Chocolate, Coffee & Spice Tour
Go bean to bar on a working farm in the hills above Quepos, roasting coffee, grinding cacao, and tasting vanilla and spices the way they grow.
* Rack rates before Costa Rica's 13% VAT. Includes hotel pickup & certified bilingual guide. Book now, pay later.
The experience
This is a half-day on a real organic farm in Londres, a small mountain town about 40 minutes from Manuel Antonio. It is run by the Tucanes family, and the whole point is to show you where chocolate, coffee, and vanilla actually come from before any of it reaches a shelf.
Your guide walks you through the organic garden first, where cacao, coffee, vanilla, and a handful of spices grow side by side, and explains how each one is planted, harvested, and processed. Then the hands-on part begins. You roast and grind cacao, taste coffee at different stages, and end up with chocolate you helped make. Along the way you meet the animals who live on the farm: rabbits, goats, ponies, horses, sheep, and chickens.
After the garden walk, you settle in for the part everyone remembers. You crack open cacao, roast the beans, and grind them by hand, tasting chocolate at each step so you can feel how the flavor changes. The same goes for coffee, picked and processed on the same land. Your guide explains how these crops have been used here for generations, from everyday cups to traditional remedies.
When the work is done, lunch is served at the ranch, cooked with produce grown a few steps away. It is an easy, genuinely tasty meal, and a good moment to sit with your group before the drive back. If you want the full farm day, this pairs naturally with our Local Flavor Cooking Experience or Jungle Horseback Riding, which leave from the same property.
Highlights
- A guided walk through a working organic garden of cacao, coffee, vanilla, and spices
- The full bean-to-bar process, from raw pod to chocolate you grind and taste yourself
- Fresh coffee tasted at several stages of roasting
- Farm animals to meet along the way: rabbits, goats, ponies, horses, sheep, and chickens
- A farm-to-table lunch made from the farm's own organic produce
- A relaxed, shaded setting that works well for families and all ages
What's included
- Round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off
- Certified bilingual guide
- The full chocolate, coffee, and vanilla experience with tastings
- A farm-to-table lunch and beverages
- An organic glass of wine from the farm
What to bring
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Hat or visor
- Insect repellent
- Long pants and closed walking shoes
- Camera
A typical day
- 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM hotel pickup in Manuel Antonio or Quepos
- Scenic drive up to the farm in Londres
- Guided walk through the organic garden of cacao, coffee, vanilla, and spices
- Hands-on roasting, grinding, and tasting, from bean to bar
- Time with the farm animals
- Farm-to-table lunch at the ranch
- Return drive to your hotel
Departures & pickup
- From Manuel Antonio / Quepos: 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM pickup, about 5.5 hours round trip, from $89 per person.
- From Jacó / Herradura: an earlier pickup and a longer day because of the drive, from $140 per person. Book the Jacó departure.
- The afternoon (with dinner) departure does not run in May, September, October, or November due to weather.
- Vegetarian options are available, and the menu changes with the season. Let us know any dietary needs when you book.
Frequently asked questions
Hands-on. You harvest cacao, roast beans, grind them by hand, and taste chocolate at several stages of production. The same goes for the coffee.
Yes, it is great for children five and up. The farm setting is engaging, the activities are tactile, and there is plenty to taste.
Not much. The garden paths are mostly flat and the pace is relaxed, so sturdy sandals or closed shoes are fine.
Yes. You leave with chocolate and coffee from the farm.
Most of the tour happens under shade structures and covered areas, so light rain does not cancel it.
Manuel Antonio and Quepos hotels for the standard departure, and Jacó and Herradura as well. Tell us where you are staying and we will confirm your pickup.
Ready to book Chocolate, Coffee & Spice Tour?
Free hotel pickup, certified bilingual guides, book now and pay later.
Prefer just your group? Take this tour private →
