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Ecuador produces some the finest chocolates in the world. The chocolate we all love comes from the cacao plant. The word "cacao" was misspelled into English as ‘cocoa’, and this is what it is known as to most English speaking people. But the proper word is cacao and they are the same thing.

High quality cacao is sought after by chocolate producers around the world, and Ecuador is a highly recognized source for the high quality cacao beans. This cacao bean is the beginning of all the delicious chocolates on the market. The Spanish discovered that combining sugar with the chocolate from the New World produced an amazing thing. The recipe of this process was keep a state secret by the Spanish Court for over 100 years!

Today Ecuador is known for over 60% of the world's production of fine cacao.

Here in Ecuador you have the opportunity to see where it all begins with a tour of a working cacao farm where the cacao is grown, harvested, processed, and the final step...made into chocolate. Dreamkapture Travel offers you an educational and exciting day tour to a prestigeous working cacao farm and chocolate factory, with a sampling of the final product at the end.

Contact Dreamkapture Travel for availability for the tour. $39 per person for groups of 4 people!

Location: Cacao Farm in Guayas

Cacao Farm

Cacao Landscape

What is included:

  • Transportation to and from the cacao farm
  • Bilingual translator
  • Introduction to the farm and visit inside the ranch house
  • Hiking tour through the farm
  • Tour of the process for making cacao into chocolate from plants, harvest, preparation, and chocolate
  • Sample of the finished product and opportunity to purchase more chocolate

Cacao Juice and Paticones

Cacao on tree

What to bring with you:

  • Cool and comfortable clothes
  • Good hiking shoes
  • Insect repellant
  • Sun block / sun screen
  • Sun glasses
  • Camera
  • Snacks
  • Bottled water
  • Money for chocolate, tips, alcoholic drinks, etc.

Varies by location; may be offered:

  • Welcome cacao drink and snack
  • Bottled water
  • Rubber boots (up to size 44)
  • Panama style hats to use
  • Walking sticks

Inside Cacao

Transportation:

  • Private tour transportation from Guayaquil to location
  • About 1 hour from Guayaquil

Chocolate

Itinerary Program for Cacao:

Tours available Monday-Friday

Big Tree Churute

  • 8:00 am pick up from your hostel or the meeting point.
  • Approximately 1 hour drive outside of Guayaquil through rolling hills and farmland.
  • At the farm you will often have a welcome drink, a delicious sweet juice made from the cacao plant (this drink may come after the tour depending on the location).
  • Depending on the location you: You will change your shoes for rubber boots and proceed to hike through the farm. While on this hike you will see up close the various trees and plants that make up the farm. You will sample cacao raw right off the tree. During the excursion you will be shown how they cultivate and harvest the cacao.
  • After hikng through the farm, you will visit the preparation area and see how the cacao is dried and prepared before going on to the factory where it will become chocolate.
  • Depending on the location you: You may be able tol go inside the chocolate factory and learn about the steps and processing of the cacao into delicious chocolate.
  • At the end of the tour you will get to sample some chocolate made right there at the farm. You will also have the opportunity to purchase chocolate.
  • Finally you will head back to the city. You will usually arrive between 1:00 and 2:00 pm.

View of Churute

Cacao ripe on tree

Cacao after harvest

Johnny with Cacao

* Aspects of this tour can change due to weather, seasons, and any unforeseen situations.

   For more information contact us using this link: Cacao Contact or by email...

  Dreamkapture Travel at [email protected]

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