Eleven of Los Cabos’ top hotels and resorts will face off in a paella cooking competition on June 13 at the Hilton Los Cabos, with all proceeds funding scholarships for 19 local students. The ninth annual Festival de Paellas, organized by Club Rotario Los Cabos, is one of the region’s few charity food events that pairs high-end resort kitchens with a direct social mission. Only 300 tickets will be sold, at 1,500 pesos (about $75 USD) each.
Nine Years of Paella and Scholarships in the Tourist Corridor
Club Rotario Los Cabos launched the Festival de Paellas in 2016 as a fundraiser built around a simple idea: pit the resort corridor’s best hotel kitchens against one another in a single dish, then funnel the ticket revenue into education. Rotary clubs across Mexico regularly fund scholarship programs, but few have found a fundraising vehicle as durable as this one. The festival has run every year since, surviving the pandemic pause that killed many similar events in Baja California Sur.
Paella competitions have deep roots in Spain, where towns stage yearly contests drawing dozens of teams cooking over open wood fires. The format translates well to Los Cabos, where resort chefs trained in classical European technique can showcase local seafood. Past editions of the festival have featured paellas incorporating Gulf of California shrimp, local clams, and Baja-grown saffron substitutes like azafrán de bolita, a dried flower used in traditional Mexican cooking.
This year’s competing teams come from Hotel El Ganzo, Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos, Hilton Los Cabos (which also hosts), Las Ventanas al Paraíso, Grand Solmar, Krystal Grand Los Cabos, The Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas and Spa, Zadún (a Ritz-Carlton Reserve), The Cape (a Thompson Hotel), and Pueblo Bonito. That is a cross-section of the corridor’s top properties, ranging from the art-focused boutique El Ganzo in San José del Cabo to the ultra-luxury Zadún on the East Cape side of the corridor.
Ana Gabriela Navarro, the municipal tourism director representing Mayor Christian Agúndez Gómez, formally endorsed the event at a press conference. She said events like the paella festival generate economic activity across multiple sectors and position Los Cabos as a top-tier culinary destination.
Scholarship Funds Support 19 Students in Los Cabos
The festival’s charity side is straightforward. All revenue from ticket sales goes to Club Rotario Los Cabos, which distributes educational scholarships to 19 young people in the municipality. The Rotary club has not disclosed the exact scholarship amounts for 2025, but at full capacity the event would generate 450,000 pesos (roughly $22,500 USD) in gross ticket revenue before expenses.
Rotary-funded scholarship programs in Baja California Sur typically cover tuition, books, and transportation costs for students attending preparatoria (high school) or university. In a municipality where tourism employs an estimated 80% of the workforce, educational support can open doors beyond hotel and restaurant jobs. The 19 current recipients are continuing students whose funding depends on the festival hitting its annual sales target.
Los Cabos has a growing number of charity galas and benefit dinners, but most are priced at 3,000 to 10,000 pesos per plate and cater to a resort clientele. At 1,500 pesos, the paella festival sits at a price point accessible to local residents and longer-term expats, not just vacationers at the competing hotels.
Tickets, Timing, and Getting to the Hilton Los Cabos
Gates open at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 13. The Hilton Los Cabos sits along the Tourist Corridor between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, accessible from the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1). Parking at the Hilton is available but limited for a 300-person event, so organizers are promoting carpool and shared transport options. Uber operates in Los Cabos, and the ride from downtown San José del Cabo to the Hilton typically runs 150 to 200 pesos ($7.50 to $10 USD).
Tickets are expected to sell out before event day. Club Rotario Los Cabos has not announced an online ticket platform, so buyers should contact the club directly through its social media pages or inquire at any of the participating hotels. The 300-ticket cap has been consistent across recent editions of the festival, and past years have sold out in advance.
Attendees can expect to sample paella from all 11 competing teams, with judges selecting a winner based on flavor, presentation, and technique. The afternoon also includes live entertainment and recreational activities, though organizers have not released a full program.
The next Club Rotario Los Cabos meeting is scheduled before June 13, where final logistics and the judging panel will be confirmed. This story was reported using information from the Los Cabos municipal government.