Indulge Your Senses at Belize’s Chocolate Festival 2024: A Must-Attend Event for Chocolate Lovers Everywhere

May 12, 2024
by Belize Hub +

The Toledo Cacao Festival In Southern Belize

Wanting to showcase the superior quality of their local cacao, various chocolate manufacturers and cacao farmers in the Toledo District of Belize gathered together in 2007 to form the first Chocolate Festival. Now in its eleventh year, the Chocolate Festival has blossomed into a three-day event featuring local foods, wines, trips to cacao farms, and a musical competition celebrating the area’s indigenous heritage.

Why you have to attend the Chocolate Festival of Belize

Cacao (the key ingredient in chocolate) is indigenous to the Americas, and Belize’s Toledo District is world-renowned for having some of the finest quality cacao anywhere. Besides traditional chocolate desserts, the festival features everything from chocolate beer to chocolate soap. The festival also coincides with a large street fair with plenty of music, cultural displays, and exhibitions to entertain the whole family.

Where in Belize is this event held?

The festival is held in the town of Punta Gorda located in Belize’s southernmost district of Toledo.

When this event is held in Belize

In 2024, the Chocolate Festival will be held between Friday, May 17, and Sunday, May 19 in the town of Punta Gorda in the Toledo District.

How to get to the Chocolate Festival of Belize

Domestic flights via Tropic Air and Maya Air connect Punta Gorda with the rest of the country. Inter-city buses and cars follow the Southern Highway to arrive in Punta Gorda. From Guatemala, water taxis connect Puerto Barrios and Livingston to Punta Gorda.

Best way to experience the Chocolate Festival of Belize

Be sure to arrive hungry as there are dozens of different chocolate-themed dishes and other delicacies on offer during the festival. The festival also showcases key elements of the local culture, including the Maya and Garifuna cultures, mixing music and food for a truly special experience. Along with all of the chocolate, be sure to save room for fine wine and a special Chocolate Stout beer.

Besides all the food and chocolate-related items, the festival is also a great chance to take a tour of nearby cacao plantations as well as kayak or canoe down local rivers to experience the pristine natural beauty of the Toledo District.

The second day of the festival features a street fair in Punta Gorda with art displays, music, and a wide variety of local foods. The last day of the festival features a Grand Finale featuring different musical groups competing to be crowned the grand prize winner. For the kids, there are face-painting, puppet shows, and jewelry-making activities.

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