La Fortuna: Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Tasting Tour

Summary

La Fortuna flavors—coffee roasting, chocolate making, sugar cane tales

You’ll crush fresh sugar cane by hand, taste Costa Rican coffee straight from the roaster, and roll your own chocolate treats while local guides share stories behind each flavor. Expect sticky fingers, laughter over language slips, and a real sense of place you can taste long after you leave.

What’s the experience like?

Ever wonder what real Costa Rican coffee tastes like before it’s all dressed up for tourists? That’s what pulled me into this La Fortuna coffee, chocolate & sugar cane tour. We started out with the beans—tiny green things that don’t even smell like coffee yet. Our guide, Diego, handed me a handful and I almost dropped them because they were still warm from roasting. He laughed and said everyone does that their first time. The air was thick with that roasted smell—kind of nutty, almost sweet—and honestly, I could’ve just stood there breathing it in for hours.

I didn’t expect to get so into the chocolate part. They showed us these glossy brown pods (I’d only seen cocoa powder before), and we cracked one open right there under the trees. The seeds inside are slimy—nobody tells you that—but somehow it made sense when Diego explained how ancestors used to grind them by hand. My hands got sticky trying to roll the paste into little balls. Li laughed when I tried to say “cacao” in Spanish—probably butchered it, but she was patient about it.

The sugar cane bit was messier than I thought. We crushed stalks using this old wooden press that creaked every time someone turned it. The juice ran out cloudy and sweet; tasted kind of grassy at first sip but then mellowed out. There were kids running around chasing chickens nearby, which made me smile because it felt like someone’s backyard more than a tourist stop. I still think about that first cup of pure coffee at the end—no milk, no sugar, just bitter and deep and somehow comforting after all the noise and sticky fingers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Coffee, Chocolate, and Sugar Cane Tour

• Learn coffee history and importance
• See coffee planting to tasting
• Explore chocolate origin and history
• Observe traditional chocolate process
• Taste coffee and chocolate samples
• Discover sugarcane history and process

Top questions

Is transportation included in the La Fortuna coffee tour?

No, transportation is not included but public transport options are available nearby.

Are tastings part of the chocolate & coffee experience?

Yes, both tours include tastings of coffee and chocolate candies as well as sugar cane products.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, both transportation options and activities are wheelchair accessible.

Can infants join the La Fortuna tasting tour?

Yes, infants are welcome but must sit on an adult’s lap during the experience.

How long does the coffee & chocolate tour last?

The exact duration isn’t specified but includes full tours of all three experiences with tastings.

What’s included

Your day covers all entry fees and taxes plus guided tours through every step—from planting seeds to tasting fresh-roasted Costa Rican coffee, rolling traditional chocolate treats by hand, and sampling homemade sugar cane sweets along the way.