Lush and Luscious

Sink your teeth into Puerto Rico’s cacao at Hacienda Chocolat

Nestled on the verdant flank of the towering El Yunque rainforest in the northeast coastal town of Fajardo, Hacienda Chocolat is a feast for the senses. Seabreeze sweeps up from the glistening Atlantic Ocean across the coastal plain and up into the foothills. Parrots and coquis add their songs to the otherwise hushed tones of the steep, tree-covered terrain that appears little changed since the Spanish arrived on Puerto Rico’s shores more than half a millennium ago. The air is fresh amid a riot of green.

Driving up the sparsely marked road, the eyes will wander toward expansive ocean and mountain views. With so much natural beauty at every turn, it is easy to feel that you are ascending through a portion of paradise.

The mind may well turn toward Puerto Rico’s traditional agrarian past, a richly diverse history in which cacao once played a driving role in the island economy along with sugar, coffee, and tobacco. But Hacienda Chocolat is not about a nostalgic look at once was but rather a shining example of a movement that is breathing new life into Puerto Rico’s cacao industry that is marked by respect for the environment and a focus on quality over quality.

Hacienda Chocolat is not a theme park. It is a working cacao farm where proprietor Yadira Vazquez is doing her part to revive and reposition Puerto Rico as a leading light in the production of this magical and treasured commodity. And she and her team are doing it on their own terms with a commitment to sustainable growing methods, planting in harmony within the natural canopy and shunning pesticides and fertilizers.

While fertile volcanic soil and a tropical climate make Puerto Rico prime for cacao cultivation, no less important to the finished product is the high quality “fine flavor” cacao grown at Hacienda Chocolat. Harvested and produced in small batches, this is a labor of love that results in award-winning, single-estate artisanal chocolate bars that stand apart for their flavor, aroma, and complexity.

But don’t take our word for it. Go see and taste for yourself. Soak it all in.

The working cacao farm is open on weekends for a range of guided tours and events that must be booked in advance online. Private events can be arranged during the week.

The basic package is a two-hour, guided walking tour that sheds light on the cultivation of cacao and its processing into chocolate. The interactive experience sheds light on the history and origins of one of the world’s most sought after, but somewhat still mysterious, superfoods. Visitors will be able to taste cacao beans as well as the celebrated chocolate produced and sold onsite. Hot chocolate, cheese and crackers are also offered. The walking tour is moderately intensive.

Time permitting, we encourage you to opt for one Hacienda Chocolat’s signature weekend tasting events that pair the farm’s chocolate with wines, whiskeys, rum and even art. Each of the pairings starts with a guided tour through the cacao farm.

The wine and chocolate tasting seminar includes a welcome glass of sparkling wine, four wines to taste paired with fresh cacao fruit, 3-4 artisanal chocolate bars made with 100% cacao from Hacienda Chocolat and roasted cacao beans. It also includes water and a charcuterie board with artisanal cheeses and breads, cold cuts, homemade jams, fresh fruits, and other delights.

The whiskeys and chocolates of the world seminar, explores the perfect pairing between exquisite whiskeys and delicious artisanal chocolates. It includes tastings of four whiskeys and four single-origin artisanal chocolates. Included are two whiskey cocktails and a charcuterie board with beef sliders, artisanal local cheeses, almonds and nuts, artisanal local jams, fresh and dried fruit, and other tasty foods. The whiskeys change from event to event but are sure to be top shelf.

The art, wine and chocolate offering include direction from and established local art instructor and materials to create a work of art on canvas. For sustenance and inspiration, participants are provided two glasses of sparkling, white, or red wine, a charcuterie board with local cheeses and bread, cold cuts, artisanal jams and fruits and a tasting of 3-4 of Hacienda Chocolat’s single-estate artisanal chocolate bars.

Or opt the rum, tobacco, and chocolate tasting, which the hosts bill as the “perfect trinity.” The seminar includes tastings of four rums and four single-origin artisanal chocolates, two cocktails and a full charcuterie board with beef sliders, local artisanal cheeses, almonds and nuts, local artisanal jams, fresh and dried fruit, and other foods.