Discover Chocolate In Ecuador

Who This Trip Is For

This trip is designed to provide a broader, more general introduction to cacao and chocolate in a way that will be especially interesting to people who are looking for one or more of the following:

• a shorter, more immersive experience
• have never been to a cacao farm
• have never been to Ecuador
• are looking for a balanced mix of educational and touristic activities
• want a guide who has experience traveling in Ecuador as well as subject matter expertise in cocoa and chocolate
• want to have input into the experience by suggesting topics in advance

Overview

Ecuador holds a special place in the modern history of cacao (the past 150 years or so) and was the world’s largest exporter of cacao during El Pepe de Oro – the era of The Golden Seed.

It took nearly 100 years for the cocoa economy to recover after diseases ravaged production in the early decades of the 1900s. The introduction of the controversial variety CCN-51, hydridized and first commercialized in Ecuador in the mid-1980s, has invigorated the sector and in the 2023-2024 harvest season, Ecuador firmly established itself in the ranks of the top five producing countries in the world.

In addition, every evening, as well as when in transit, will be an opportunity to ask questions of your main guide, TheChocolateLife’s Clay Gordon, and take a deep dive into cacao and chocolate as you visit cacao farms in Pichincha (in the north, around Quito), and Guayas (in the south, around Guayaquil) provinces. Included is a guided tour of the National Cacao Museum in Guayaquil.

Clay has been to Ecuador three times, once in 2003 and again in 2005 on University of Chocolate expeditions, and most recently in 2022, where he visited smallholder farms, estate holder farms, post-harvest centers, and manufacturing facilities in Pichincha, Guayas, and Los Rios provinces.

Confirmed participants are encouraged to submit questions and topics in advance, and Clay will ensure those questions and topics are addressed during the trip.

Discover Chocolate In Ecuador is a collaboration between TheChocolateLife and Cocoa Supply. The family of Cocoa Supply’s founder can trace its roots in Ecuadorian cacao back to the early 1910s to the town of Catarama, less than a one-hour drive (on today’s roads) from Vinces, the historic center of Arriba Nacional production.

The Carvajal family has been manufacturing chocolate and cacao derivatives since the 1970s as CAFIESA. Recently, Leila has reimagined the business to meet the evolving needs of smaller chocolate makers, bakers, and enthusiasts around the world.

The itinerary was developed in conjunction with Cocoa Supply who will also be handling logistics on the ground during the tour.

Interested in Joining the Tour?

Email Member Support!

The early-bird registration deadline is September 27th and the tour group will consist of a minimum of seven and a maximum of twelve guests – so contact us sooner rather than later if you are interested!

Single- and double-occupancy pricing options available.

Itinerary Overview

In addition to the daily events described below, every evening after dinner, host and guide Clay Gordon will convene a casual get-together in the hotel to talk about what to expect the next day and to field participants’ questions about cacao and chocolate. Participants will be able to submit topics in advance to ensure they are addressed fully during the trip.

Want more info? Watch the recent PodSaveChocolate episode: