Barry S.
Yelp
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.