitas and churros. We were lucky to find a vacant bench to start alleviating our hunger pangs. While there, we were entertained by a single guy who played loud recorded music and sang a variety of Mexican ballads. Honestly, singing wasn't his strong suit, but it was entertaining none the less. The park in general was OK. Nice for families and people who like a busy, activities style setting. Nature and relaxation, not so much..... read more

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We visited here in early March, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meh. It's not a place I'd go out of my way to visit, or even recommend you go out of your way to visit. Having said that, if you're in the area for a dinner or shopping, it can't hurt to take a look. "What is it Ed?" Good question! It's just a plaza or park or town square, with some trees and benches, but at night, it's filled with little food stands selling snacks. Marquesitas (crepes filled with various sweets & fruits), churros, wheat chicharones (kinda like cheetos) & other stuff. There are no tourists that I could tell, so if you come you'd better speak at least a little Spanish, cuz you ain't gonna find nobody who speaks English here. On the plus side: it's very safe here. You have no worries walking around here and nobody hassles you whatsoever. read more

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This was such a fun excursion. And if you like elote and live music this is IT! Its in the middle of a neighborhood, kind of like a park. They have a ton of vendors and food stands. It's a feast for your eyes...and your stomach. Sadly, we ate dinner at our resort but we indulge in some churros and elote and let me tell you, this elote was the best I've ever had. The hot sauce they made there was something I wish I knew where to find because it was so delicious. A perfect combination of spice and lime and garlic....perfection. And the people were so nice! The prices were reasonable too. There was plenty of seating and it was so much fun to watch people go by or dance the night away. Highly recommend coming here if you're in the area. read more

I loved the park, let's be clear this is more like a Feria kind of thing, very local. Perfect for diving in it culturally. They know a lot of tourist come here so they take dollars. I loved it. Food trucks are good read more

This park does not really even get going until almost nightfall. It is a great place to get a cheap meal from one of the many vendors that line the north side of the park and there is a stage that provides family friendly entertainment but two things really make this park stand out : The dessert vendors that are strung along the west side of the park: They offers Mexican dessert delicacies like churros, marquesitas, fried bananas and much more. If you are not familiar with these Mexican style desserts than this is definitely the place to give them a try. They can be a little messy so I recommend you get plenty of napkins. The child cruise is the centerpiece of the park: Why was there never anything like this when I was a child? The main cruise is lined with every awesome kind of electric toddler friendly cruiser and hot rod you can imagine. Fathers, get some fine threads on your boy, slick his hair back and don't forget a classy pair of shades. Mothers, get those cute little baby girls all dressed up and looking adorable. They be cruisin in style. Here's a little cruising music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7qNlocNIf8 read more

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I found the finest tacos al pastor in the Yucatan here. It's the stand that has a huge fry pan that looks almost like a wok, with sausage curled up in the middle. They offer a molcajete grande for like $7.50, but don't get distracted! You want the 4 tacos al pastor for $2.00. They look good when you get them, but load 'em up with fixin's from the fixin's bar. A few kinds of onion salsa, green stuff, red stuff, pickled onion, regular onion, you name it. Load up. They even have a little refried bean and rice to garnish with! Then eeeeeeaaaaat. The best. read more

This spot is great for trying local food!! Marquesitas are a must try and super affordable! I tried a marquesita with Nutella, Strawberries, Cream cheese, and Queso de bola. The sopes, al pastor tacos were delicious as well. I highly recommend this park if you are in the area!! read more

If you're visiting Cancun, YOU MUST VISIT PARQUE DE LAS PALAPAS!! The food here, is delicious, and authentic. They have everything: tacos, sopes, elote, tortas, churros, marquesitas and so much more. Everything is much cheaper here than in hotel zone. Visiting Parque de Las Palapas, I felt like I was actually in Mexico. There are a lot of locals and everyones friendly. It's also pretty safe. It's conveniently located just a short walk from Mercardo 28 so you can go shopping then walk over here for food. Getting here from Hotel Zone was pretty easy. We just hopped on the R1/R2 and got here. Suggestion - don't stay too late, it's kind of confusing getting back on the bus if its late (past 9). The bus drivers will also help you know if you are headed in the right direction when they pick you up if you ask. You need pesos or USD. They do not take card. read more

Local spot but the vibes were definitely there! I felt safe but always be careful and stay alert. Food was AMAZING

BEST STREET FOOD YOU'LL FIND IN CANCUN!! Take it from a local (me), if you want to try real authentic Mexican food this is the place to go. It may not be the prettiest but it's authentic and delicious! Vendors have been the same people for years so they have it all down. I highly recommend specially for tourist. Just a quick tip: don't wear your nicest clothes read more

