It's time to stimulate your senses, and head down to Belize's beautiful deep south for the fifth Toledo Cacao Festival. Packed with activities for the young and old alike, CacaoFest pays tribute to the organic cacao farmers and Belizean chocolatiers.
Join us over the Commonwealth Day Holiday Weekend for the Toledo District's celebration of cacao, and our rich cultural heritage - 20th to 22nd May 2011!


Opening night - Wine and Chocolate - Friday 20th May
We kick off with our landmark event, with music from the fabulous Nelita Castillo, and decadent chocolate creations from Belize's formost chocolatiers - Kakaw, Goss, and Cotton Tree. There'll be sumptuous food and Premium Wines, all at our great new seafront setting at Coral House Inn in Punta Gorda Town. Closing firework display!


Taste of Toledo - Saturday 21st May
Saturday's festivities provide visitors with a true Taste of Toledo! Daytime activities in Punta Gorda Town include live music at venues throughout town, a Chocolate Centre at PG's Chocolate Factory, tortilla making at the Fajina House, and art and archaeology exhibits. Savor Belize will be announcing the winner of the Best Chocolate recipe competition, learn about Cacao and Conservation from Toledo's leading NGOs, and learn about cacao production and processing at the Toledo Cacao Growers' Association open day.

Children will enjoy the free Cacao for Kids activities, leaving you free to visit the different activities in Town, knowing that they are safe, supervised, and having fun.

Special Festival tours are offered for those wanting to experience the delights of the District, with Cacao Trail tours, and Sea Toledo snorkelling trips to our beautiful offshore cayes.

Enjoy evening musical performances from some of Toledo's finest musicians at the vairous Culture in Harmony performances around PG Town, or head out to one of our local lodges to enjoy a delicious chocolate-themed dinner.

Culture, music and dance - Sunday 22nd May
With its beautiful location at the foothills of the Maya Mountains, views of the Rio Grande and bordered by streams, the ancient Maya site of Lubaantun provides a mystical setting for our grand finale.

Learn more about the "Place of the Fallen Stones: with specialist guided walking tours of the site, and a talk by a renowned archaeologis specialising in ancient Maya history, and then sit back and enjoy a magical contemporary Maya dance performed by the Folkloric Ballet of Quintana Roo, and great steelband music from the Pantempters and the Paneriffix. 


Full details of the events are published in the special Festival edition of the Toledo Howler newspaper, or click on the thumbnail picture (above and right) for the programme in PDF format.

For those who haven't visited CacaoFest before click on the links on the left to read about the 2010 "Three Kings of Belize" concert at Lubaantun, and our Wine and Chocolate evening, and take a look at the photo album from previous years' Festivals.

Please use our contact form if you have any questions about the Festival, email us at info@ToledoChocolate.com, or call the Festival Office on 722-2531.

CacaoFest 2011 is the product of a committed group of volunteers from the Toledo community, including Ya'axche Conservation Trust, Toledo Cacao Growers Association, and BTIA Toledo, but it would not be possible without the invaluable help and support of our Festival sponsors: