Cacao and Coffee Tour

Cacao and Coffee tour

This is our favorite tour. Mixing amazing flavors with stunning natural environments. We will start the day with a visit to a secluded and tranquil coffee farm located right in the middle of the Pacoche Rainforest. The views, pure air and peace are worth the trip alone for me, but we have much more for you. The Ecuadorian Coffee bean, while not as famous as the Columbian variety, is known for its fruity undertones and is a booming business, as more and more coffee lovers discover them. We will take you through the cultivation, harvest and production with an interactive exhibition. We are fortunate enough to have one of only 2 beachfront drying beds in the world at this farm. This gives the coffee beans a delicious seaside flavor that can´t be replicated. After touring the scenic farm and seeing the bean process you can try out some great coffee. Take a moment to relax in the time-honored local hammocks and explore the fruit-filled garden.  Odds are you will see the colorful hummingbirds that are almost always present, as well as quite often you can hear or even see howler Monkeys.

After working up a healthy appetite, we will take some time to relax in the traditional Restaurant found amongst the jungle canopy.  Watch as the food is prepared in the traditional manner with fresh seafood and plantain dishes being a particular speciality here. This style of cooking produces some intense woodsmoke flavors mixed with the ancestral knowledge of herbs and spices. You will be able to choose from a large range of local countryside or seafood dishes. While you wait for the meal we highly recommend walking through the shaded garden paths. The owners have planted a lot of beautiful flowers so the hummingbirds are always present.

Next, we will travel to the home of the famous Panama Hats, Montecristi. Sheltered at the feet of the Landmark Mountain is the town that birthed these sombreros many generations ago. Once in the small town center, your guide will show you the Panama hat makers workshops and stores as well as a huge variety of local artisan goods. We can also see some of the last examples of the traditional wooden architecture in the central plaza next to the cathedral.

Next up, Cacao. If you have ever wondered where the finest chocolate in the world comes from you are in luck. The world’s best cacao beans have been time and again recognised as coming from Ecuador. After leaving Montecristi, we will drive down to the brand new chocolate factory and coffeeshop of a renowned local chocolatier. We will see the fascinating history and varieties of Cacao. The interactive exhibition takes you through the whole tree to table process. We will try some delicious local products freshly made, not just from the cacao bean but also the sweet and succulent white pulp found inside the Cacao pod. The Husband and wife Chocolatiers , Jonathan and Angelica have created a real diamond in the rough. They have turned a 40 foot refrigerated shipping container into an amazing production line with extremely high end equipment, expertly installed and operated. The best part is they cut out the end of the container, fitted glass to it and built the coffee/chocolate shop around the factory. So you can see the chocolatiers working while you try the results. It goes without saying, chocolate is divine.

This is a great light activity tour that requires a little walking and is very easily accessed throughout. Which makes it a favorite with our cruise ship clients. You can read more about this tour on our blog about the clients from the Coral Princess by clicking here.