La Iguana Chocolate

Call to schedule a visit beforehand.

The family that owns and runs the farm were so kind and the hospitality was awesome. They made us delicious lunch before we toured the many specimens they farm. We also made our own chocolate and cacao drinks. Make sure to buy some chocolate and souvenirs at their little shop. I will go back for sure to visit again.

Also be prepared for the ride their which is wild and bumpy.

My favorite experience in Costa Rica!

Things to note:
-Email ahead of time to schedule appointments, we emailed the day before. But, we came in the rainy season so not sure if they need more of a notice in the busier dry season
-They take cash or card (USD or colones accepted)
-Have 4x4 vehicle for the road
-Leave 15 minutes earlier than the time says on Waze, road is not dangerous but if you aren’t used to driving in Costa Rica you will want to take it slow
-Make sure you get the lunch as well, best food I had in Costa Rica!
-Tours can be in Spanish or English, not sure about other languages but can email to ask. We did the tour in English and could understand everything very well!

Reasons I loved this tour:
(Don’t read if you want to be surprised)
-We were the only ones of the tour (we went during a weekday during the rainy season)
-Truly a family farm, 3 generations of cacao farming and the family all lives on the farm
-We saw toucans and parrots on the farm
-Farm is a food forest of different types of plants, fruits, and herbal medicines.
-She explained and let us try different herbal medicinal plants when I told her I was interested in them and explained each one and the benefits
-We got to try the raw cacao fruit, it was delicious!!
-They grow all different types of fruits and also vanilla and cinnamon and she explained how it is harvested and pollinated and the whole process
-She goes through all of the different steps to process the cacao into cacao nibs, then let us help grind it down to make the traditional drink and truffles
-The chocolate doesn’t have palm oil or essential oil flavorings in them so they are natural and definitely pure in flavor (part of the reason we chose this specific chocolate tour)
-The lunch was absolutely delicious and she asked in the beginning of the tour if we had any allergies or food concerns, so this would definitely be safe for someone to eat if they are vegetarian, vegan, or had specific allergies. Just let them know in the beginning when you check in.
-You can buy the chocolate made there at the end of the tour, also had other souvenirs.
-Very kind and great family. Would recommend this to anyone if you are looking to experience culture, nature, and learn!

We absolutely loved it, as a family of 6 it’s hard to find an activity that everyone enjoys but this visit was a great fit for everyone

If you’re interested to see how chocolate is made soup to nuts, from getting the coca pods from the tree, opening the pod and trying the seeds, looking at the fermentation process, grinding the dried coca beans, making a chocolate drinks, tasting chocolate and a visiting to the farm, looking at different plants and herbs. You get a vegetarian lunch cooked from ingredients grown on the farm and is absolutely delicious (will change slightly depending on the time of year), and you get fresh chocolate milk and truffles too and finish off with a good coffee.

I would say that it’s best to have a 4X4 to get there as the farm is in the middle of nowhere but the off road driving experience was a great fun by itself. Best to bring mosquito repellant as they are a very important part of the chocolate making process and needless to say everywhere.

What an amazing place. So interesting how the various plants, trees and crops all coexist together. It's the way we should be growing our food. Appreciate the informative guided tour. Learned so much especially to slow down and enjoy what REAL chocolate tastes like. Plan a trip here. You need a 4x4. Go slow and enjoy the views

We had an amazing day at the farm! The owner makes the whole experience very personal and shares all the details about the process of making chocolate. Together with her, we made our own truffels. The lunch was amazing as well, probably the best food we had in Costa Rica, as all vegetables are grown on the farm. The road to the farm is a bit tricky, and a 4x4 is advisable.

It was a great chocolate tour. The chocolate making process was explained and shown to us. It was very informative and the family that owns the farm was so kind. The road to get there is a bit rough. However, that's a great experience in itself. There are cute stop offs along the way. We had the optional lunch, and it was great.

This intimate tour was an unforgettable experience and will hands down be one of our most memorable from our family trip to Costa Rica. The drive is stunning (you’ll want 4x4!), and once you arrive you are welcomed like old friends. Mariana provided a rich education and passion for her family’s farm and process and how they transitioned from cacao farmers to producing handmade chocolate. You will see and experience this tour across all of your senses, and we loved learning about their sustainable and organic way of cultivating their farmland. The tour of course is focused on cacao and the chocolate making process but you also learn about the other vegetation and farming practices that make up their operation.

Our kids loved hand-grinding beans and watching the product become the chocolate we drank and the truffles we enjoyed.

Highly recommend the farm to table lunch option, prepared by Mariana’s mother, which was absolutely incredible.

If you’re looking for a unique, hands-on and authentic local experience, this is a must-add to your itinerary

La Iguana was an amazing experience. Marianna was knowledgeable and friendly. It was a hands (and taste buds) on tour that not only showed the process of growing and producing chocolate but also provided opportunities to grind the nibs, temper chocolate, and help create your own chocolate drink and truffles. Meanwhile, another family member is in the kitchen baking fresh chocolate sugar cookies. An authentically prepared lunch of locally grown ingredients was offered and well worth the extra (but affordable) cost. La Iguana is a third generation family farm that doesn’t use chemicals or pesticides. The drive there is rough but doable with the appropriate vehicle and Dramamine for those who need it. Highly recommend La Iguana!

