Costa Rica is one of the best countries to learn about chocolate production. If you love sweets, you’ll enjoy going on chocolate tours and coffee tours throughout the country.
Anyone with a sweet tooth will get to taste these delectable items during their chocolate tour and leave with a newfound and enriched education on the history and process of making chocolate.
There are chocolate tours all over Costa Rica, including in the San Jose area, near hot springs, rainforest chocolate tour options, tours near La Fortuna, and tours around other hidden gems in Costa Rica.
After living in Costa Rica for 6 years I spent my fair amount of time traveling around the country and trying out tours, my favorite of course being chocolate tours. Because who doesn’t want to eat chocolate?
No matter where you are headed on your Costa Rican vacation you are likely to find a chocolate tour.
What To Expect On A Chocolate Tour In Costa Rica
When you go on a chocolate tour, you will learn about the history of chocolate in Costa Rica.
From how it is grown, harvested, and dried to its historical significance.
You will also learn how it’s been used for ceremonial and cultural affairs. It’s also been used as a currency, but today it’s mainly known as a wonderful dessert.
But most importantly you will get to eat chocolate.
Best Chocolate Tour In Costa Rica
Don’t have time to read the whole article? Here is our top pick for the best chocolate excursion in Costa Rica.
5/5 ⭐️ on Viator ⏳ 2.5 Hours
Top Chocolate Tours in Costa Rica
These are the top chocolate tours in Costa Rica because they provide an educational experience and understanding of the chocolate-making process.
They all come with a knowledgeable tour guide, hands-on experience, and a lesson on cocoa production.
These tours have a small group size so that you can have the best chocolate tour experience possible.
La Fortuna has a ton of coffee and chocolate tours, but it’s not the only place in the country where you can learn about the history and farms that create Costa Rica’s, famous sweet.
1. Don Olivo Chocolate Tour
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Why choose this tour?
This is a great chocolate tour to choose from in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. You’ll learn not only about chocolate but also about coffee, tropical fruit, spices, rum, and sugar cane, which are all made in Costa Rica.
The farm has 1600 cacao trees and produces 150 pounds of cacao each week. The cacao farmers are eager to educate you on making chocolate.
⏳ 2-hour tour
You’ll get to sample chocolate and delicious fruit samples as well as many other samples along the way.
2. Eden Chocolate Tour
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Why choose this tour?
On this chocolate tour, you’ll visit a cocoa plantation and see many cocoa trees in La Fortuna. You’ll also learn about the cocoa bean fermentation process and sun-drying process.
Plus, you will get to roast and grind cocoa beans yourself and make your own chocolate during this tour.
⏳ 1.5-hour tour
Make your own chocolate to eat right away or take home with you.
3. Coffee and Chocolate Tour
Location: San Carlos, Costa Rica
Why choose this tour?
During this coffee and chocolate tour, you’ll have a view of Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna while you learn about both chocolate and coffee.
You’ll get to see all the crops and taste the final products; it’s as fresh as it gets. Your guide will educate you on the industries and the production process for making both exports.
If you love to drink coffee, you’ll enjoy a taste of it here on this tour. This coffee and chocolate tour is near Arenal Volcano National Park, which is another great activity to do.
While you learn about how raw cacao is turned into chocolate and the drying process, and the rest of the intricate details, you will get to taste chocolate and coffee.
⏳ 2-hour tour
4. Craft Specialty Coffee and Chocolate Tour
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Why choose this tour?
With this tour, you’ll get to see the cacao plantation and the sugar cane plantation near La Fortuna. You’ll learn how chocolate and sugar cane are produced and try some fresh coffee and chocolate.
You’ll get to see the sugar cane production and learn a ton about these various sweets. After your chocolate and coffee tour, you will also get admission to the La Fortuna Arenal Volcano Rain Forest Reserve.
This is the sweetest rainforest experience in the world.
⏳ 2-hour tour
Admission to a Fortuna Arenal Volcano Rain Forest Reserve
5. Chocolate and Coffee Tour
Location: Quepos, Costa Rica
Why choose this tour?
This chocolate tour and coffee tour are in a different part of Costa Rica than the others on this list. You’ll tour the chocolate-making process, visit the coffee farm and showroom, and learn about the sugar cane milling process.
In addition, you’ll get to sample chocolate, coffee, and other treats for your sweet tooth. The coffee farm is just as interesting as the chocolate farm, and you’ll love learning about both.
This chocolate tour and coffee tour are near Manuel Antonio National Park and are something to add to your list of Quepos things to do.
⏳ 2-hour tour
6. Rainforest Chocolate Tour
Location: San Carlos, Costa Rica
Why choose this tour?
This is one of the best chocolate tours because it includes a rainforest experience.
Learn about cocoa powder and how its grown, processed, and produced. Eat as much chocolate as you want while you learn about the chocolate process, the history, culture, and traditions of this Costa Rica’s favorite sweet.
