Hands-On Bean-to-Bar Chocolate-Making Classes in Puerto Viejo
Learn how chocolate is really made by transforming cacao beans into your own handcrafted chocolate. Roast, crack, winnow, grind, refine, temper and mould chocolate from bean to bar while exploring cacao's history, flavour and culture.
People Arrive Expecting to Make Chocolate.
They Leave Understanding It.
Guests often tell us the class was nothing like they expected.
Yes, you'll make your own chocolate.
But what surprises people most is how much they discover along the way.
Chocolate becomes more than something sweet.
It becomes a story of forests, farmers, fermentation, flavour, history, craft, culture, and thousands of years of human curiosity.
You'll peel cacao beans with your own hands.
Taste every stage of the chocolate-making process.
Discover how fermentation creates flavour.
Learn why two chocolate bars made from the same cacao can taste completely different.
Finally, you'll pour your own chocolate bar to take home.
Long after your holiday ends, you'll never unwrap a piece of chocolate in quite the same way again.
★★★★★
Puerto Viejo's highest-rated chocolate experiences.
Loved by hundreds of travelers on Air bnb, TripAdvisor and Google.
More Than a Chocolate Tour
Unlike plantation visits or demonstrations, every participant makes chocolate themselves using the same small-batch process we use every day at Cacao Huasi.
Whether you're joining us for a hands-on chocolate-making class, a guided tasting, a rum and chocolate pairing or a multi-day apprenticeship, every experience begins with the same idea: the best way to understand cacao is through direct experience.
A Chocolate Experience You Can Feel
Chocolate isn't something you learn by watching.
It's something you understand with your hands.
Throughout the morning you'll roast cacao, crack shells, grind nibs, taste fresh cacao, compare chocolates, smell roasting beans, and experience every major step in transforming cacao into chocolate.
Every stage invites questions.
Every flavour tells part of the story.
Learning happens naturally because every idea is connected to something you can touch, taste, smell, or make yourself.
Guests often tell us that the experience never feels like a class.
It feels like a conversation.
Bean to Bar, From the Very Beginning
Most people have never seen chocolate before it becomes a bar.
In this experience you'll discover the complete bean-to-bar process, beginning with dried cacao beans and ending with chocolate you've made yourself.
Along the way we'll explore:
How cacao grows.
Why fermentation is one of the most important steps in chocolate making.
How roasting changes flavour.
The role of grinding, refining, and tempering.
Why origin matters.
How craft chocolate differs from industrial chocolate.
By the end you'll understand not only how chocolate is made, but why every decision changes what ends up in your cup or on your tongue.
Why Cacao Huasi?
There are many wonderful places to experience chocolate in Costa Rica.
Our approach is a little different.
Rather than rushing through a demonstration, we slow down.
We ask questions.
We taste carefully.
We encourage curiosity.
For nearly two decades we've been living with cacao—learning from farmers, making tree-to-bar chocolate, experimenting with fermentation, studying flavour, and sharing that knowledge with thousands of visitors from around the world.
Our groups remain intentionally small because the best conversations happen when everyone has time to ask questions and explore.
By the end of the morning you'll understand why chocolate has fascinated cultures across the world for thousands of years.
What You'll Make
During the class you'll create your own chocolate bar from cacao you've helped transform by hand.*
You'll also take home roasted cacao beans that you've peeled yourself—a small reminder of where every chocolate bar begins.
More importantly, you'll leave with an entirely new appreciation for one of the world's most remarkable foods.
After the Class
Many guests stay for lunch.
Others return later for one of our chocolate pairings with wine, rum, or mezcal.
Some simply relax with a cup of traditional drinking chocolate and continue asking questions.
Cacao Huasi isn't simply somewhere to take a class.
It's a place to spend time.
Quick Information
Duration
Approximately 2½–3 hours.
Language
English.
Start Time
10:00 AM.
Price
₡18,000 per person.
Location
Cacao Huasi, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
Booking
Advance reservations are recommended as spaces are limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the chocolate class?
The experience lasts approximately 2.5 hours.
Is the class hands-on?
Yes. Guests participate directly in the chocolate-making process and create their own
chocolate bars from local cacao.
Do I need to reserve in advance?
We highly recommend booking ahead.
Is the class family friendly?
Yes. The experience is suitable for families, couples, solo travelers, and curious chocolate lovers of all ages.
What language is the class offered in?
Classes are generally offered in English. Spanish speaking classes can be arranged in advance.
Do you use local cacao?
Yes. We work with cacao connected to Costa Rica’s Caribbean region and share the local cacao-making process during the experience.
Can vegans participate?
Yes. The class is vegan-friendly.
Ready to See Chocolate Differently?
Join us for one of the most memorable mornings of your visit to Puerto Viejo.
Whether chocolate has always fascinated you or you've simply wondered how it is made, we'd love to share a little of its world with you.
Reserve your place and discover why so many guests leave saying,
"That was so much more than I expected."
Continue Your Cacao Journey
Many guests choose to explore another side of cacao during their stay in Puerto Viejo.
🍷 Wine & Chocolate Pairing
Discover how wine changes the way you experience chocolate.
🥃 Rum & Chocolate Pairing
Explore Caribbean rum alongside locally made bean-to-bar chocolate.
🌵 Mezcal & Chocolate Pairing
An unexpected combination that highlights aroma, texture, and flavour.
🌳 Learn About Cacao
Curious to go deeper? Explore our articles on fermentation, flavour, history, and craft chocolate.
**the top recommended chocolate tour in Latin America by Lonely Planet
**the top recommended chocolate tour in Latin America by Lonely Planet
