IXCACAO Maya Belizean Chocolate — Attraction in Toledo District

HIGHLIGHT of Belize and likely the best tour I've ever done.

I have taken many tours in my travels to 30+ countries, but this is almost certainly the best tourism experience I have ever had.

Many reviews mention the chocolate, the lunch, the farm. All of these things were outstanding - some of the best chocolate I've had in 10 different flavors and samples, the best meal I had in Belize, and an outstanding farm. But it was Henry, our guide, who made this experience so special and so unique.

I have a short attention span, but Henry's words, stories, and explanations (even getting into the science of different processes!) were constantly enthralling for over 5 hours. He is incredibly charismatic, knowledgeable, and an amazing storyteller. We got to see and be part of the entire chocolate-making process, and THEN get to see an amazing spice/herb/fruit farm with so many flavors: cinnamon, turmeric, curry leaves, chilis, allspice, custard apples, mangoes, lemongrass, etc. We could come back at different times of year and have a totally different tour with different crops in season.

My girlfriend and I were the only ones there, so Henry was able to take extra time to answer our questions about the chocolate-making process, sustainable agriculture more broadly, growing up in a Mayan family and community, relations between Mayans and the Belize government, and so many other things.

He and his parents (the "chocolate king and queen") were incredibly kind and hospitable, and their story of growing their family-run operation to what it is today is fascinating.

The lunch here was the best meal that my girlfriend and I had in our 10 days in Belize, by far. The chocolate chicken was to die for. My girlfriend had a vegan lunch, and that was also incredibly flavorful and delicious. Chocolate, spices, everything.

And of course the chocolate was amazingly rich and delicious, with a variety of locally grown flavors (either in their farm or nearby) like cinnamon, coffee, etc. to accentuate the perfectly smooth and deep flavors of the chocolate.

I've taken chocolate plantation tours before, and they're all great, but this was uniquely special.

SPECIFICS: We did the Gold tour, and booked directly through Ixcacao by sending them a WhatsApp message to schedule ahead (though you can also pay upcharges to book through tour agencies). The road to get to Ixcacao is a bit bumpy if you take your own car, but it wasn't too bad. The entire tour took ~5 hours, and we were able to ask lots...

“I feel changed,” was what one of our teenagers said after we left Ixcacao Maya Belizean Chocolate. Juan (the aptly named “Chocolate King”) took us on a fascinating tour of their private rainforest property on which this family grows the cacao and an abundance of other plants. Among other things, we sampled/saw sugar cane, sage, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, avocados, coconuts, a peculiar type of rainforest apples, and of course, cacao. Juan is a FANTASTIC teacher. He kept us engaged in the conversation and taught us about the incredible abundance of the rainforest.

After the tour, we returned to their home to enjoy a chocolate-making demonstration and tasting, plus a DELICIOUS lunch prepared by Juan’s wife, the Chocolate Queen. We loved spending time with this family.

I cannot stress enough how fantastic the whole experience was. It was a major highlight of our vacation. I highly recommend this!

A few notes:

1. We booked directly with Juan through their website and did the Gold Tour.
2. I’d recommended hiking shoes, long pants and powerful insect repellent. This is the rainforest. We went during the rainy season, so it was muddy. Sandals are insufficient. Tennis shoes are okay as long as you don’t mind getting them dirty.
3. The unpaved road you have to take to get there is rough, but I promise it’s worth enduring.
4. We were staying in Placencia during this trip. If you have the endurance, it’s possible to do this tour + a tour of the nearby Mayan ruins at Lubaantum in one day. If you’re looking to be efficient with your time, maximizing experiences and minimizing travel time, it’s a good...

Of all the amazing experiences we had in Belize, this one made the biggest impression on us. We drove out into a rural area expecting a factory, and ended up feeling like we had lunch with a family, after a generous presentation on the sociopolitical, gastronomic, and medicinal history of chocolate. My Hershey's-raised ten year old was enthralled by what was essentially a three hour conversation and demonstration of the harvesting, roasting, and grinding of chocolate that ends up tasting much different than what she's used to (and so much more real). My "I don't care for sweets" husband said he enjoyed our time with Juan even more than catching a 3 foot barracuda the next day. Go see...