Pinnacle of Craft

Celebrate the cuisine culture of Mexico with Jorge Vallejo

October 13 - 19, 2023

7 days, 6 nights in Mérida, the Yucatán & Mexico City

$30,000

Per person, limited to just 12 guests

Contact Us

+1 (503) 487-0363

Edible flowers and Mayan herbs top a seemingly endless procession of small plates that showcase the best of Mexican fare — an exquisite collision of ancient tradition and modern flair. All week you’ve met chefs and artisans at the peak of their craft, passionate humans dedicated to preserving and elevating these traditions for generations to come. You’ve dined in street markets, in humble family homes and at some of the world’s most lauded restaurants. Tonight, full of joy, you pause to contemplate where you are: somewhere between two worlds, old and new. It’s exhilarating, inspiring and sublime — a rare opportunity to share in something truly special.

You’re joined by Jorge Vallejo, chef and owner of Mexico City’s Quintonil — rated the 9th best restaurant in the world. Jorge is as genius as he is humble, a steward of the highest form of culinary art. His mission is to show the pureness and simplicity of ancient Mexican cuisine in luxurious new ways. We’ll dine alongside Jorge at his restaurants Ix’im, deep in the Yucatán jungle, and Quintonil. We cannot think of a better human to share the cultural and culinary magic of Mexico City and the Yucatán, ingredient by delicious ingredient.

Join us for unparalleled access and behind-the-scenes meetups with chefs, farmers and artisans—all incredible creative minds that breathe life into Mexican cuisine culture today.

The Paragon Experience

Join us in celebrating the beauty of human potential

Pinnacle of Craft

Paragon explores the beating heart of Mexico City and the Yucatán, experienced through the lens of chefs and artisans at the peak of their creativity and craft.

Exclusive Access

Paragon provides unparalleled access and intimacy. Go behind the scenes through relationships cultivated over years and decades by Jorge Vallejo.

Force for Good

Paragon supports causes handpicked by our luminaries. On this departure a $10,000 donation is going to Fundaziun Uccelin, a nonprofit offering mentorship opportunities for non-traditional young chefs.

Celebrate People & Place

Join Jorge Vallejo of Quintonil — a perennial selection on the World's 50 Best list globally — to explore the cuisine, culture and traditions of his native Mexico City and the Yucatán, with deep personal access.

The Giveback

We believe that exploration and discovery are essential elements of the human experience. It is time to redefine luxury as an experience that serves a higher purpose, one that serves to improve the lives of people and places.

01

Force for Good

It is time to redefine luxury as an experience that serves a higher purpose, one that serves to improve the lives of people and places. It's the reason why we are a Certified B Corp. because how we travel matters.

02

The Donation

For this trip, Paragon will be donating $10,000 to Fundaziun Uccelin, a nonprofit offering unique mentorship opportunities for non-traditional young chefs.

03

People & Planet

Our goal is that the places we visit are protected and flourishing for future generations. It’s why we are a Certified Climate Neutral business, and why we directly support environmental and social-justice nonprofits.

Day by Day

Day 1: Mérida

Bienvenidos a Mérida! This centuries-old city is the cradle of Mayan civilization, a cosmopolitan oasis with lush avenues lined by graceful 19th-century mansions. Here, we meet up with Jorge and dive right in.

In Tixkokob, the region’s textile capital, Jorge introduces us to a local family for an intimate lunch of relleno negro. This ancient Mayan dish is cooked underground, a fragrant symphony of dried chilies, cloves and cumin, and the perfect first flavors to dazzle our palates in the Yucatán. After, we journey to nearby Izmal, a vision of Spanish colonial architecture where living culture pulsates in the form of workshops and storefronts belonging to the region’s finest artisans. After an exclusive peek behind their curtains, we head back to the heart of Mérida to relax and freshen up.

Dinner tonight is at Mérida native and renowned chef Robert Solis’ restaurant, Huniik. The intimate, meticulously designed space is as contemporary as it is personal — and it’s all ours to enjoy. The freshest local ingredients play muse to masterful pieces of art — so beautifully prepared that you hesitate to indulge, but ultimately, you cannot resist.

