Chocolates Kaokao — Local services in San Miguel de Cozumel

Long review ahead, but basically: Please, please set aside 2 hours in Cozumel to enjoy this wonderfully interactive chocolate tour.

Before our cruise, my friend and I had looked this place up as a possible to-do in Cozumel. After a rough morning at port, we remembered Kaokao just 20min before the last tour of day (1pm). Even though the website advises to book and pay in advance, we called and asked if there was space so we could join last minute. Luckily they could accommodate us, and said they would wait for us to start, even though we insisted they begin on time in case we were late.

Turns out we made it just on time! (I recommend getting a taxi rather than scootering around and finding it yourself. Fair warning, the location might still puzzle drivers as the entrance isn't visible until you literally pull up in front of it.) As well, everyone else signed up for the 1pm tour had cancelled, so it was just my friend and I! Whether it would have been a VIP experience or not, I'm sure the host, Eduardo, would have made the experience engaging for a whole group. He was so knowledgeable about the history of Mexico in relation to the cacao industry, and passionately shared all that information with us. High praise for his genuinely friendly personality.

And if it's not clear, for merely $25 US as of fall 2018, you are getting 90 minutes of history, 20+ chocolate samples, AND the opportunity to make chocolate tablets from scratch. This is not like Hershey tours where you simply pour liquid chocolate into a mold with toppings. At Kaokao, you are roasting the beans, grinding them, adding ingredients, and molding the chocolate, all by traditional means. It is truly a fun and rewarding experience.

The compound is small, but brightly painted and outfitted with little exhibits that proudly show off the company's home-grown roots. I'd also like to highlight their dedication to environmental protection and eco-tourism designed facility. The gift shop is well stocked with a variety of souvenirs. Though the price of the large chocolate bars may surprise you compared to American chocolate, after the presentation you'll understand why it's well worth it. In fact, the whole experience is well worth it. We are so glad we didn't pass up the...

My family and I just left Chocolates Kaokao, and we had an amazing experience there! I'm writing this review while we wait for our flight back to the States, because I do not want to forget. Jafet and the rest of the staff here are incredible, and they deserve people to know.

Jafet was our guide. He was fantastic from beginning to end. We showed up with no reservation, pulling suitcases behind us, because we went on the way to the airport. We arrived before their normal time for tours, but Jafet was so gracious that he quickly set up for us and proceeded to show us an amazing time. He is extremely knowledgeable about the Mayan chocolate making process. He said he learned this from his grandma when he was a young boy. He had a great personality which made everything fun and relaxed. Thank you, Jafet!

I highly recommend this tour for anyone who loves chocolate or is interested in Mayan culture. I felt like I learned quite a bit about their culture through this experience. It teaches you the value of family, hard work, and appreciation. I appreciated the chocolate we made more than any I had before. We got to see cacao trees and beans. We truly got to experience the process from beginning to end. It's also good for teenagers, as we had one with us and she loved it!

If you go, don't be deterred by the outside of the place. You may feel like you're being dropped off at a random warehouse on a narrow street or alley. But, when the big door slides open, you are greeted with a beautiful oasis of paintings and thoughtful architecture. Even the floor is the nicest I noticed in Cozumel. You can tell they paid attention to the details. It is a sure sign they care deeply about what they are doing.

Thanks again, Jafet and everyone at...

FANTASTIC tour! We visited as soon as they opened and booked the longer of the two tours they offer, which includes chocolate making. There is a shorter one that does not have chocolate making, if you're low on time, but you should opt for the longer one if you can! Spent an hour and a half there, and had a very fun, hands-on experience learning about how chocolate was made in Mayan times and how it's made today. Our guide, Nancy, was very knowledgeable, conducted the tour in both English and Spanish, and answered all our questions! You'll get to peel and sample a cocoa bean, and try a bit of every chocolate they sell in their gift shop - from simple white, milk, and dark to more exotic ones like chocolate containing chewy dried cactus, chili-infused chocolate, and chocolate-covered cocoa nibs. If you opt for the longer tour, you'll get a chance to try Mayan drinking chocolate too, which is spicy and complex, but very very good. You'll also get to grind cocoa beans into paste using both a Mayan grinder and a modern one, and you'll grind, sweeten (to your own taste!), form, mold, and wrap a disk of your own drinking chocolate to take home. This tour felt more comfortable and personal than many others I've been on, and it took most of my willpower to not bring the whole gift shop home...especially since they take credit cards. If you visit, be sure to at least pick up the chocolate sampler - there's a little fun-sized one for about 8 USD (in 2025) that makes a perfect gift, and that seems like a good price for a variety of small-batch, handmade chocolate straight from the source. Well...