El Sendero del Cacao
El Sendero del Cacao
5
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
Find the secrets that are behind an exquisite chocolate! Learn from planting a cacao tree, extracting, fermenting and drying the seeds, its importance for aroma/flavor in chocolate, as well as its process in a Factory.Dominican Republic is the major producer of organic cacao worldwide! The tour is in an organic plantation, guided by professionals of Rizek Cacao, most experienced cacao company in the country.*Lunch Available. 1h45 from Santo Domingo/Samana/Puerto Plata
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
190 reviews
Excellent
150
Very good
36
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Michelle S
7 contributions
Jan 2020
An age mix group of 40 people participated in this delicious tour. Thanks to our tour guide (English Speaker), Adelaida, for a fun day at the plantation, The Traditional Dominican Lunch was exquisite. 100% recommended.
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good morning,
Thanks for taking your time to tell us your experience, is very important for us to read that you were satisfied with our customer sevice which is a goal for our team,
Thank you again, hope you visit us soon
Written January 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
oahzy
New York City, NY71 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
This place was just wonderful. We drove almost 3 hrs here from Puerto Plata and it was so worth it. Because of covid, we had the entire plantation to ourselves. Everyone here was so professional and gracious. We learned a lot and it was so peaceful just walking around the farm. The local lunch was also super delicious and highly recommended. I have no doubt this place makes the best chocolate in DR.
Written February 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth C
Canada32 contributions
Feb 2014 • Family
This was my third year taking my elementary students to El Sendero del Cacao for a field trip, and it was excellent, as always! It is highly interesting, informative, and fun! Not to mention delicious. The people are friendly and knowledgeable and the cacao forest is pretty. You will learn the whole process from cacao to chocolate, (plus the old-fashioned way with the mortar and pestle!) and then get to make your own. The gift shop sells their special organic chocolate, which is by far the best in the country, in my opinion! Definitely worth the trip!!!
Written February 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a great review Beth, Thank you!!! We are very happy that you have enjoyed and learned with our team, hope to see you again!
Written February 24, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
alva a
Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic2 contributions
Jul 2011
I was with my husband and his family. It was a great experience. They are all very friendly there, specially the man that plants the cacao trees. They show you all the facilities, and you taste cacao nibs. In the end, you get the best luch you can get, and a good cacao beverage. We loved it, and i already went twice!!
Written November 7, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephMatos
Boston, MA19 contributions
Aug 2011 • Couples
I found out about this place on tripadvisor, and was drawn to it because of the good reviews. I wanted to do something different than the common resort and beaches in Dominican Republic. My husband, whom lives and is from over there drove us to San Francisco de Macoris (which is a clean and beautiful city by the way). It is about 2 hours from Santo Domingo, we just followed the road there and then asked when we got to the city. In the city people were not sure where the place was, but eventually pointed us in the right direction. At one point I also called the place and they explained how to get there too.
The website is wonderful and helpful. I was in contact with Dolly Morillo whom is very professional and informative, she set up our tour. She speaks perfect english for people that don't speak Spanish.
When we got to the farm the tour was just for us two (my husband and i), they were expecting a large group the following day but still made it possible for us to come that day. The sendero is clean and the employees greeted us with smiles and made us feel at home. The hot chocolate at the beginning of the tour is delicious.
The young man that gave us the tour (I forgot his name) was great! He was very well informed, full of enthusiamism and asnwered all of our questions. The tour was amazing and I was surprised how much I learned about chocolate becomes chocolate. We took two chocolates home in shape of a turtle and a car (Complimentary). We also purchased a candle at their gift shop.
When the tour was over, for lunch, the young man took us to a restaurant since it was just my husband and I. He told us with bigger groups, lunch is served right on the farm and the tour includes a bit more. We were still grateful they made accomodations for us to come short notice. The food at the restaurant was great!
Definitely reccomend this place, I wish we had time to explore the city and attractions closeby, will visit again. By the way, I wore sandals and it was fine.
The website is wonderful and helpful. I was in contact with Dolly Morillo whom is very professional and informative, she set up our tour. She speaks perfect english for people that don't speak Spanish.
When we got to the farm the tour was just for us two (my husband and i), they were expecting a large group the following day but still made it possible for us to come that day. The sendero is clean and the employees greeted us with smiles and made us feel at home. The hot chocolate at the beginning of the tour is delicious.
The young man that gave us the tour (I forgot his name) was great! He was very well informed, full of enthusiamism and asnwered all of our questions. The tour was amazing and I was surprised how much I learned about chocolate becomes chocolate. We took two chocolates home in shape of a turtle and a car (Complimentary). We also purchased a candle at their gift shop.
When the tour was over, for lunch, the young man took us to a restaurant since it was just my husband and I. He told us with bigger groups, lunch is served right on the farm and the tour includes a bit more. We were still grateful they made accomodations for us to come short notice. The food at the restaurant was great!
Definitely reccomend this place, I wish we had time to explore the city and attractions closeby, will visit again. By the way, I wore sandals and it was fine.