Day 1: Mérida Highlights

  • Arrivals in Mérida
  • Tixkokob lunch with local family
  • Explore streets & shops of Izmal
  • Private welcome dinner at Huniik
  • Stay at Treehouse Boutique Hotel

Day 2: Mérida to The Yucatán

One of the true pleasures of Mérida is breakfast at a ‘morning only’ taqueria. Papadzules sauced with pumpkin seeds and chiltomate, panuchos and salbutes bursting with the flavors of smoked meats, relleno negro and huevos motuleños, all bringing the essence of traditional Mayan cuisine to our lips.

Next stop: tranquility. Just an hour away, deep in the lush Yucatán jungle, is our luxurious home for the next two nights: a beautifully restored, centuries-old hacienda with impeccable modern design accents. The afternoon is ours to wander the 750-acre property, take a dip in the on-site cenote, or relax poolside.

Tonight we dine on-site at Jorge’s latest concept, called Ixi’im. This stunning restaurant, conceived of iron and glass, earned a rare Prix Versailles award for its interior design and exterior architecture. It is among the world’s most stunning restaurants, boasting one of Mexico’s largest collections of craft tequilas. With Jorge by our side, we  sip and savor an exclusive tequila tasting before indulging in Jorge’s special menu just for us. 

Day 2: Mérida to The Yucatán Highlights

  • Private transfer to Chable Yucatán
  • Exclusive tequila tasting
  • Dinner with Jorge Vallejo at Ixi’im
  • Stay at Chable Yucatán

Day 3: The Yucatán

Today we experience Yucatán culture through an artist’s eye. We start in the village of Maní, meeting a master potter at his home and studio, where he produces his highly prized works rooted in ancient Mayan techniques.

Next, at a centuries-old apiary, we meet Father Luis, a caretaker of an incredible community of melipona bees. These stingless bees are sacred to the Maya and produce a honey unlike any nectar in the world. After a tour of the grounds, we join Father Luis in a centuries-old ceremony to ask the Mayan god of the bee for a good harvest — ending with a sip of balché, a mildly intoxicating beverage celebrated by the ancient Maya.

After an incredible rustic lunch, a pristine cenote awaits—an enchanitng swimming hole where ancient tree roots and imposing stalactites hang in an upside-down realm dappled in sunlight, 

Back at the hacienda, Jorge and a coterie of local chefs have been preparing a true celebration of the Yucatec Maya’s signature dish: cochinita pibil, slow-roasted pork cooked underground to succulent perfection.

Day 3: The Yucatán Highlights

  • Master potter studio visit
  • Apiary visit & balché tasting
  • Cenote swim
  • Cochinita pibil roast with Jorge Vallejo
  • Stay at Chable Yucatán

Day 4: Yucatán to Mexico City

We travel by private jet this morning, trading the vibrant, lush jungle for the buzzing streets of Mexico City, the Western Hemisphere’s largest city: a bastion of craft and design, a food lover’s paradise and unlike any other city on the planet.

Casa Polanco is our tranquil home in Mexico City for the next three nights — an oasis of calm, surrounded by lush gardens and yet just steps away from galleries and museums and the capital’s finest restaurants. The afternoon is ours to rest and relax, and to explore the Polanco neighborhood on our own.

Don’t wander too far though, for a truly magical dining experience is literally around the corner: dinner at Máximo Bistrot, ranked the #32 restaurant in the world in 2021 and helmed by the inventive and playful husband and wife duo, Gabriela Lopez and Eduardo García. Here, we’ll experience the sumptuous collision of tradition and innovation via the freshest herbs and vegetables. It’s the perfect introduction to the flavors of Mexico City.  

Day 4: Yucatán to Mexico City Highlights

  • Private jet from Mérida to Mexico City
  • Afternoon to rest & explore
  • Dinner at Máximo Bistrot
  • Stay at Casa Polanco

Day 5: Mexico City

After breakfast we explore Roma — a hip barrio just a stone’s throw away — taking in the sights and sounds of this art deco enclave alongside Jorge, meeting local artisans and chefs he’s proud to call friends. 

Lunch is at none other than Roma landmark, Rosetta. Housed in a colonial mansion and fueled by the creative moxie of Chef Elena Reygadas, this restaurant is a true feast for the senses—dishes here, like sea bass in white mole, dance off the plate and seem to be elevated by exuberance and drive of the chef herself.

Dessert is hands-on and equally extraordinary. Guests at an iconic chocolatería, we dive deeper into Mexico’s 4,000-year love affair with cacoa and even try our hand at traditional production.

