chocorart

We were led through the cacao farm by Markus the owner and learned the entire process of farming and preparing the chocolate sold by the farm. It is a family operation with Markus's wife and children also operating the small store. We took home chocolate sticks of all varieties (because they do not use milk, it won't melt in the airplane). Unfortunately, you must take what you want, as they do not ship. It is truly a local business, no website or business cards. We highly recommend it.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this wonderful plantation and chocolate-producing facility. Our guide, the son of the founder, was friendly, accommodating, and patient as he explained the origins of cocoa cultivation, the problems faced by modern small cacao farmers, and each stage of the production of delicious chocolate. His respect for the product and biodiversity of the area were evident throughout the tour. He gave us opportunities to taste at every stage of the chocolate production, and treated us to delicious hot cocoa, as well as the final product, which was similar (but BETTER) than hot fudge. The hand-rolled chocolate bars they sell are extremely reasonabe (less than $2 each), and the other products sold (Moca coffee, lotions, baking cocoa) are also well-priced. I would recommend this tour to anyone as a great way to broaden your knowledge of this area of the world..

We stopped by this cafe multiple times on our way into Puerto Viejo! My kids loved the colourfully wrapped chocolate, especially the mint and coconut flavoured ones. They were reasonably priced and you can tell they were made with love. My husband and I loved the "cafe con chocolate" which was rich and delicious. The cafe had wifi and was a perfect stop in the afternoon or on rainy days!

We were greeted by the friendly owner and tour guide who went out of his way to teach us about his cocoa plantation and the step by step from tree to final product process. We got to taste everything along the way, which was delicious. The hot chocolate was the best we've ever had and our senses were continuously stimulated by sweet smells of the chocolate and it's various ingredients throughout the tour. The plantation is set on a hillside overlooking the ocean and is a pleasant, peaceful place. We learned a great deal on this tour and it was an awesome experience. Highly recommended!

There are several chocolate tours in the area but this is our favorite. After an interesting/educational walk through the cacao plantation, you settle down at tables in an outdoor building to make and sample some chocolate. The guide will teach you an old school method of chocolate production. The beans are roasted in a pan over a wood fire, and then cracked by hand with a large stone The shells are separated and the cacao is processed by a hand grinder and then reheated with local sugar to produce a very tasty chocolate. No fancy equipment or electricity is required. (Well almost - on a calm day he may use an electric fan to help separate the beans from the shells.) You get to sample cacao and chocolate at various stages in the process and gain an understanding of how the flavor evolves with processing.Very entertaining and educational!

This was fun and interesting. Typically my wife enjoys these type of tours better than I do, but I was right into it as well! The intricacies of making chocolate by hand from start to finish were described and demonstrated all on a beautiful plantation.,and all in a very interesting and interactive manner. We also bought some chocolate from Markus to bring home and its not lasting very long :). Markus was a very good guide. Strong marks for this tour.

Absolutely loved this tour which was given by the owner of the cocoa farm. What we found most impressive was the way the process was shown to us from the start of growing the cocoa to the finished product. It was so informative and the samples fantastic. The email address provided on trip advisor doesn't work but you can just turn up on the day (2pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday). It's located off the main road in playa chiquita. It's signposted up a hill. Would highly recommend this tour.

Excellent, thorough tour that doesn't get more real than this. Markus offers 2 hour guided tours from pod to package every Mon-Wed-Fri for $24 per person, half price for younger children. Well worth it and very enjoyable and educational for all age groups. It was amazing to watch Markus make chocolate from start to finish and surprising at how simple a process it really is. No reservations necessary but tours leave promptly at 2pm, he is Swiss and runs on Swiss time. One of the best things to do in the area and worth every penny. Our entire family loved it and the kids actually said "it was very educational", delicious refreshments and chocolate sampling served toward the end of the tour. A must do, authentic, organic true farm experience.

Marcos was the best tour guide! He does it all! The property was beautiful, and seemed very untouched for being a farm and production facility. Everything about our 2 hours there was just perfect. He is so informative, and passionate about his work. Besides getting to try the cocao in every part of the process, we also got to try star fruit and bananas that also grow on the property, and omg! The fresh juice that they serve you! Hands down the freshest most delicious juice I've ever had; a mixture of local lemon, ginger and something else, but oh soooo good! Although this is the only cocao farm we visited, I will firmly say it is the best in the area. They still do things in such a sustainable, traditoinal manner. I cannot recommend this tour enough!

David, our tour guide, was very gracious and informative. His English was excellent as he led us through the paths around the plantation. He had us taste several fruits along the way as he explained the history of his family's farm. He very thoroughly took us through the entire chocolate making process beginning with what cocao to choose, the drying, the roasting, the separation process, pressing and ended with a taste of the pure product. It was made right in front of us. We were able to taste and purchase several flavors of chocolate. We bought several of all flavors to take home for souvenirs. It was a big hit. We should have bought more. GOOD STUFF!!!My wife and I walked to the Chocolate Tour from our nearby cabin. The road was pretty steep leading to the plantation so have your hiking shoes on. Good thing about that is it was down hill all the way home. I know there are several other chocolate tours in the Puerto Viejo area. We had heard pros and cons. Based on our experience, the ChocoRart Tour in Playa Chiquita is well worth your time and money.

This was a real experience. Our guide (and a plantation owner) met as on the steep hill at the edge (as we later realised) of his plantation. We started with a walk with tasting many tropical fruits growing everywhere around (some of witch you will not find in a market). Later we went through coco plantation (and believe me, it looks nothing like a plantation you can imagine). We heard all about story of the place and coco growing (very interesting stuff). Grand finally was demonstration of natural chocolate production process combined of course with tasting everything. Amazing!If you book the tour in advance it is $22 p.p. This was one of two tours we took in Costa Rica that was really worth it's money (and much more). This is no doubt MUST DO TOUR!

Marcos and his family live off the land in an eco friendly environment. A true Swiss family Robinson experience, Marcos introduced us to many tropical fruits, as well as his hands-on demonstration of how he makes pure, organic, delicious roasted cocoa in the old time way. It was a wonderful experience being there on the property, enjoying hot cocoa made by his loving hands in the way of the Mayans, walking through the jungle and learning about the cocoa growing and roasting process, as well as many other things along the way. My children were completely enthralled, and considered it a highlight of the trip. Bring cash so that you can purchase the tour and the handmade chocolate at the end, which you will definitely want to take along home with you. Highly recommend!

We didn't take the tour, just stopped in to get chocolate to bring home as souvenirs.The young guy working wasn't real interested in helping us, more interested in taking selfies with his girlfriend but it wasn't a big deal. The chocolate was very flavorful, different from American chocolate. Try out all the different flavors, the orange chocolate was my favorite.

This is a great tour for chocolate lovers and nature admirers! Marcos will guide you through his beautiful food forrest, you'll see the beautiful cacao trees, witness the harvesting and fermentation process, then up to the top of a hill that overlooks the ocean where he sun dries the cacao. Next you are in for a delicious treat while you take part in... well I won't spoil the surprise, let's just say you won't be disappointed!

It is a "must" for all staying in Puerto Viejo. Marcos, owner of the Farm, was guiding us thru the farm and the chocolate workshop. We have seen the plants, tried the fresh cocoa pulp, have seen the manufacturing process as well as heard a piece of chocolate history. This guy has passion! And the chocolate is really good. Especially the one made during the tour, served with fresh bananas from the home garden. He was sold out after our visit :)Also, the farm is a small Nature Park, we have seen a lot of wildlife there!