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April 6–13, 2027 · Toledo District, Belize
Eight days running the bar backward — from the wrapper to the drying deck to the tree.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Most people see cacao as a finished bar. This trip takes us the way back to the beginning, to the origin.
We have been buying cocoa from Maya Mountain Cacao in Belize's Toledo District since 2013 — beans grown by roughly 411 producers and brought to one central fermentary outside Punta Gorda. You'll spend an entire day there. Not a tour of it: a day in it, opening boxes at different points in the ferment, learning what a single day of change smells like, turning beans on the drying decks under the sun. Fermenting cacao smells like vinegar and overripe fruit. Nothing on a bar's label prepares you for that.
The rest of the week is the world around that building. We walk Eladio's farm with him, split a pod, and eat the white pulp off the seed — it tastes closer to lychee than to chocolate — then sit down to lunch with his family. We grind cocoa by hand on a stone metate at Ixcacao, the way households here have made chocolate for centuries, and drink what comes of it. We climb Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit with a guide who can read them. We hike into a cave at Blue Creek. On the last full day we taste rum, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate at Copal Tree, all of it grown within a few miles of the table.
Eight days, including arrival and departure. Toledo is Belize's southernmost district and the quietest corner of a quiet country — farm roads, forest trails, early starts, and heat. That's the trip. We think it's the best way to understand a bar.
KNOWLEDGE LEVEL
ACTIVITY LEVEL
COMFORT LEVEL
WHO THIS TRIP IS FOR
Guests who want the process, not the postcard. You don't need to know anything about fermentation to come, but you'll get the most out of the week if you're the sort of person who wants to know why one batch tastes like pineapple and the next one doesn't. Expect to be on your feet, on unpaved roads, and in the heat. Expect to eat well.
FEATURED ACTIVITIES
- Split a pod on Eladio's farm and taste the pulp, then have lunch with his family.
- Spend a full day inside Maya Mountain Cacao's fermentary, working with beans at every stage from wet box to drying deck.
- Grind cocoa by hand on a stone metate with the makers at Ixcacao.
- Tour Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit, two Maya sites, with a guide.
- Hike to a cave at Blue Creek.
- Taste rum, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate at Copal Tree's distillery, all grown nearby.
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
We stay all seven nights at Creekside Oasis, forty acres of forest along Jacinto Creek in Jacintoville, eight miles up the Southern Highway from Punta Gorda. There are ten units — five thatched casitas, four air-conditioned rooms, and a studio. Three acres near the creek are planted as gardens, with heliconias, gingers, orchids, and fruit trees. The rest is left to the forest.
It's a birding place whether or not you came to bird. Creekside is a registered eBird hotspot with more than 260 species recorded on the grounds, and keel-billed toucans, parrots, and trogons work the gardens. Agoutis, kinkajous, and howler monkeys live in the forest behind the casitas.
A Belizean breakfast comes with the room every morning. On the free day, the creek is a few steps from the door.
TENTATIVE INTINERARY
Tuesday, April 6, 2027: Arrival
Land in Belize City and drive south, stopping to hike at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and for dinner on the road. We reach Punta Gorda after dark.
Wednesday, April 7: Farms and Culture
A morning walking Eladio's farm, tasting what grows on it, and lunch with his family. In the afternoon we learn to make the traditional Maya chocolate drink and tour Lubaantun. A guided chocolate tasting after dinner.
Thursday, April 8: Chocolate Traditions
Traditional chocolate making on a metate at Ixcacao, an afternoon hike to a cave at Blue Creek, and dinner at Gomier's. We start a chocolate-making project back at the hotel.
Friday, April 9: Maya Mountain Cacao
The heart of the week. A full day at the fermentary, working with cacao from wet seed through fermentation and drying, and a chocolate dessert demonstration that evening.
Saturday, April 10: Spice Farm and Nim Li Punit
A morning at the spice farm, lunch at Coleman's Cafe, and an afternoon at Nim Li Punit.
Sunday, April 11: Free Day
Yours. Hike, swim in the swimming hole, look for birds, or make corn tortillas with the Maya staff at the lodge. Snorkeling and a boat trip to Snake Caye are available as add-ons.
Monday, April 12: Copal Tree
Rum distillery, chocolate, vanilla, and coffee at Copal Tree Lodge.
Tuesday, April 13: Departure
Trip Pricing
- Single Room (one person): $3,700 per person
- Shared Room (double occupancy): $3,500 per person
What the Trip Cost Covers
- Internal travel and transportation between scheduled activities, including transfers to and from the airport
- Seven nights of lodging
- Meals and all planned cultural excursions. (We will do our best to accommodate food allergies or restrictions.)
What Guests Are Responsible For
- Flights in and out of Belize
- Optional add-on activities, including snorkeling and the Snake Caye boat trip
- Travel insurance - highly recommended
Good to Know
- Bring closed-toe shoes you can hike in. Several days are spent on farm tracks, forest trails, and in a cave.
- April in Toledo is hot. Bring breathable clothing and protect yourself from the sun and insects!
- Dietary restrictions and accommodation questions go to events@dandelionchocolate.com in advance.
JOIN US IN BELIZE
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