Baracoa Chocolate: Cuba's Best-Kept Sweet Secret

There’s a corner of Cuba where the air smells like chocolate. This isn’t a metaphor: when you pass the Baracoa chocolate factory, the aroma envelops you and forces you to stop. Welcome to the chocolate capital of the Caribbean.

Baracoa: Where Cuban Chocolate Was Born

Baracoa isn’t just Cuba’s first settlement (1511) — it’s also the beating heart of the island’s cacao production. This small city at the eastern tip, surrounded by mountains and tropical rainforest, produces 75% of all Cuban cacao.

The secret lies in its geography: a humid microclimate, fertile volcanic soils, and mountains that protect the crops. Here, more than 1,800 harvesters work in cooperatives that keep a centuries-old tradition alive.

A History That Crossed the Sea

Cacao arrived in Baracoa in the early 19th century, brought by French refugees fleeing the Haitian Revolution. These colonists crossed the Windward Passage and settled in Cuba’s eastern mountains, bringing advanced cultivation techniques with them.

What began as a survival industry became tradition. Generations of Baracoan families have passed down the art of cacao: how to read the weather, prepare the soil, prune branches, and transform seeds into that magical powder that perfumes mornings.

Che’s Factory

On April 1, 1963, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, then Minister of Industries, inaugurated the “Rubén David Suárez Abella” Cacao Derivatives Company — Cuba’s only chocolate factory. It continues operating today, processing all national cacao.

The factory doesn’t offer tours (it’s a government facility), but passing by is an obligatory ritual for visitors. The aroma escaping from its chimneys is the best marketing that exists.

Chorote: Breakfast of the Gods

No Baracoan starts the day without a gourd of chorote: roasted and ground cacao, mixed with fresh coconut milk and thickened with bananina (artisanal plantain flour). Cinnamon or vanilla is added to taste.

It’s pure energy for farmers working the land and children heading to school. At night, chorote transforms into rumbumba: the same recipe, but with a generous pour of local rum.

The Cacao Routes

Finca Las Mujeres

Deisy, known as the “Cacao Queen,” welcomes visitors with open arms. On her 4 hectares, you can see the entire process: from flower on trunk to chocolate bar. The final tasting — fresh pulp, roasted bean, cacao paste, artisan bonbons — is unforgettable.

Finca Duaba and El Sendero del Cacao

Other farms offer similar experiences. At El Sendero, you’ll learn about Cuban cacao varieties and taste freshly prepared chorote. Entry costs just $2 CUC.

Casa del Cacao

In downtown Baracoa, this small shop sells the famous cacao balls — pure paste spheres to grate and make hot chocolate at home. At $1 CUC each, they’re the perfect souvenir.

Cuban Cacao Around the World

The world’s most demanding chocolatiers have discovered Baracoa:

• Willie’s Cacao (UK) imports Baracoan beans for their premium bars
• Sprüngli (Switzerland) describes notes of blackberry, pear, tobacco, and coffee
• Patrick Roger (France) highlights the peppery finish of his 71% Cuban bar
• Marcolini (Belgium) celebrates the intensity and unique aromas

In 2011, the National Monuments Commission declared Baracoa’s cacao lands a Protected Area, recognizing their heritage value.

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How to Get to Baracoa

Baracoa is isolated from the rest of Cuba by mountains — part of its charm. You can arrive by:

• Plane: Flights from Havana to Gustavo Rizo airport
• Road: The spectacular La Farola Highway from Guantánamo (about 80 km of curves with incredible views)
• Bus: Viazul connects with Santiago de Cuba

Once there, rent a bicycle to explore the nearby farms — they’re just a few kilometers from downtown.

Baracoa is many things: the first city, the most isolated, the rainiest. But above all, it’s the sweetest. Visit and you’ll understand why the zunzuncito also loves these lands.