Caribeans Chocolate and Coffee — Restaurant in Cahuita

Summary: An enjoyable and brief, but valuable visit. We stopped in on a Tuesday morning, just after 9:00am in early March (2020). One of the first things we noticed about the cafe/community space/ work space was how clean, airy, well staffed, aromatic and welcoming the place is. We also liked the variety of the furniture on the main floor. There were bars and high chairs for eating; tables for (enjoying meals and) meetings, a lounger for reclining and easy chairs which were comfortable. At the time of our visit there was a Zumba/Pilates class in full swing on the upper floor, while several people were on the main floor, in the eatery. Some people were enjoying items from the breakfast menu; some were also working; a few people passed through for an early day beverage and take-away snack; some were there to visit the chocolate cooler; a family met up with one another and some, were waiting for the 10am chocolate tour to begin. The walk to Caribeans from Cocles was about 40min and at that time of the morning we weaved in among some citizens who were heading to work; tourists waking up and seeking an early day coffee; and other locals en route to various places. Along the way, some merchants were setting up stalls and opening business doors, (many had already been in operation for at least an hour) and the street traffic outside of Caribeans steadily increased as the sun continued it's rise. Caribeans is easily visible from the road and the music from the upstairs class helped make the structure easy to find. In the familiar way that the staff interacted with the locals, and with one another; in the number of people that passed in just to check the community/class board; in the friendly and easy way the management greeted people and helped us navigate menu items; in the vast number of people who ultimately turned up for that day's chocolate tour and by the number of people in attendance at the Zumba class, we got a sense of the community that Caribeans fosters. Our interaction with the owner also afforded us an insight into the community beyond Caribeans and to other nearby amenities and businesses. The short time that we spent chatting really afforded us an insight into where to access other services as well as providing leads for other interests. It was a short visit, but a valuable one, and we'll be returning there again and again before we depart Cocles / Puerto Viejo.

Update: we made as many visits to Caribeans as we could during our stay in Cocles and each visit was Great. A consistent experience and really good coffee. Thanks for the little piece of chocolate...

This review is for the chocolate tour that Caribeans offers.

We took the tour on Thursday at 10am, Daniel was our guide and did an incredible job. It was such a pleasure to listen to him speak with passion about the whole process from beginning to end, all the while pointing out beautiful and exciting wildlife on our hike up the hills through the lush rainforest, and answering all of our many questions thoughtfully and with a wealth of information in each answer. The hike was beautiful, perfect cardio to get our appetites whetted for the incredible chocolate making explanation and subsequent tasting. So many amazing tastes! Liquid melted chocolate, spiced chocolate drink, side by side single origin chocolates, and flavoured chocolates! It was incredible. Loved learning from Daniel's careful explanations about the process and how much care this company takes in every step, from paying farmers extra for the highest quality beans, to monitoring the fermentation and drying in the most organic earth friendly way.

Loved to hear that this company works hard to grow completely organic and without fertilizers, and supports many farmers in the region to do the same. Being able to taste single estate chocolates, essentially chocolate made separately from beans sourced from each farmer, was mind blowing. Few chocolate companies do this. I should say, I am a chef and pastry chef, so have added admiration knowing how hard the food business is. I am so very happy to support this company and in turn all of the locals they employ and farmers they buy from. Super special. Highly recommend. So grateful to my friend for recommending this tour to us!

P.s. Daniel, if you every start your own tour company we will be some of your first customers! ;) Gracias amigo!...

Be sure to take the chocolate tour if you have the time (plan at least two hours) to get a thorough understanding of the whole process it takes to make authentic chocolate.

The tour begins outside and will take you along a road where you may have a chance to see some if the native wildlife, such as sloths, toucans, frogs, and a variety of insects. The guide is very good at spotting these and will point anything out if encountered.

It is along this path that you'll learn about optimal conditions to produce cocoa beans, as well as some of the hazards to the process.

After climbing a steep set of stairs, you'll see the process from cutting open the cocoa fruit (including a taste sample) as well as the fermenting and drying prep.

You'll next be taken to a house to see where the chocolate is made, and includes taste samples of liquid chocolate, and several types of chocolate flavors made by local producers.

Caution: this tour is not advised if you have serious mobility issues, although they will make accommodations as best as they can (I was able to get a ride back down the path).

The tour ends at the store where you can purchase merchandise or food at a discount. The chocolate flavors you will have sampled during the presentation will...