Written September 8, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sirotta69
Verden (Aller), Germany1 contribution
It was such a great, quite interesting and unforgettable experience !! I enjoyed it very much, they explained every detail, gave a lot of explanations - the atmosphere was so pleasant ... I would recommend it to everybody going on holiday to the Dominican Republic, it is a MUST ... At the end of the tour, we had also a quite amusing theatre with music. ... My highlight was to try the ancient method to make cocoa. i will have it for a long time in my mind and my heart - I enjoyed !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt very comfortable and HAPPYYYYYYYY. Thanks so much and go on, like you are doing - it's fantastic and fabulous ... Many thanks also to Thomas Sartori who had this brilliant idea.
Written October 22, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
onthego61
Grand Rapids, MI41 contributions
We had a wonderful day at this chocolate farm. We started out with a delicious cup of hot chocolate while our guide told us about the day. We each got to plant a small cacao plant. We saw cacao plants growing. Our guide cut open a pod to show us the seeds inside. We even got to taste them. We saw the steps of drying the seeds and then our guides put some of them into a large mortar with some sugar. They sang a song as they pounded this into chocolate the old fashioned way. Then we got to taste it! Near the end of our tour we got to go inside to see the chocolate making process the modern way. We choose to make some chocolate molds for an extra cost. These were yummy but they were pretty melty by the time we got back to Santiago because it was so hot outside. We ended the morning with a delicous catered meal. It was one of the best things we did while living in the Dominican Republic. It was well worth the money.
Written September 6, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julio L
Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic2 contributions
Mar 2013 • Family
I can say this place has everything to be with your family. Great food, gift shop, expand your knowledge about cacao and chocolate. Very beautiful place. I recommend it 100%. If you go to San Francisco de Macoris you should go this place.
Written March 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cedric V
8 contributions
This tour is organized in plantations owned by the Rizek family, the second largest cocoa producer in the Dominican Republic (DR) and a leader in premium organic cocoa supplied to Valrhona or to the most prestigious European chocolate makers, such as Michel Cluizel in Normandie (France). It takes place in a charming facility named "Hacienda La Esmeralda".
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Overall, the tour is very informative and should be an absolute must-see while staying in DR, not only for any chocolate lover but also for anyone just curious in discovering how a key part of the Dominican economy is being elaborated. DR is a top exporter of quality cocoa in the world (specifically, the organic segment, where DR is a world leader), and cocoa ranks third in the Dominican agricultural exports.
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::: Who is it for?
=> chocolate lovers should definitely book the tour of the same name, which is a bit pricey but substantial
=> families with young children should take the "Classic" tour (the basic one, which is fun for children with some interactivies as the possiblity to "sow your own plant", without getting boring for them).Â
=> tourists tired of perfect beaches and who want to discover how people truly live and work, and an important part of the Dominican culture
[ + ] Pros
=> The booking process is excellent, responsive and fluent in English
=> The Carribean-inspired lunch is great and simple, with turkey ("pechuga"), Caribbean rice and cooked bananas. But unfortunately, ours was missing a dessert, which is a real pity, given how tasty - naturally sweet and floral - the cocoa produced on the plantation is.
=> The best and truly unique parts are the ones dedicated to the harvesting and to the fermentation processes (leading to fermented beans locally called "Hispanola"), which are well explained. Do not hesistate to ask as many questions as you want, the answers are relevant and kind (we had a young lady as the guide, speaking fluent English and giving detailed and good explanations overall). This is their true expertise.
Â
[ - ] Cons
=> It can be a bit hard to get to the hacienda, at least if you are not coming from Santo Domingo, as some connection roads can be terrible and it is very hard, if not impossible, to get an updated, turn-by-turn, GPS map app or system on board if you arrive by your own car. Consequently, do not forget to do your homework before by preparing your itinerary (Google Map will do the job... more or less) and by asking the name and mobile line of an employee fluent in English while booking, just in case you get lost... Otherwise, no worry, the locals in villages are generally friendly and will do their best to help (in Spanish and as far as they can...)
=> When you come from a western country where you can easily visit a chocolate factory, a chocolate museum or a gourmet chocolate artisan workshop, such as in France, in Belgium, in Switzerland or in the US (yes, the Willy Wonka's type!), you will not learn much from the part of the tour dedicated to the making of gourmet chocolate out of cocoa beans. This is even a bit misleading and out of place, as you have to keep in mind that DR only harvests and exports cocoa beans, the complex transformation process turning beans to gourmet sweets does not take place in DR. Anyway, it can be a nice way of getting childhood memories back and it is well explained.
=> The gift shop is great overall, with a nice assortment but it is too small and the gourmet chocolates proposed are great but too limited, with no appropriate boxes to bring them back
 ::: My advise
Do not stay at the hacienda. Ask to go to the plantations themselves to see how the trees are planted, as this is a unique experience. We had heavy rain the day we visited so, unfortunately, we were stuck to the hacienda instead for the explanations but this was a real pity. Check the weather before you schedule your visit and make sure while booking that you can effectively go through a real plantation.
