Sweet Caribbean: St Lucia chocolate tour
How can you make chocolate even better? Eat it in the Caribbean. With wine… I’ve blogged a bit already about our trip to St Lucia earlier this year – but along with volcanoes, beaches and zipwiring through the rainforest, I also checked out some of the stops on the chocolate heritage trail, including a St Lucia chocolate tour.
With cacao plantations on the island for centuries, it definitely beats Cadbury World as well. (Sorry Birmingham). I’ve written about St Lucia’s sweet side but here are a few more tips if you want to discover chocolate in St Lucia.
If you only do one thing, make it the tree to bar experience at Boucan by Hotel Chocolate. High in the Soufriere Hills, the Rabot Estate plantation and Boucan hotel are where all of Hotel Chocolat’s products start.
And while this St Lucia chocolate tour would be a lot of fun for slightly older kids, it was great even for Minnie. One of the guides helped push my toddler’s buggy around as I was taking photos, grafting my own cacao tree and pounding nibs into chocoate.
Read more about my bean to bar tour in my post on chocolate in St Lucia
She, meanwhile, managed to get her tiny hands on two enormous cacao pods which she cuddled, poked and attempted to eat throughout most of the three-hour tour. I had a struggle to get them off her afterwards.
Nearby Fond Doux plantation also has its own short tour and an incredible chocolate fondue drink – not what you might imagine from the name, it’s chilled and whisked so it’s light, bubbly, refreshing and I could happily have drunk several more!
If you’re staying in the north of the island, as we were at the gorgeous St James Club Morgan Bay, do head to Castries market where you can pick up chocolate sticks and spices to make the traditional cocoa tea yourself at home. At least if you’re not me: I bought a stick and then promptly never got around to it!
There are plenty of other stops on the Chocolate Heritage trail too, although Jade Mountain and Ti Kaye resorts (where I had an incredible chocolate spa treatment and chocolate and wine tasting respectively) don’t accept young children as guests, with a minimum age of 15 and 12 each.
Jade Mountain’s sister resort Anse Chastenet does lower its usual age minimum requirements of 10+ for children staying there, down to six from July to September.
PIN FOR LATER: CHOCOLATE IN ST LUCIA
Disclosure: My trip to St Lucia was courtesy of the tourist board and the resorts mentioned. My opinions, including the one that white chocolate isn’t real chocolate, remain my own.
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Wow I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cacao plant in real life and definitely not that big. I would have been fascinated. I need to make my way to St Lucia one day.
It is such a gorgeous island even without the chocolate but the tour was fascinating. Somewhere there’s a cacao tree I’ve grafted 🙂
That chocolate drink looks immense!
This sounds like my idea of paradise. Beautiful sunny beaches and chocolate. Wow!
I am drooling just remembering it – and it’s just the perfect island. Tropical beaches, rainforest and some adrenaline, volcanic vents and chocolate!
Erm, this is literally my idea of Heaven. Chocolate, Caribbean and wine! What an amazing experience and must be so much more gratifying to drink that chocolate fondue shake after pounding some nibs! Thanks for linking up to the very first #MondayEscapes and for your support x
I know! It’s as if someone designed the perfect holiday then added chocolate… and the fondue still makes me drool at the thought. Loving reliving it with #MondayEscapes x
White chocolate isn’t real chocolate. End of.
Looks fantastic, I love that Minnie comes with you everywhere, still inspired. We now have our next trips booked!
#mondayescapes xx
Exactly – it’s a faux chocolate travesty! Can’t wait to hear about your next trips. Travel with two… now that is the trick to master 🙂
I visited a chocolate factory about a month ago and I was so fascinated to learn how chocolate is made and to decorate my personal chocolate. 😀
It’s fascinating isn’t it – I love the history and getting to try it out myself. Tastes even sweeter!
I think this would be my perfect holiday! How long did you have to pound the pods for? It looks like it would be quite hard work but obviously worth it in the end!
It was such a fantastic trip. And I seemed to be pounding away for ages – then inevitably our guide came over, picked up the pestle and seemed to finish grinding them in about 20 seconds. Either there’s a knack or I’m very weedy! But definitely worth it.
I think it’s awesome to be able to see how chocolate is really made 🙂
Definitely – fascinating to see it right from the pod to being able to sit down with your own bar 😀
It’s the same with coffee. I had the chance to pick up the fruits and do the steps by myself before being able to taste it! Memorable experience !
I can imagine – I would love to do that as well.
This looks awesome! I would so love to do this..and the chocolate fondue drink looks yum! Thanks for sharing 🙂
It was so delicious – and one of my favourite trips ever, I think, definitely one to do if you can!
Wow, i don’t think I’ve ever seen a cacao plant in real life. The chocolate drink looks amazing. 🙂
I know – funny to think how it starts off in these huge pods and the whole process to turn it into chocolate. But like that drink, it’s definitely worth it. Yum.