It's not a very large area but it's a great spot to hang out. Whether you have small kids or it's just the adults chilling for the weekend, take a trip into town. Just hop on the R-1 bus and tell the driver to take you to Palapas. Once you get off at the bus stop, you will think it's right in front of you, but it's not. Turn around and walk down the alley across the street and you will walk right on top of it. We started with dessert first and hit the churro stand because it is my weakness. They were hand cranking out the dough right in front of you and throwing it in the oil. You wouldn't think something so simple would make such a big difference, but it does. They are light and flakey unlike the thicker churros we have back home, and these things are money! Of course there is always street corn available, on or off the cob. They also have a stand with all of your seasonings and sauces so that you can Jazz it up however you see fit I was really impressed with D' Louis. This is a booth that's serving up empanadas, sopes, quesadillas, and a variety of other Foods. They're cooking it right in front of you so that you know it's fresh and the portions are huge. The prices are right as well costing a mere $3 for two very large empanadas and an agua de frutas of your choice. They have a topping stand so you can put whatever you want on the food you order, from Crema, to a refried black bean sauce. It was truly an outstanding by the food. read more

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Such a fun experience on our last night in Cancun! We were here on a Thursday night and it was hoppin! We tried a few new things we hadn't seen yet and spend only a few bucks for our family of 5. Full of locals .. mostly families, check it out! read more

This park is amazing! There are so many places to eat. Whatever you are in the mood for they have it. Whether it is tacos, burritos, elotes or cakes they have it all. Coming from New York I was super excited to taste the many things that we dont have in the city. Not only do they have great eats but they sell jewelry and other very cool products. I purchased a very pretty pair of stainless steel hoop earring for 90 pesos (about 4.50 American dollars). My daughter was excited as they had rides and a bull ride! She loved it. read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Bull ride! - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

Interesting little park outside of the touristy areas. Locals go here to dance, eat, and enjoy some family time. I totally felt safe here. Parking was easy. Well lit area. Had some elote, street tacos and frozen ice drink, all from locally owned food stalls. If you're looking to immerse yourself into the community some versus just hanging out in the hotel zone, it's worth a few hours visit in the evening. read more

Plenty of food stalls to choose from and very affordable compared to the hotel zone. Many locals come out here to eat at night. Friendly people and great outdoor atmosphere. read more

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Love coming here everyday! From local cuisine, to catching a show, even getting a massage.... Everything is here!

This place is great for a real authentic meal , it's cheap and a place where the locals hang out. We really enjoyed the marquesitas. read more

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The place for people watching any nice evening.. This is the largest "town-square" type park in Cancun and at night it is just buzzing with activity. The park is named after the huge Palapa stage at one side of the open park. Throughout the year they have different free shows.. I've seen dancers, famous music acts, comedians, clowns, jugglers, and sometimes the local school bands or dance groups. You never now. A side of the park has about a dozen permanent to-go restaurants in little cubicals that serve food to hundreds of locals who eat under the umbrellas of small concrete tables. The food is varied and good. (No alcohol is served in the park.) The side of the park opposite the Palapa is the nightly home to tiandies.. or local food carts. Two things that you MUST try are the elote and marquesitas. Elote is Spanish for corn, and this is corn-on-the-cob Mexican-Style; slathered with mayo, sprinkled with cheese and you add your own powered chile on top. YYummm. Marquesitas unique to the Yucatan. They are very, very thin, crunchy crepes, but much bigger, filled with your choice.. I like caramel and pecans in mine. Others like cheese and Nutella. It's rolled up and handed to you warm. The thin pancake is crisp, flaky and light. Also Yummm. There are vendors selling churros, french fries, souvenirs & whatnot. There are singers, there are even people who rent battery-powered toy cars for your children to drive.. and if your kids are too young to drive; some cars have remote control. The last couple years during Christmas & New Years holidays, they even set up a huge ice skating rink covered by a huge tent. The line is always long to get your skates and your turn on the ice, and it is fun to see these warm-weather folk give this cold-weather sport a try. But, everyone has fun. Overall, the main event at Parque de Palapas is people watching. Take your time, wander a bit, get something to nibble, find a seat and enjoy. This is how I imagine the summer evenings used to be in small-down America... except en Espanol. read more

This is the place where locals eat. Food is extremely cheap, truly authentic and flavorful. Everything is freshly made. The place is bit hard to find and drive to but there is ample street parking around once you get there. As others have mentioned - YOU HAVE TO TRY THE MARQUESITAS The bad: Limited menus. And the food stalls run out of menu items soon. Not many options for vegetarians or non-pork/beef eaters. read more