Wow! Such an amazing family that owns this cocoa plantation/farm. They personally gave each private tour, we included a vegetarian lunch option which was amazing also. The tour was exceptional in the information offered. We also made chocolate truffles at the end. Great non-touristy experience! Must buy tickets in advance. Credit or cash accepted. Lunch was 100% worth the $10/per person.

We loved this tour. It's worth the drive from Jaco (approximately an hour and 15 minutes). Our guide was very friendly and informative about the entire process of growing, harvesting, and producing chocolate. We added the extra $10 per person for lunch after the tour, and it was amazing. I would highly recommend.

Absolutely amazing in-depth tour, accompanied by freshly made chocolate cookies, truffles and hot chocolate. Highly recommend adding lunch to your tour ticket as it was super delicious home-made traditional Costa Rican food!

Definitely one of the top highlights of our Costa Rica trip. It was wonderful, Mariana was a gracious host and so knowledgeable about the plants and the whole cocoa bean to chocolate process. Small group tour was just perfect. We got to see every step of the way and even made our own truffles (which were delicious) with the cocoa beans from the farm. Along with hot chocolate.
Lunch was also super delicious, would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun authentic Costa Rican experience with chocolate!

Wonderful chocolate tour worth the trek off the beaten path to go visit. This is a family owned and operated plantation and they will show you first hand every step of the chocolate making process. We learned a lot and enjoyed our time here.

Really really cool experience! The trip to La Iguana is definitely challenging, you basically go up a very rural mountain with loose gravel and large rocks/ potholes. We had a 4x2 and were fine, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't the hardest drive of my life! That said, once it was over, it was 1000% worth it. Going to La Iguana you see a completely different part of Costa Rica, when you reach the top, you have a panorama view of lush green mountains and waterfalls. The tour itself is fantastic and intimate. You learn about all the plants/ fruits they grow on the property and what they are used for. You also learn about the whole process of chocolate making and visit all the stages along the way. Bottom line: Do it, you will not regret this if you're someone who wants to get away from the super "touristy" stuff and want an authentic experience!

Amazing farm! We got to try everything they grow from chocolate to spices.

The tour was very personal and informative. We couldn’t think of any questions because they did such a good job explaining the whole process and walking us through step by step. This isn’t a massive factory so you can see every step and taste the cacao at as it changes.

4X4 is needed for one route follow their guidance. But it’s got beautiful views along the way

This tour was the highlight of our stay in Costa Rica! The tour was very intimate and we learned more than we expected. Not only did we learn about cocoa trees and how it becomes chocolate from start to finish, but we also learned about the vanilla plant, ginger, banana trees, and the local bugs that help support the plantation. We sadly didn’t catch the name of our tour guide but she was very kind, intelligent, and personable. She spoke great English and walked us around the plantation for two hours. At the end, we chose to have lunch there and she sat down and ate with us which was a nice end to our tour. I would 100% go again and will be recommending this tour to all who visit Costa Rica.

P.S. The road to get there is pretty steep so we were sure glad to have rented a 4x4.

If you are looking for an authentic chocolate tour experience that isn’t touristy than come here! Our tour had 4 people, my boyfriend and I and one other couple which was perfect. The farm is family owned and our guide Jorge was great. He was very knowledgeable and took pride in teaching us how to make chocolate. The farm is located up a long dirt road which you will need to drive on for about 45 minutes. I definitely suggest a 4X4. But, the views are amazing and it was totally worth it. We did not have an appointment prior to our arrival and they were able to accommodate us. But, you can email them if you prefer having a reservation before you arrive. The price was $34 per person. This includes a tour and explanation how chocolate is made, a hot chocolate drink, chocolate cookies, a free small chocolate bar, lots of chocolate to try throughout, and you get to create your own chocolate by choosing the % of cocoa, milk, cocoa butter, and sugar. I hope this review helps when you are trying to decide which chocolate tour you’d like to attend. There are a lot of them to choose from, but we are definitely glad we chose this one.

Jorge and Marianna are amazing hosts. We opted in for lunch and we’re served a delicious Costa Rican lunch with food fresh from the farm. They even accommodated us as vegetarians.

The tour was amazing, very hand on with a lot of tasting along the way. We got a bonus of spotting macaws and toucans during our tour!

Definitely don’t miss out on this one.

We did their tour last week- it was fantastic! We loved it.

Very small, rural, family-owned setting. Very hands on and engaging, and involved much more than just cacao. You’re constantly smelling and tasting leaves, buds, seeds, etc from all the other plants that grow on their “finca”- vanilla, ginger, stevia, bananas, etc. The hands-on chocolate making experience at the end was really fun too

Driving there can be done in a 2-wheel drive vehicle, especially if you arrive via the San Vicente route. We drove from the San Miguel direction, and we were glad we had a 4x4 (doable in 2-wheel drive as well, though)

I will say, if you’re expecting a Hershey or Willy Wonka-level capitalist production, with massive machines and conveyor belts, this is not the place. It is very much a small, intimate local farm, run by 3 generations of a single family. They have a deep knowledge of the land, and have done an amazing job creating an exciting atmosphere. It was our favorite thing we did in Costa Rica

Superb experience on our way back to San José.
We learnt a lot, were able to make small steps ourselves, the lunch was very good.
I 100% recommend doing this activity.
Book the tour online, they are very responsive on WhatsApp.
We came from Uvita/Quepos, the road was mostly okay, some portions were bumpy but not dangerous. Take your time and that’ll be alright.
We then took the road to San José which is definitely worse but doable with patience.