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Here is a link to an adventure in Costa Rica's cacao by Mirjami Simula of Geneva Switzerland that you will find delightful.
* Itinerary subject to change: every effort will be made to keep
the itinerary as it appears here; however, the final itinerary
may vary due to schedules, availability and factors beyond our
control.
Program participants and travel companions must be adults - 17
years of age or older. Also note that the program involves a lot
of walking (with bags at times)
so good mobility and strength is important. Because we go into
small towns, handicap access is not available.
Our minimum requirement for this program to run is 8 participants
and the maximum is 13 participants. You will want to wait to book and
confirm your flight schedule to Costa Rica until we confirm that
the minimum number of students have registered.
Cancellation Policy:
Our Ecole Chocolat Maitre Chocolatier Programs and Tours only
accommodate a limited number of students and are usually full
with a waiting list. Refunds will not be given after 45 days prior
to the program start date. As these programs involve a travel
component - we need to contact those on the waiting list in enough
time to for them to make travel arrangements. We will do everything
in our power to find a replacement in order to refund your registration
fee minus a $100.00 US administration fee but cannot guarantee
that we will be successful. Please make sure that you are committed
to the program before paying your registration fee. We also suggest
that you take out travel insurance when booking your travel to
and from the program in case of an emergency.
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Steve DeVries opened DeVries Chocolate with a tag line of “one hundred years behind the times” in 2005 after six years of studying chocolate — for three years as an intense hobby and three years fulltime after selling his glass company.
He produces both bulk chocolate for use by chefs, candy makers and chocolatiers and retail bars that can be found in specialty food shops or purchased through his website.
Steve is intimately involved in the whole process of chocolate making, from working directly with growers to being hands-on with the manufacturing process using all antique equipment. He has learned with chocolate that changes in production processes can mean major improvements in flavor.
Julio Fernandez Amón (on the right above) has been leading specialized natural and cultural history trips to Costa Rica since 1991 and holds a Master’s degree in History from the University of Texas. A former teacher and expert in Central American culture, Julio is eager to share local insight on his country’s past and present with signature humor and sincerity.
Julio is a trained naturalist and will help visitors identify and observe wildlife in the field. Since beginning a small chocolate business in 2007, Julio now finds himself in the kitchen more often than in the field.
For Fernández, starting a chocolate shop that features only organically grown cacao from Costa Rica became his way of helping protect the natural world, as well as a way to spark new interest in a growing industry for his home country. He also hopes his business will highlight the importance of cacao to Mesoamerican cultures throughout the ages.
Today, with his partner, George Soriano, they have the only chocolate business in the country that features chocolate made from fine organic Costa Rican cacao from a single plantation.
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