Such a great place to experience Mexican culture! My sister and I stopped in to explore. There are a ton of food booths all around the park. There are also vendors selling their wares on one side as well. We saw some live music which was really good! There are little motorized cars for the kids as well as a play area. We had some amazing churros! They give out free samples to try to draw in more people so it's quite something to see how hard they work to draw people in when there are 3 identical booths! We visited on a weekend so I'm not sure if the weekdays are the same or not. This seems like the place to be on weekends for locals so go check it out of you can! read more

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A very nice plaza to visit at night when the taquerias and stalls are open, and families are out. I was there on a Saturday night and there were performances on the stage, and a group of people giving free hugs. I had some great chorizo tacos, and the sweet corn in a cup stall was fantastic. Great people watching, and a good neighborhood to walk around in. I'd recommend the food stalls, but there are some good restaurants nearby as well. read more

After our dinner at Pik Nik, we walked down the street and was hearing something. We walked further and saw pretty much a lot of the Cancun community watching a comedy act on stage. There were lots of food stalls and other vendors. I now wished we had eaten here cause they had some really interesting desserts and foods. Everyone was watching, kids were running around. They had kid rent a cars for them to drive around the park. Next time I'm ever in Cancun, I'm coming back here cause it was like being part of the real community of Cancun and felt like you were immersed in the culture. read more

If you're in downtown Cancun, definitely check out this little park/night market!!! It's extremely lively and cute! There's little kids everywhere riding their little electric cars. I got a gringa and my friend got a burrito here and it's only 40 pesos! It also includes a drink!!! What a great deal! I love the fact that there's so many locals here. It gives an extremely authentic Mexican night market feel. Walking to this location at night might get you a bit anxious because the roads are small and aren't that lit. But it's still relatively safe! If you get a gut feeling a street isn't safe then just turn back the other way. read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Burrito and gringas. Pastor is pork in Spanish. - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

I wish I was still in Cancun for this! This park is easy to find and it is a mini night market. We went on a weekday and there are heaps of food stalls to choose from, some goods to buy and even mini cars in the middle of the plaza in front of the concert for kids to play with! We tried a tasty dessert similar to a crepe, local sweet coffee, and would have loved to try the empanadas, corn in a cup and tacos however were much too full! There is something for everyone here along with heaps of open space to sit and relax...kids can be occupied learning to drive in their mini cars, painting, you can get henna tattoos or your hair braided or just pig out. If you are visiting Cancun, this local spot surpasses the tourist traps but just be prepared to pay 5 pesos for the clean toilets without the toilet seats (seems to be a thing in Mexico). read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

5 stars just for the kids car rental! Such a great idea. Small shops, food, desserts, and entertainment - what's not to like. People from the community coming together to have a good time and enjoy the outdoors. Really nice experience. Definitely recommended. read more

Parque de Las Palapas - Crepe. Chocolate & banana inside. - Parks Near Me - Cancún, ROO

I was staying at a hostel nearby and came here with some people from the hostel. I actually came here twice, one in the early afternoon and other late at night. Both time I enjoyed myself. During the day, there are food vendors. You can walk around to see what catches your attention. Some vendors offer samples. There are also benches for you to sit and enjoy your meal. At night, they place comes to life. Live music, carnival rides and games, and live performers. Definitely a must-stop area when visiting Cancun. Great for the whole family. Lots of young children were playing around and enjoying the music. read more

Came here on Dia de los muertos for a fun, local festival. Highly recommend this park/plaza for those who want to get away from resort life while visiting Cancun. The food trucks are great! There are tacos for under $1 each, corn on the cob, lots of dessert trucks. The plaza is quite vast so it never felt crowded. There's also a nearby street with souvenir shops with some of the least expensive souvenirs I've seen. read more

For those looking for a great place to eat real Mexican food and not get gouged by the process in Cancun this is the place for you I took a family of four and ate door under 15 dollars and the food was great. It's not a place for you bougie people but for those willing to venture out I highly recommend it read more

I kept asking people or taxis to take me to a local's place in Cancun . They say " there is no such a thing here bc this is such a young city and everyone comes from a different place " . After coming to this plaza multiple times , I feel to my personal belief that this area gets as real as it can to experience a the real culture of the locals . They have little mom and pop stands on the side of the plaza selling all kinds of food . I tried some of them ; marquesitas, quesadillas don Luis , the tacos , churros and all the good stuff"! It's very cheap to buy food here bc it's marketed to the locas , not the tourist . That's why I love the feeling of it. Come here if you are adventurous with trying new food and " street food ". This is great spot for families bc they got rides and even a ice skating lrink in the middle of the park . Come experience the real Cancun and try to stay out of zona Hotelera bc that just looks like US . Ha ha read more