Learn to Make Chocolate in Beautiful Costa Rica
April 7 -12, 2025
Join us for six days and five nights, at the magical Macaw Lodge. Situated within a lush wildlife sanctuary and macaw habitat, the ecolodge is also home to a fully functioning cacao farm and chocolate factory. Immerse yourself in a world where a rejuvenated tropical forest is also a productive and sustainable agricultural space. This earth to bar experience includes all aspects of the craft chocolate making process, as well as an opportunity to experience harvesting and tasting fresh cacao fruit, seeing the fermentation and drying process and participating in a Costa Rican cacao ceremony.
Each workshop is limited to 8 participants. If you have questions or would like to register, please click the button below!
“My experience at the Chocolate Class with Obie was unique and amazing. First, the country chosen to have the class: Costa Rica. It was a great opportunity to get to know a country I had never been before. Second: Obie’s teaching ability. He is truly a great teacher with a wealth of knowledge, and even better, I could feel his passion putting energy into everything during the experience. This makes a significant difference when we spend hours and hours learning new knowledge. Third: the class was a complete immersion. From harvesting cacao production in the agroforestry system to making our own chocolate (yes, we made a lot of delicious chocolate for ourselves!), we experienced all the steps, learning by listening and practicing. Fourth: the people on the staff and in the class. We had pleasant days interacting with people from Costa Rica and from other countries. It was a perfect combination of the meaning of chocolate: a food that connects all of us.”
Marcelo Fu
Workshop Itinerary
DAY 1
- Arrive in Costa Rica by 1pm, arrive at the lodge no later than 6pm*, settle in and relax
- Early arrivals can take time to explore the grounds by hiking to the waterfall, going on a bird watching tour or doing yoga in one of the many designated spaces.
- Introduce yourself and meet other participants over dinner
- Enjoy your first chocolate tasting of the workshop
DAY 2
- Taste test a curated selection of chocolates before breakfast and after lunch and dinner.
- Harvest cacao, crack the pods, scoop the seeds and fruit, and then load the fermenters, enjoying the fruit of your labors along the way including drinking fresh cacao juice.
- Learn about the difference between craft and industrial chocolate, taste different chocolates and beans to come to an understanding of flavor profiles and then choose your specific beans.
- Learn about roasting and roasting profiles.
DAY 3
- Taste test a curated selection of chocolates before breakfast and after lunch and dinner.
- Roast the beans for your custom batch of chocolate, then crack and winnow them before loading them into the melanger.
- Learn the history of Macaw Lodge and how agroforestry practices rejuvenated the land, and how it can play a part in the future of cacao.
- Add inclusions to your chocolate and learn some tricks of the trade.
DAY 4
- Taste test a curated selection of chocolates before breakfast and after lunch and dinner.
- Learn different methods for tempering your chocolate and practice until you’ve perfected it.
- Taste your chocolate as it transforms, evaluate its mouthfeel and developing flavors.
- Examine the fermenting beans and then try the lightly alcoholic cacao cider that is one of the most delightful secondary products.
DAY 5
- Taste test a curated selection of chocolates before breakfast and after lunch and dinner.
- Finish melanging and conching your chocolate.
- Temper and pour your chocolate into molds.
- Wrap your bars and then taste and share the chocolate you just made!
- Finish the course with a Costa Rican Cacao Ceremony.
DAY 6
- Say goodbye to your new friends and fellow chocolate makers and spread your chocolate to the rest of the world!
- Take a shuttle to the airport*, to your next destination, or stay a bit longer to enjoy all that Macaw Lodge has to offer.
*When making travel arrangements, please take into consideration travel time to and from the lodge (approximately 2 hours) and time for customs (anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours) and check-in at the airport (3 hours). If you are coming to Costa Rica solely for the workshop, we highly recommend planning your arrival for no later than 1pm on the 7th, and your departure no earlier than 2pm on the 12th.
“Awesome experience! Learning how to taste and then make chocolate will convert you into becoming a chocolate maker. It certainly converted me. The lodgings were lovely, the chocolate making instructions were clear and concise and the company was delightful.”
Dorothy Friend
“Obie possesses deep knowledge of bean-to-bar chocolate, and his passion for this field creates a fun and enjoyable learning environment. Obie’s class was highly engaging, well-organized, and he has a clear way of explaining all the steps of chocolate production. As a fellow chocolate specialist, I was able to gain new insights about chocolate from his perspective.”
Luciana Monteiro
Workshop Pricing
Workshop costs are per person and in USD. Workshop fees include: Lodging for six days and five nights, all meals, course work, materials (including ingredients to make 25-30 chocolate bars of your own to take home), and participation in a Costa Rican cacao ceremony. Family and friends are welcome to stay with you at regular rates. Please note that transport from and to the airport is not included in pricing.
Standard Room
Single
Occupancy
$1, 788.00
Double Occupancy
$1,494.00
Bungalow
Single
Occupancy
$2,588.00
Double
Occupancy
$1,669.00
Triple
Occupancy
$1,362.67
Please email us directly with any questions regarding the workshop.
For questions pertaining to pricing, non-workshop guests or accommodation, please contact Macaw Lodge