Â
Overall, the tour is very informative and should be an absolute must-see while staying in DR, not only for any chocolate lover but also for anyone just curious in discovering how a key part of the Dominican economy is being elaborated. DR is a top exporter of quality cocoa in the world (specifically, the organic segment, where DR is a world leader), and cocoa ranks third in the Dominican agricultural exports.
Â
::: Who is it for?
=> chocolate lovers should definitely book the tour of the same name, which is a bit pricey but substantial
=> families with young children should take the "Classic" tour (the basic one, which is fun for children with some interactivies as the possiblity to "sow your own plant", without getting boring for them).Â
=> tourists tired of perfect beaches and who want to discover how people truly live and work, and an important part of the Dominican culture
[ + ] Pros
=> The booking process is excellent, responsive and fluent in English
=> The Carribean-inspired lunch is great and simple, with turkey ("pechuga"), Caribbean rice and cooked bananas. But unfortunately, ours was missing a dessert, which is a real pity, given how tasty - naturally sweet and floral - the cocoa produced on the plantation is.
=> The best and truly unique parts are the ones dedicated to the harvesting and to the fermentation processes (leading to fermented beans locally called "Hispanola"), which are well explained. Do not hesistate to ask as many questions as you want, the answers are relevant and kind (we had a young lady as the guide, speaking fluent English and giving detailed and good explanations overall). This is their true expertise.
Â
[ - ] Cons
=> It can be a bit hard to get to the hacienda, at least if you are not coming from Santo Domingo, as some connection roads can be terrible and it is very hard, if not impossible, to get an updated, turn-by-turn, GPS map app or system on board if you arrive by your own car. Consequently, do not forget to do your homework before by preparing your itinerary (Google Map will do the job... more or less) and by asking the name and mobile line of an employee fluent in English while booking, just in case you get lost... Otherwise, no worry, the locals in villages are generally friendly and will do their best to help (in Spanish and as far as they can...)
=> When you come from a western country where you can easily visit a chocolate factory, a chocolate museum or a gourmet chocolate artisan workshop, such as in France, in Belgium, in Switzerland or in the US (yes, the Willy Wonka's type!), you will not learn much from the part of the tour dedicated to the making of gourmet chocolate out of cocoa beans. This is even a bit misleading and out of place, as you have to keep in mind that DR only harvests and exports cocoa beans, the complex transformation process turning beans to gourmet sweets does not take place in DR. Anyway, it can be a nice way of getting childhood memories back and it is well explained.
=> The gift shop is great overall, with a nice assortment but it is too small and the gourmet chocolates proposed are great but too limited, with no appropriate boxes to bring them back
 ::: My advise
Do not stay at the hacienda. Ask to go to the plantations themselves to see how the trees are planted, as this is a unique experience. We had heavy rain the day we visited so, unfortunately, we were stuck to the hacienda instead for the explanations but this was a real pity. Check the weather before you schedule your visit and make sure while booking that you can effectively go through a real plantation.
Written August 4, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kenzahl
Bethlehem, PA21 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
A little difficult to get to if you are not from the Dominican Republic, but worth the 160 km (100 mile) trip from Santo Domingo (or only 55 km from Santiago). Check out http://www.cacaotour.com/index.php/en/home. Our kids (9 & 12) were against another tour, and by the end they did not want to leave, not only did they make hand crushed crude chocolate, the tour included the insides of the factory where the kids made take home more refined chocolate. The Rizek family has really done an excellent job of presenting this tour. Get there early for 1030 tour and they serve lunch. Grand slam was trip to the Hermanas Mirabal Museum in Salcedo
Written August 4, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
qué se hace con la pasta de cacao llena de cascaras que compre
Written October 24, 2019
A friend of mine from London recommended me this tour as it included a guided tour to the whole chocolate process including to cacao orchards and processing area (fermertation, liquor etc) and I think it would be bery enlightening to undernstand the whole process involved in making those fine-flavored artisan bars which I love to eat. So which tour should I pick in order to get to know the process from the harvest of the cacao pod. Also I would be arriving to Santo Domingo so how do I get from there to San Francisco de Macoris. It's my understanding that the village is a several hours roadtrip from Santo Domingo.
Written August 2, 2016
Eduardo B
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Hi Chris. Sorry for the delay on the response. You should take to complete tour, which ends at the Chocolate Factory where you create your own chocolate and take it with you. Transportation can be arranged. It is a 3hrs drive from Santo Domingo. The scenery on the way is very rural and natural. Please contact MarÃa via Whatsapp at +1(809) 669 1209. She can arrange transportation and the visit to Hacienda Esmeralda. Hope this helps, and again, sorry for the delay. 😬
Written August 9, 2016
I have my own transportation and am staying in Puerto Plata. Is it possible to come visit without taking a tour from here? About how long is the drive? Is there a charge once we get there?
Adrienne Millen
Written December 21, 2015
Eduardo B
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Thank you Lisbert for your answer. Additionally, please contact MarÃa via Whatsapp +1(809) 669 1209 so she can take your reservation and help you out with any other details you might need.
Written December 28, 2015
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