Chocolate & Coffee Farm Tour in Manta: Rainforest to Factory

Walk through coffee cultivation and watch chocolatiers work while you taste what they make

This tour combines a coffee farm in Pacoche Rainforest with a chocolate factory visit in Manta, Ecuador. You'll see the bean-to-cup process at both stops, taste fresh products at each, enjoy lunch at a jungle restaurant, and visit the Panama hat workshops of Montecristi in between. Groups stay under twelve travelers. A live guide speaks English, Spanish, French or German, and pickup is included for cruise ship clients.

Step-by-step itinerary

Coffee farm, local cuisine, and crafts

• Visit secluded coffee farm in Pacoche Rainforest
• Learn coffee cultivation and production
• Try coffee and relax in hammocks
• Visit Faro San Lorenzo lighthouse
• Enjoy lunch at traditional jungle canopy restaurant
• Walk shaded garden paths and watch hummingbirds
• Explore Montecristi town and Panama hat workshops
• Visit chocolate factory and coffeeshop
• See chocolatiers working and taste chocolate

The experience

The day starts at a secluded coffee farm nestled in Pacoche Rainforest, where one of only two beachfront drying beds in the world gives the beans a seaside flavor that can't be replicated elsewhere. You'll walk through the cultivation, harvest and production with an interactive exhibition, then sit in traditional hammocks with a cup of fresh coffee while you watch for hummingbirds and listen for howler monkeys in the canopy. The farm's fruit-filled garden is open to explore at your own pace.

After the coffee farm, you'll drive to Montecristi, a small town at the foot of a landmark mountain that birthed Panama hats generations ago. Your guide shows you the hat makers' workshops and stores, plus the traditional wooden architecture in the central plaza next to the cathedral. The stop breaks up the drive and gives you time to browse local artisan goods before heading to lunch.

Lunch happens at a traditional jungle restaurant where food is cooked over wood fire with fresh seafood and plantain as specialties. You choose from a range of local countryside or seafood dishes while the owners' shaded garden paths, planted thick with flowers, keep hummingbirds close by. After eating, you travel to the chocolate factory: a 40-foot refrigerated shipping container that's been turned into a production line with high-end equipment. The owners cut out one end, fitted glass to it, and built the coffee and chocolate shop around the factory floor, so you watch the chocolatiers work while you taste freshly made products, not just from the cacao bean, but also the sweet white pulp inside the pod.

The tour runs five to six hours and includes bottled water, snacks and an air-conditioned vehicle. You can book it as a shared group tour for cruise ship clients or as a private tour just for your group.

What’s included

• Live guide in English, Spanish, French or German.
• bottled water and snacks throughout the day.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• pickup for cruise ship clients on the shared group option.
• entry to the coffee farm, chocolate factory and Panama hat workshops.
• coffee tasting at the farm and chocolate tasting at the factory.

Options for this experience

2 options

Shared group tour for cruise ship passengersGuide in 4 languages · No fixed timePickup is included

Tour for you alone: privateGuide in 4 languages · No fixed timeCustomized flexible activities: a guide is at your full disposal for the day and will adapt the activities to your interests and energy levels. Adapted to your interests: we can also enhance the tour by adding extra stops, such as a local brewery. Private sedan, SUV or minibus: you will travel in a modern sedan, SUV or minibus with a licensed driver, plus a separate guide. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Manta Tour Guides

Is this one for you?The shared group tour works best for cruise ship passengers with limited time in port, since pickup and timing are built around ship schedules. Choose the private tour if you want the same stops and tastings but prefer a smaller group or a schedule that fits the rest of your day in Manta.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the coffee farm like in Pacoche Rainforest?

The farm sits in the middle of Pacoche Rainforest and has one of only two beachfront drying beds in the world, which gives the Ecuadorian coffee beans a seaside flavor. You'll walk through cultivation, harvest and production with an interactive exhibition, then relax in traditional hammocks while you drink fresh coffee and explore the fruit-filled garden where hummingbirds and howler monkeys are often spotted.

Do I get to taste the chocolate and coffee?

Yes. Coffee is included free at the farm, and you'll taste freshly made chocolate products at the factory, including the sweet white pulp from inside the cacao pod. Bottled water and snacks are also included throughout the day.

What happens at the chocolate factory?

The factory is housed in a converted 40-foot shipping container with high-end production equipment. The owners cut out one end and fitted glass to it, then built the coffee and chocolate shop around the factory floor, so you watch the chocolatiers working while you try the results. An interactive exhibition takes you through the tree-to-table process.

Is this tour accessible if I have mobility concerns?

The tour is wheelchair accessible and suitable for all physical fitness levels. It's described as a light activity tour that requires only a little walking and is easily accessed throughout, which makes it popular with cruise ship clients.

How do I get picked up for this tour?

Pickup is included for cruise ship clients. If you're booking the private tour option, confirm your pickup location when you reserve.