After his mother died (now almost 50 years ago) Eladio Pop, the pater familias, started farming at the age of 14 in San Pedro Columbia in order to provide for his siblings. He married Virginia Choco at the age of 18 and has 15 children, 8 boys and 7 girls.
With much hard work, Eladio and Virginia created their life’s work – a thriving cacao farm in the beautiful Maya town of San Pedro Columbia. With the help of the entire family, they grow organic cacao and provide personal, hands-on farm and jungle tours to visitors of the district.
The Agouti Cacao Farm, as we know it now, was established 25 years ago when Eladio decided to start planting permanent trees, in an environmentally friendly and healthy way. Apart from cacao, other fruit trees now grow in abundance on the 30-acre farm. The family also added a rich combination of herbs, flowers and other plants that are beneficial and essential to organic cacao cultivation.
Eladio (and his family) are great guides and even greater story-tellers; they love to explain their organic cacao farming practices and share their stories with visitors of all ages. A tour of the farm is not complete without a great, cacao sprinkled, luncheon.
Gabriel (one of Eladio’s 8 sons) says:
At Eladio’s Chocolate Adventure, you will not only enjoy the farm tour or the chocolate making sessions but rather you’ll get to taste and see how the ingredients of your delicious meal are grown and harvested right in front of your eyes. Eladio and his family will always invite you inside their kitchen. Meals are cooked on the “fire hearth” a Mayan style wood stove. It gives the food a delicious aroma!
Eladio is often referred to as “The Chocolate King”. The Agouti Farm is named after a small brown rabbit-like rodent, that lives on the farm. Eladio refers to the agouti as his partner and cultivator. The agouti eats nuts and scatters them all over the farm; the healthy nuts will sprout and grow into new trees. Eladio will follow the agouti trail and find the young trees and clean around them. The Cacao you are drinking is basically planted by a brown rabbit-like rodent. Have another cup!
Please come experience our farm… we would love to meet you!
How to book:
We normally encourage visitors and tour operators to call us in advance when making group reservations: Phone calls are usually best. +501 6240166 or +501 6324328
Work Address
Opening Hours
Tuesday : 8:00AM – 5:00pm
Wednesday : 8:00AM – 5:00pm
Thursday : 8:00AM – 5:00pm
Friday : 8:00AM – 5:00pm
Saturday : 8:00AM – 5:00pm
Sunday : 8:00AM – 5:00pm