Medellin: Private Chocolate Farm Tour & Hands-On Tasting

Summary

Medellin chocolate farm tour pick cacao make bars taste fresh bread

You’ll walk through cacao groves near Medellin, pick fruit straight from the tree, help roast and grind beans over a wood fire with local farmers, and mix your own chocolate bars using fresh ingredients from the farm. Expect laughter over hot chocolate and cheese bread — plus stories you won’t find anywhere else.

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the sound — birds somewhere in the green hills outside Medellin, and then the crunch of gravel under our van as we pulled up to the cacao farm. Our guide, Andrés, waved us out with this huge smile and handed over glasses of cold mandarin juice that tasted like sunlight. The air smelled a bit sweet, almost earthy. I didn’t expect to feel so welcome so quickly — it’s just a family place, not some polished show for tourists.

We wandered between trees with yellow pods hanging low, and Andrés started talking about how chocolate actually gets made (way more steps than I thought). He showed us how to spot ripe cacao and let us try picking them ourselves. My hands got sticky cracking open the fruit — inside was this slippery white pulp around the seeds. You can eat it raw; it’s tangy-sweet and nothing like any chocolate I’ve tasted before. The family laughed when I made a face at my first bite. They said everyone reacts differently.

Back at their house, we helped scoop out seeds for fermenting (the smell is kind of wild — sour but not bad) and learned how they dry them in the sun or this greenhouse called a marquesina. Roasting was done over a wood fire — smoky, slow, kind of hypnotic watching someone stir beans by hand for half an hour. We tried grinding roasted beans on this old grinder that squeaked every turn. I probably got more on the table than in the bowl but nobody minded.

The best part? Mixing our own chocolate bars with whatever was on hand: ginger, lemon peel, even green pepper if you’re brave (I wasn’t). While our creations cooled in the fridge, we sat outside with hot chocolate and cheese bread looking out over these rolling hills — honestly one of those quiet moments that sticks with you after you leave. On the way back to Medellin I kept thinking about how much work goes into something we eat without thinking twice. So yeah… if you want a real chocolate tour in Medellin that feels personal (and messy in a good way), this is it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Chocolate farm tour and hands-on experience

• Pick up from accommodation in Medellín
• Drive one hour to cacao farm
• Welcome with fresh organic mandarin juice
• Learn chocolate history and plantation care
• Tour plantation and pick cacao fruits
• Extract seeds and ferment cacao for six days
• Dry cacao seeds in greenhouse or sun
• Roast cacao beans on wood fire
• Remove husk and grind cacao beans
• Add natural ingredients to chocolate
• Mold chocolate and refrigerate
• Enjoy cheese bread and hot chocolate
• Receive and optionally buy handmade chocolate

Top questions

How long does it take to get to the chocolate farm from Medellin?

It’s about one hour by private vehicle from central Medellin to the farm.

Is hotel pickup included for this Medellin chocolate tour?

Yes, pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in El Poblado or Laureles are included.

Do I get to make my own chocolate during the tour?

Yes, you’ll participate in every step from picking cacao to mixing your own bar with fresh ingredients.

What food or drinks are provided on this day trip?

You’ll get fresh mandarin juice upon arrival plus hot chocolate and traditional cheese bread during your visit.

Is this private or group tour?

This is a private experience just for your group with a bilingual guide.

Can I buy fair trade chocolate to take home?

Yes, you can purchase handmade fair trade chocolate at the end of your visit.

Are there physical requirements for joining?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels but not recommended for pregnant travelers.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup and drop-off at your hotel in El Poblado or Laureles by private vehicle, all activities on the cacao farm guided by bilingual locals, fresh mandarin juice on arrival, hands-on participation in every stage of making artisanal chocolate (from picking fruit to molding bars), plus hot chocolate served with traditional cheese bread before heading back to Medellin.