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The municipality of Mulegé made its largest showing yet at La Pazión por el Sabor 2026, the annual gastronomy festival held in La Paz, Baja California Sur. The multi-day event, which draws thousands of visitors to the state capital each year, featured a dedicated Pabellón Mulegé pavilion where producers, cooks, and artisans from across the sprawling municipality presented dishes, ingredients, and cultural traditions. Mayor Edith Aguilar Villavicencio called the pavilion a milestone in the municipality’s effort to build a permanent cultural presence in La Paz through its Casa Mulegé project.
La Pazión por el Sabor Draws Producers From Across Baja California Sur
La Pazión por el Sabor is one of the largest food festivals in Baja California Sur. The event, organized in collaboration with La Paz’s municipal government and local culinary associations, brings together chefs, ranchers, fishers, and agricultural producers from across the state. Past editions have featured tastings, cooking demonstrations, panel discussions on food sovereignty, and showcases of regional products like damiana liqueur, Guerrero Negro salt, and dried chiles from the Sierra de la Giganta.
Mulegé, the largest municipality by area in all of Mexico at roughly 33,000 square kilometers, stretches from the Sea of Cortez to the Pacific coast. Its territory includes the fishing town of Santa Rosalía, the oasis village of Mulegé, the whale-watching hub of Guerrero Negro, and the remote mission communities of the central desert. That geographic diversity translates into a wide range of food traditions. Ranching families in the sierra produce artisanal goat cheese and machaca (dried, shredded beef). Coastal communities harvest clams, chocolate clams (almejas chocolatas), lobster, and abalone. Date palms planted by Jesuit missionaries in the 18th century still produce fruit in the Mulegé river valley.
The Pabellón Mulegé at this year’s festival aimed to present that full range under one roof. Municipal government sources described the pavilion as one of the most visited sections of the event, though official attendance figures have not been released. Aguilar Villavicencio, who took office in 2024, has made cultural promotion and food tourism central to her administration’s strategy for economic development in the municipality.
Casa Mulegé Project Would Create Permanent Hub in La Paz
Beyond the festival itself, the Mulegé government used its La Paz appearance to advance a longer-term initiative: Casa Mulegé. The project envisions a permanent cultural and commercial space in La Paz that would serve as a year-round showcase for Mulegé’s products, traditions, and tourism offerings. La Paz, with a metropolitan population of roughly 300,000, is the state capital and the primary urban center for Baja California Sur. Many residents of Mulegé’s smaller communities travel to La Paz for government services, medical care, and commerce.
A Casa Mulegé in La Paz would give the municipality a fixed point of contact in the capital. The concept echoes similar “casa” projects that Mexican states and municipalities have used to promote regional identity. Oaxaca, for instance, operates cultural houses in Mexico City and other cities that combine retail, gallery space, and tourism promotion. For Mulegé, which lacks the international airport and resort infrastructure of Los Cabos, a presence in La Paz could help channel visitors northward.
The municipality has been working to position itself as a destination for travelers seeking something beyond the beach-resort model. Whale watching in the Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio lagoons draws thousands of visitors each winter, primarily between January and March. The rock art of the Sierra de San Francisco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, attracts hikers and cultural tourists. And the town of Mulegé itself, with its palm-lined river and 1705 Misión Santa Rosalía de Mulegé, has long been a stopover on the Transpeninsular Highway for road-trippers heading south.
Still, tourist infrastructure remains limited. Hotels and restaurants in communities like San Ignacio and Santa Rosalía are modest in number. Road access to many sierra communities requires high-clearance vehicles and local guides. A permanent presence in La Paz could help connect curious travelers with local operators and give small producers a sales channel they currently lack.
The Mulegé municipal government has not announced a timeline or location for the Casa Mulegé space. The next major regional food event in Baja California Sur is typically scheduled for late summer. This story was reported by the Mulegé municipal government’s official website.