La Fortuna: Farm to Table Cooking Class & Local Recipes

Farm walk picking yuca then cooking gallina achiotada together

You’ll dig up your own yuca at La Finquita Farm near La Fortuna, then learn to cook Costa Rican classics like gallina achiotada and handmade tortillas in a small group with a local guide. Taste everything you make while sitting outdoors among rolling fields. Expect laughter, stories, and flavors you won’t forget soon.

Options for this experience

2 options

From US$ 108.48 to US$ 160.46 per person, depending on the option and date you choose. See options & prices

Shared Cooking Classes 09:00 and 15:00 Guide in English or Spanish Pickup is included

Private Cooking Classes 08:00 and 15:30 Guide in English or Spanish Private transportation, with pickup included

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Step-by-step itinerary

Farm tour and cooking class

• Tour La Finquita Farm
• Learn about sustainable farming
• Harvest fresh seasonal ingredients
• Prepare gallina achiotada dish
• Make handmade tortillas
• Enjoy meal on the farm

What’s included

Your day includes harvesting fresh ingredients straight from La Finquita’s fields with guidance from locals, all materials for preparing traditional Costa Rican dishes like gallina achiotada and tortillas, plus an apron to use during your hands-on cooking class before sitting down together for lunch overlooking the countryside.

Times

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• Every day 08:00 09:00 15:00 15:30

Information

Pick fresh ingredients on a working farm near La Fortuna, then cook classic Costa Rican dishes in a hands-on class with a local guide. Includes all ingredients.

Group Up to 15

Live guide English and Spanish

Meeting point and pickup You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. Pickup is included in the price. Ends back at the starting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 66 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 10 minutes before departure. See the exact addressSee the pickup points

Book up to 8h before

Ages Adult (12 and older) · Child (7 to 11 years) · Under 7: can't be booked

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

More information The exact meeting point address, the operator’s instructions and every other detail are in the full listing. See the full listing

Traveler reviews

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The experience

We stepped right off the gravel road into La Finquita Farm, shoes already a bit muddy from last night’s rain. Our guide, Mariela, handed out aprons and grinned, she said we’d be “chefs and farmers today.” I could smell wet earth and something sweet, maybe sugarcane? We started winding between rows of cassava and plantains, Mariela showing us how to pull yuca from the ground. I’ll admit, I nearly fell over yanking one up. Everyone laughed, including me. The farm felt alive with birds and distant thunder rumbling somewhere behind the volcano.

After that we carried our haul to an open kitchen under a tin roof. The air was thick with wood smoke from the stove (I coughed once, Mariela joked it meant good flavor). She taught us how to make gallina achiotada, chicken cooked with annatto seeds, and tortillas by hand. My first tortilla was…not round. But Mariela just patted my shoulder and showed me again, her hands moving so fast I couldn’t keep up. There was this moment when someone asked about her childhood recipes. She paused, smiled at nothing in particular, and said her grandmother always added extra garlic “for luck.” It felt honest.

Lunch was simple but somehow perfect: crispy yuca chips, gallo pinto with beans and peppers, patacones smashed hot from the pan. We ate at a long wooden table looking out at green hills and cows ambling by. The rain started again but nobody moved. We just talked and ate slowly. I still think about that first bite of annatto chicken, all smoky-sweet and bright orange from the seeds. You know how some meals stick with you longer than others? This was like that.

Top questions

Can I be picked up at my hotel?

You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. Pickup is included in the price. When you book, you choose your hotel from 66 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 10 minutes before departure.

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 11 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class is held at La Finquita Farm near La Fortuna.

What dishes do you prepare during the class?

You’ll make gallina achiotada (annatto chicken), handmade tortillas, yuca chips, patacones, and gallo pinto.

Do I pick my own ingredients?

Yes, you harvest fresh seasonal ingredients directly from the farm’s garden before cooking.

Is there a minimum number of people required?

A minimum of 2 people per booking is required for this tour.

Are dietary restrictions accommodated?

If you have dietary restrictions, let them know when booking so they can adapt recipes as possible.

Is alcohol included in the experience?

No alcoholic drinks are mentioned. Minimum drinking age is 18 if needed for any reason.

Operated by Jacamar Naturalist Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago