Ancestral Cacao Plantation & Chocolate-Making Workshop
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Port
Acajutla, El Salvador
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$129.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Only five percent of global cacao qualifies as "fine-flavor cacao". Some of it is grown right here in the cacao cradle of Mayan El Salvador. This experience takes you deep into the countryside, and even deeper into the roots of an ancestral ingredient once revered by the Mayan civilization as "the food of the gods."
At a traditional cacao hacienda, home to one of the rarest varieties of cocoa in the world, learn firsthand about the life cycle of cacao — from cultivation and pollination to harvest and fermentation. Discover why this bean was once so precious that it was used as currency by ancient cultures.
Then, dive into an unforgettable hands-on experience — crafting your own traditional hot chocolate beverage from scratch.
Pick the cacao beans yourself, peel them, toast them by hand; then, grind them on a traditional stone to bring out their rich aromas. You'll smell, touch, and taste every step of the process before sipping the warm, velvety chocolate drink that you helped create. It's a full sensory journey through flavor, history, and tradition.
To wrap up the day, relax on the bus ride back to Acajutla with some very sweet memories.
Notes:
Wear comfortable, closed-toe (mandatory) walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable sunscreen. Bring bottled water.