Don Olivo Chocolate Tour

If you're visiting La Fortuna, do yourself a favor and book the 8:00 AM Don Olivo Chocolate Tour. We absolutely lucked out—it was just the two of us and the owner's son, Joshua (Joshé), making it feel like our own private VIP experience. From the moment you arrive, you can feel how much pride this family has in their farm, their history, and their products. The property itself is an oasis—peaceful, lush, and incredibly beautiful. The aromas alone are unforgettable: tropical flowers, fresh fruit, roasting cacao, coffee, and the surrounding rainforest create a sensory experience that will stay with you long after you leave. And then there's the food... wow. We were welcomed with a frozen chocolate-covered banana on a stick, followed by some of the sweetest pineapple, banana, papaya, and sugar cane we've ever tasted. Every bite was bursting with flavor—it was like tasting fruit for the very first time. What makes this tour truly special is that it's about so much more than chocolate. You learn the fascinating history of both cacao and coffee in Costa Rica while walking through the farm and seeing every step of the process firsthand. From flowers to harvested pods, cracking open fresh cacao, tasting the sweet fruit surrounding the beans, roasting, grinding, pressing it into chocolate paste, and finally enjoying the finished products—you experience the entire journey from tree to table. Joshua was an exceptional guide. His knowledge of cacao, coffee, farming, wildlife, and Costa Rican history was incredible, and he answered every random, off-the-wall question we threw at him with enthusiasm and expertise. You could tell this wasn't just a job—it was a passion passed down through generations. The tour finishes with delicious chocolate samples, fresh coffee, incredible hot chocolate, cookies, and plenty of opportunities to ask questions and simply enjoy the surroundings. If you're looking for an authentic, family-run experience that's educational, interactive, delicious, and genuinely personal, this is it. Highly, highly recommended. Bien hecho! 🇨🇷🍫☕

From the very start of arrival, we were treated like friends and family. Everyone was very welcoming. They asked us our names and used them regularly throughout the tour. Generous tasting of fruit, drink, and chocolate treats. Our tour guide Brian was very knowledgeable, charismatic, and did a great job balancing Spanish and English throughout the tour. We never felt left out. He was super engaging with our daughter (the only child on the tour at the time). It felt intimate and family oriented. The gift shop was closed up, but the lady running it was very nice and offered to open it back up for our small group to browse and make purchases. Would recommend to anyone who wants to not feel like just a number, it was very personal even with a group.

Really fun tour. The area you tour isn't huge, but they have designed it in a way that makes it feel big. The first half of the tour is about other fruit grown in costa rica and there is a constant stream of fruit samples to eat as the guide talks. Our guide was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Second half was about chocolate. It was really great to see, feel, and taste all of the steps (I had learned about it before). Super interactive. Several families with kids (there is quite a bit of standing and listening, so keep that in mind for young kids). Best to pay in cash there (or else pay 13% VAT tax)

We went on the tour led by "Bryan with a y" (I was tempted to write "Yrian") and it was FABULOUS. Bryan did a great job getting to know everyone on the tour and making a personal connection. It was a very engaging & delicious tour -- I had never tried ripe soursop fruit before, along with several other fruits grown right on the farm. He was able to answer our most curveball questions. But the main attraction is to see how chocolate is made in an artisanal workshop. From the fruit growing on the cacao tree to the finished product, it is all very cool. We cracked open a cacao pod, slurped up the raw fruit around the seed and chewed on the unprocessed seed. Later in the tour we tried the seeds again after they had been fermented, dried and roasted. Finally, we enjoyed the finished chocolate with coffee and snacks. Bryan made a good argument for becoming a superfan of small chocolate producers! Everything is grown right there on the finca-- the vanilla, the sugar cane, and of course the cacao. Ah, and we even harvested a tiny bit of rubber from a rubber tree. What a cool farm. Later in my trip I went out of my way to purchase more chocolate made on different small Tico farms. Definitely worth the entrance fee, and it is great to spend tourism dollars directly with small family operations.

This was a small farm tour that was so personal and enjoyable. Brian our guide was very informative. We tasted so many different things including delicious fruits, coffee, and cocoa beans. You won't get a more personal hands on tour.

Phenomenal tour with Daniel for our family of 5 (13, 11, 6). We did the 8 am tour, and there were only 7 of us total in the group. We ate so much fruit, chocolate and had delicious coffee. We were so full after! And we learned so much about the growing and harvesting processes at the farm. Our family agrees that we could do this tour every single day. It was perfect!

Really fantastic tour leader! He spoke fluent English and Spanish, and did the tour in both. The tour was really enjoyable and perfect for us. Lots of fruit samples, some hands on learning, and info on chocolate, coffee, and sugarcane processes. Highly recommend.

I can not say enough good things about this tour. I was a bit apprehensive because this tour was much cheaper than the others in the area. I could not have been more wrong. Brian was amazing! He was so informative about each step in the process of creating chocolate and coffee. He was kind an answered all questions with a smile. I was pleasantly surprised with all of the delicious fruits provided. There was also info provided about how the fruit grows in costa rica. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Even though I’d read all the positive reviews, this was better than expected! Great value, enthusiastic guide, delicious fruit and chocolate! We found a new favorite fruit-soursop!

LOVED! So fun - more fun then we even thought. So tasty - come hungry for lots of fruit! And, such good fruit! And, so educational for adults and kids. Love the hands-on participation. We had the tour guide all to ourselves which was great! Brian was our host - 5 stars! It was 2 hours but we weren't rushed out or anything. Cost was worth it. Thank you for this great experience!