Cuenca’s Museo del Cacao still flies under the radar. With so many incredible attractions in the city—like the Incan ruins at the Pumapungo Museum and the stunning landscapes of nearby El Cajas National Park—it’s easy to see why.
Even so, I don’t think the museum’s low profile will last much longer. The Museo del Cacao isn’t just a static display; it’s an interactive, immersive experience. Part education, part tasting, part artistry, it embodies everything we love about travel: meeting new people, learning about local culture, and diving into unique experiences.
Jhoana, one of the two passionate owners of the museum and shop, leads the interactive tour and tasting. Her enthusiasm for cacao, Ecuador’s history, and sustainable growing practices is contagious. The tour lasts just over an hour but flies by—you could listen to Jhoana talk about chocolate forever.
Visiting the Museo del Cacao
Centrally located in Cuenca’s historic downtown, the cacao museum welcomes passersby with a simple storefront featuring a chocolate shop and café. Here, you can buy all kinds of chocolate and cacao-based treats, or grab something from the cafe and sit for a while. With a glass case full of bonbons and shelves stacked with chocolate bars, it’s already worth the stop.
But the real treasure? The museum experience—advertised on a small chalkboard by the entrance. All you have to do is speak with someone in the shop to let them know you’d like to join a tour and set a time so they can prepare.
At your scheduled time, you’ll head to the back of the shop, where a colorful papier-mâché cacao tree, a bright eye-catching mural, and educational posters set the scene. There’s a small table with some chairs, but it’s mostly a standing-room experience.
The History of Cacao
Jhoana kicked things off with a deep dive into Ecuador’s cacao history—covering everything from its domestication and processing techniques to the politics of cacao and its cultural significance.
Cacao consumption dates back more than 5,000 years. While we once thought the Olmecs of modern-day Mexico were the first to cultivate and consume cacao, recent archaeological evidence suggests that this practice originated in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Today, Ecuador is known for producing fino de aroma cacao, a high-quality varietal prized for its complex flavor profile. For decades, the country primarily exported raw cacao with little processing. But in recent years, Ecuador has developed an artisanal chocolate industry, emphasizing bean-to-bar production and high-quality Ecuadorian chocolate brands like Pacari.
This shift captures the Cacao Museum’s mission to showcase Ecuador’s excellence in chocolate making for locals and the world.
Cacao and Chocolate Tasting
As we learned about cacao’s history, Jhoana let us see, touch, and smell cacao beans to understand the early stages of processing. I’d never seen a raw cacao bean before and was surprised by its bright white, slimy exterior, and deep purple interior.
After fermenting, drying, and roasting, the beans transform into something much more familiar—deep brown, dry, and fragrant. To tease the upcoming chocolate tasting, Jhoana prepared cacao tea for us to try—a nod to the importance of using every part of the bean to minimize waste. The tea was light and mildly sweet, with a subtle chocolatey flavor. I loved it so much that I bought some to take home!
The last part of the tour led us upstairs to a bright tasting room. We gathered around a table with plates of handcrafted chocolate, all made in-house. Here, the focus is on the bean itself, so everything is dark chocolate—no milk added.
We sampled bonbons filled with flavors like passion fruit and blackberry, along with a thick, bitter chocolate drink unlike anything you’ve tried in the U.S. or Europe.
Chocolate Shop & Café
After the tour, we spent some time in the chocolate shop, picking out treats to bring home (or, let’s be real, to devour within hours). I chose some jam-filled bonbons, cacao tea, and cacao nibs, but there were many more options to choose from! At the shop, you can also order a drink to sip and spend some time there.
How to Visit the Museo del Cacao in Cuenca
We booked the Museo del Cacao experience on a whim, and it ended up being one of the best things we did in Cuenca. Here’s everything you need to know so you can visit it on your next trip:
- Chocolate Shop Hours: Open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM
- Tastings & Tours: Available from 10 AM to 1 PM for $7
- Address: Juan Jaramillo 6-26 y, Cuenca, Ecuador
- Make a reservation via Instagram or WhatsApp: +593-979284746
Museo de Cacao
Even if you’re short on time, you can always drop by for a quick chocolate fix. But if you have the time, the full tour is absolutely worth it!
Guest Author and Travel Writer, Victoria Wilson
Victoria is an Austin-based travel content creator and founder of the blog Nomad No Problem. Her passion lies in encouraging readers to step outside their comfort zones and embrace lives filled with adventure. Having lived in various cities and countries, including Argentina where part of her family is from, Victoria’s diverse experiences fuel her storytelling. She enjoys both casual adventures like hiking, rafting, and snorkeling, as well as exploring city streets, art museums, and savoring local cuisines and coffee.