What’s included:
⏳ 2-hour tour
Health Benefits Of Costa Rica Chocolate
Costa Rican cocoa has often been nicknamed the food of gods. Not only does it have health properties, but it’s also very tasty.
Chocolate is filled with antioxidants which can help prevent cancer and other illnesses. Chocolate also contains iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and other minerals needed for your daily diet.
Pure cocoa can also help lower blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory effects. Cocoa is often considered a superfood because of all its benefits.
There are many ways to get your cocoa intake throughout the day. From dark chocolate to a chocolate bar, to cocoa butter, and more.
You can drink it or eat it, the choice is yours, but this sweet is something you can eat guilt free each day thanks to all its benefits.
Chocolate also makes people happier, so eat chocolate and stop feeling bad about it. It’s totally fine in moderation.
So go ahead and indulge yourself.
The History Of Chocolate In Costa Rica
Cacao trees are typically found near the equator in places that are warm year-round. Unlike wine vines, cacao likes to be warm, just like coffee.
Costa Rica is lucky to have this plant all over the country, and it has always been an important part of Costa Rica’s history.
The history of cacao in Costa Rica dates back to pre-Columbian times when the indigenous peoples used it for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
After the Spanish conquest, cacao became an important commodity and was exported to Europe. However, due to diseases and competition from other crops, the cacao industry declined in the 19th century.
Thankfully for all the chocolate lovers out there efforts were made to revive the industry and improve the quality of Costa Rican cacao.
Today, Costa Rican cacao is known for its unique interesting flavors and high quality.
Cacao’s Influence In The Costa Rican Culture
Chocolate is a sacred crop among ancient groups of Costa Rica. Cacao beans have had a vital cultural significance throughout history in Costa Rica and throughout the world.
Many other cultures in the world have also used chocolate in a significant manner throughout history.
In Costa Rica, beans and chocolate have been used in religious rituals and ceremonies.
It has been used to create special concoctions for important cultural and religious events. Chocolate is more than just a sweet taste; it has an important historical and cultural significance.
For instance, the Bribri people are an indigenous group in Costa Rica that has used cacao for cultural reasons throughout the history of these people. They treat the plant with the utmost respect and honor.
Economic Significance
Chocolate has had a considerable influence on Costa Rica’s economy. Up to the 1930s, the bean was used as currency by the Chorotega people. People have always seen chocolate and cacao as valuables item.
For a long time, cacao beans were the leading export in Costa Rica before coffee and bananas became more popular. While there are other countries, including Central American countries, that grow cacao beans, Costa Rica has always been able to grow it in many regions of the country, so it quickly became a leader in this export for many years.
How Is Chocolate Produced?
You’ll learn more about this when you go on one of Costa Rica’s many tours.
But essentially chocolate is created from seed, to tree, to bean, to chocolate, it’s a rigorous process that creates the treat we know in the world today.
On the cacao trees, you’ll find cacao pods that hold 30 to 50 of the precious cacao beans. The short version is that cacao beans are roasted, cracked, crushed, ground into a paste, and then tempered multiple times.
For higher-quality chocolate, the process can last weeks. All parts of cacao are edible, so you don’t have to wait until the chocolate is formed to enjoy the taste.
However, the cacao seeds are bitter, like dark chocolate, if you eat them raw.
When you go on an actual Costa Rica chocolate tour, you will learn about the process in much more detail and better understand a chocolate farm and how chocolate is truly created from cacao.
The cacao plant only grows in a tropical environment. There are cacao tree plantation locations all over the country that produce fantastic, high-quality chocolate.
The cacao bean is used to create more than just plain chocolate. You can create a chocolate bar, dark chocolate, and other forms of chocolate.
If you love the taste of chocolate, you should consider going on a Costa Rica chocolate tour to see the cacao tree and the raw cacao bean for yourself.
Drying The Cacao Beans
The process of drying cacao beans is fascinating. This process is directly related to the flavor created in the end result. This can be done through sun drying or artificial drying.
Sun drying is popular for small farmers and is cheaper, more sustainable, and more economical than artificial drying.
The beans are spread on mats or concrete floors in a thin layer and are raked and turned so that they dry evenly.
Artificial drying brings the bean’s moisture content to the desired amount. This is a popular method in a humid, wet climate where sun drying isn’t possible.
Costa Rica’s farms leave the beans out to dry in the sun. It’s vital that the farm properly dries the bean because this directly affects the taste, flavor, and quality.
Conclusions
As you can see, Costa Rica chocolate tours are very popular in this country.
The cacao bean is very important to the culture and economy of Costa Rica. If you have the opportunity to go on a chocolate tour, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s a great way to learn more about the cacao bean and the history of cacao. Coffee tours in Costa Rica are also a great opportunity to learn about one of Costa Rica’s most important economic exports.
No matter where you are in the country, whether you’re in San Jose, La Fortuna, or Quepos.
There are chocolate tours in Costa Rica that you can attend. If you love this sweet food, you will be amazed when you visit the chocolate or coffee farm for yourself.
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