Ara Ambigua Lodge
A family-run rainforest lodge with two pools, lakes and La Casona restaurant.
Rates on request
Chilamate · Sarapiquí · Costa Rica
The Best Chocolate Tour — Cacao Farm in Chilamate, Sarapiquí
Costa Rica Best Chocolate, 250 m east of the school of Chilamate, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí View map
- DurationAbout 1 h 45 min – 2 h
- Departures8:00, 10:00, 13:00, 15:00
- LevelEasy, all ages
- GroupFrom 2 people
- GuideEnglish or Spanish
About this tour
A hands-on tour of a family cacao farm: walk the plantation, taste every step from bean to bar and sip hot chocolate made the traditional way.
Costa Rica Best Chocolate is a family business in Chilamate de Sarapiquí, operating since 2015. The property has five hectares of secondary forest, one of them planted with cacao together with the forest, which gives it a rich variety of plants and animals to share with visitors. Its aim is conservation through sustainable tourism, and it works with the local community.
The tour is educational, easy to join and suitable for all ages. You learn how to recognise a cacao tree, its flowers, pollination, fruit and varieties, then travel back hundreds of years to the origins of cacao in northern South America, where the indigenous peoples first domesticated it.
Five steps turn the bean into chocolate — fermenting, drying, roasting, winnowing and grinding — and you taste the differences at every stage, up to the 'drink of the gods': hot chocolate that you sweeten to your taste with sugar, milk, vanilla or cinnamon. The tour ends with liquid dark and milk chocolate and solid samples, artisan and industrial.
- Tree-to-bar cacao experience on a family farm
- Taste every stage of the process
- Traditional hot chocolate prepared by the 'chocolatera'
- Suitable for all ages, with souvenir shop, small restaurant and parking
Tour program
- Start
Welcome and plantation walk
A short walk through the cacao plantation, mixed with other trees and plants: how to recognise a cacao tree, its flower, pollination, fruit and varieties, and a look at the wildlife along the way.
- Next
Indigenous history and the process
In a covered area your guide and the 'chocolatera' take you back hundreds of years to the origins of cacao, and you taste fermentation, drying, roasting, winnowing and grinding, ending with hot chocolate you prepare to your taste.
- Finale
Industrial chocolate and tasting
How chocolate is made industrially, then liquid dark and milk chocolate and solid samples of artisan and industrial chocolate.
The tour lasts about two hours. You can join the regular departure at 8:00, 10:00, 13:00 or 15:00, whichever suits you; a private tour can start at any time between 8:00 and 17:00.
What is included
Included
- Guide in English or Spanish
- Plantation walk
- Tasting of every stage, hot chocolate and chocolate samples
Not included
- Hotel transfers (we can arrange them)
- Meals
- Gratuities
What to bring
- Closed shoes
- Insect repellent
- Umbrella or poncho
- Water bottle
- Camera
Add a stay
Combine the tour with a stay in Sarapiquí. Choose a hotel and we will send you a combined proposal with an approximate price.
Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge
Rainforest lodge at the Tirimbina Biological Reserve, with trail access.
Rates on request
Often combined with
Good to know
Regular departures daily at 8:00, 10:00, 13:00 and 15:00 with a reservation. A private tour can be arranged at a time of your choice between 8:00 and 17:00.
A minimum of two people is needed. Suitable for all ages. Groups of 10 or more can ask us for a group rate.
Cancellation: free up to 48 hours before the tour; 50 % charge if cancelled within 24 hours and 100 % within 12 hours.
The farm has a souvenir shop, a small restaurant and ample parking.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the tour?
About 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
When does it start?
Regular departures are at 8:00, 10:00, 13:00 and 15:00. A private tour can be arranged between 8:00 and 17:00.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, the tour is for all ages. Children 4–11 pay $28.
Do I need to book?
Yes, please request your date in advance. We confirm the time with the farm.
What do I taste?
Every stage of the process, hot chocolate, liquid dark and milk chocolate, and solid artisan and industrial samples.
What should I bring?
Closed shoes, insect repellent, an umbrella or poncho and a water bottle.