The afternoon is yours to further explore Roma’s tree-lined avenues, or relax back at our hotel. In the evening, we reconvene with Jorge for an elevated and deeply personal take on Mexican cuisine that won’t be replicated: an exclusive dinner collaboration between Jorge and other Mexico City culinary icons in a private residence overlooking the city.  Here, we toast our new connections and revel in the electric glow of these incredible humans.

Day 5: Mexico City Highlights

  • Meet local artists & artisans
  • Afternoon to explore on own
  • Private dining experience with Jorge Vallejo
  • Stay at Casa Polanco

Day 6: Mexico City

Cobblestone alleyways lead us to Mercado de Coyoacán, a vibrant kaleidoscope of apparel, spices and souvenirs. Jorge will lead us through the market’s exuberant din to his favorite no-frills food stalls for an authentic street-food breakfast.

We spend the late morning — sleeves rolled-up and apron-clad with Don Luis, a true ambassador of Mexican mole—learning the nuanced steps behind this signature dish. Jorge and our special guest guide us at every step; our reward is a delicious lunch featuring the mole sauces we’ve prepared. Afterwards, we raise a glass of mezcal to toast our collective efforts. 

After some downtime, we gather for a farewell dinner like no other. We are special guests at Jorge’s restaurant, Quintonil, #9 on the World’s Best list and one of the finest in North America. Jorge will guide us through the subtleties of his fabled tasting menu, not to mention the science behind his cocktail pairings.

This special dining experience is a toast to a week’s worth of discovery and exhilaration, to artists that transcend the limits of human potential, to joy as an act of rebellion, and to each other as well. 

Day 6: Mexico City Highlights

  • Coyoacán market visit & breakfast
  • Mole workshop
  • Quintonil farewell dinner with Jorge Vallejo
  • Stay at Casa Polanco

Day 7: Mexico City

Alas, all beautiful things must come to an end. We’ll say our farewells and cherish all the new connections we’ve made. We’ll fill up on one last exquisite breakfast before private transfers to the airport. Hasta la proxima!  

Day 7: Mexico City Highlights

  • Private transfers to airport

Where We Sleep

Our boutique hotels and historic haciendas exude a natural charm marked by centuries of tradition.

The Treehouse Boutique

Mérida

This intimate boutique hotel in the heart of Mérida is an ode to native flora and Maya craftsmanship. Minimalist accents of iron, glass and stone revolve around an airy, tranquil environment of graceful centuries-old trees.

Chablé Yucatán

Yucatán

The acclaimed Mexico City-based interior designer, Paulina Morán, designed our graceful Yucatán retreat. She's interwoven the history and architecture of the original 19th-century hacienda into a fully modern vision of jungle-clad luxury. The stand-alone casitas (cottages) are nothing short of spectacular, each with a private terrace and indoor/outdoor waterfall showers.

Casa Polanco

Mexico City

Pass through Casa Polanco's wrought-iron gate and the din and urgency of the city melt away. The original 1940s colonial mansion has been lovingly renovated from the ground up. Nineteen luxurious rooms are spread between the mansion and a seamless contemporary addition. The Polanco neighborhood itself is leafy and elegant — the ideal base for our Mexico City adventures.

Jorge Vallejo Mexico City & The Yucatán

$30,000

Per person
Based on double occupancy

Essential Info

For questions or to speak with a Paragon travel concierge, please call or text +1 (503) 487-0363 or email paragon@modernadventure.com

  1. What does the price include?

    Six nights at exclusive four- and five-star accommodations including some of the Yucatán’s top properties; exclusive VIP access, culinary experiences, and tastings; private access with local guides and cultural experts; private travel and transportation from beginning to end, including private jet transfer between Mérida and Mexico City; private airport transfers; all entrance fees; daily breakfasts, most lunches and dinners including Michelin-star dining at some of Mexico’s most iconic kitchens.

  2. What does the price not include?

    Air travel to/from Mexico; travel insurance; activities not included in the itinerary; hotel incidentals including room service, laundry service and hotel bar tabs; food and beverages not included in itinerary; gratuity for our Paragon tour leader.

  3. Who is going on this trip?

    This exclusive Paragon experience is limited to 12 guests, plus Jorge Vallejo and our Paragon team. You can expect to be joined by a diverse group in terms of age, background and interests—including solo travelers, couples and friends traveling together. This adventure is for travelers age 18 and above.