Cabañas en Parque EcoTuristico El Ocote

We visited this lovely eco-park to learn more about cocoa. We're a family living in Switzerland and we wanted to show our kids (ages 10 and 7) the origin of cocoa and how it grows only in tropical regions. They love chocolate but know only the end product and not much about the cocoa plant. So we headed here following the "Ruta del Cacao". This visit was far beyond our expectations. We saw almost the entire farm, guided by Mr. Martinez, who is the owner of the farm and an expert on cocoa and artisanal chocolate-making. We saw all types of trees, not only cocoa but also native hardwood trees and fruit trees like cashew, guava and the pepper plant. He also showed us the entire process of making artisanal chocolate. The kids could grind cocoa beans in a traditional stone, just like the Mayas did! After this very interesting and informative session, we could all taste the chocolate. After the tour we all took a swim in the pools-- these are not your "normal" pools, but natural pools (or ponds) of fresh mountain water, surrounded by tropical vegetation. It was fascinating! We could also try local dishes prepared in the Café and buy the chocolate made by Mr. Martinez. Finally, a bit of adventure... there's the possibility of doing a canopy tour. You fly over the ponds, it was a lot of fun! I highly recommend this place. The access is through about 5 km of "off road", or dirt-road as it's known in Honduras. Don't be discouraged, the road is still OK for almost all types of vehicles. It's worth it-- you'll arrive in a beautiful place in the middle of the most lush, amazing, tropical vegetation!