Top Central Valley Food & Drink Classes

If you’re looking for a way to connect with the local people in Costa Rica, taking a cooking class in a private home is ideal. Your hosts will teach you about their culture, traditions, and cuisine, and give you a tour of their organic garden. Learn to cook dishes such as marinated shredded chicken and rice, followed by traditional desserts and washed down with a freshly prepared mojito.

We believe that a healthy and prosperous life starts with what we eat; also, gastronomy and family recipes connect us as human beings. Eleven years ago we decided to switch our farm from a "traditional" crops to organic ones to improve our own health. In this experience we'll walk through our organic farm with the last bits of sunlight looking for the fresh ingredients we'll need to prepare a delicious dinner and share our culture with you. We hope that, besides providing a delicious foodie experience, what we do inspires more people to care about the source of their food and protect our planet. We have veggie and vegan options. Please do let us know if you have any other allergy and/or dietary restriction.

Immerse Yourself in the Vibrant Flavors of Costa Rica Experience hands-on cooking at Arenal Puesta del Sol, nestled in the lush landscapes of La Fortuna. This culinary adventure is designed to connect you with the essence of local culture, blending traditional techniques with the freshest ingredients straight from the garden. A Meal to Remember Once your dish is ready, gather with other participants to enjoy your creations while taking in the stunning views of the majestic Arenal Volcano. Savor the fresh flavors, celebrate your efforts, and take home recipes to recreate these beloved dishes in your own kitchen. Whether you’re an experienced cook or a curious beginner, this class promises a delightful blend of learning, culture, and flavor. With options for both meat lovers and vegans, it’s a feast for every palate. Let the vibrant cuisine and warm hospitality of Arenal Puesta del Sol inspire your taste buds and soul.

An authentic Costa Rican educational activity in which you can eat as much chocolate as you want, try sugar cane and coffee, with tastings from the Organic Farm, which arrive at the tables of our visitors.

Immerse yourself in the culinary culture of Costa Rica during a small-group cooking class. Learn about the flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques specific to Costa Rican cuisine from your instructor. Get your hands dirty as you prepare several authentic recipes — from crispy Carimañolas to buttery cassava dishes — all while sipping on a refreshing Guaro Sour. Enjoy a true taste of Costa Rica beyond the restaurant scene. - Learn more about Costa Rican cuisine than you would just eating out - Small group size allows for a more personalized and experience - Ideal for foodies, adventurous travelers, or anyone who loves to create in the kitchen - Enjoy unlimited drinks while you cook, and share stories with fellow travelers

Learn to cook some traditional Costa Rican food from a local grandmother, who knows all the secret tips. Dona Chela will help you to prepare the dishes with ingredients from her garden, which you can also wander around before and after you cook. You'll cook your food in the traditional, old school way, by using the wood-fired stove in the kitchen.

During this immersive experience, you'll not only indulge in the deliciousness of Costa Rican food but also gain insights into local agricultural products and other ingredients that define Costa Rica's cuisine.There’s no better place to experience local cuisine than the Central Market, a 120-year-old building full to the brim with typical Costa Rican food and drink. It’s here that we’ll also buy the ingredients for our cooking class. Learn to prepare classic Latin American dishes such as ceviche and empanadas, picadillos, all while sipping on mojitos, sodas, and tropical drinks. There’s no better way to experience the flavour of a country than by going from market to kitchen, and we hope by the end, you feel like an authentic Costa Rican foodie! After your class, head back to your hotel with a stomach full of food and a head full of memories for you and your family that will last a lifetime.

If you are looking for a pleasant place connected with nature where you can enjoy with your family or friends and spend an unforgettable experience, Agroecoturística Don Jorge specializes in Chocolate and Coffee, which includes tours of the trails of cocoa and coffee plantations, you will find diversity in flora. and birds, visit the waterfall, cane processing and finally the chocolate workshop where you can make your own chocolate bar. Our motto "From the seed to the palate". We are waiting for you to enjoy a family farm

Learn to cook Costa Rican food made from local organic ingredients right from the farm where your class is held. You can help collect the seasonal produce from the fields, then you’ll get back to the kitchen. You’ll not only learn to cook in an open wood-fire kitchen, but you’ll hear stories about Costa Rican culture, too.

Whether you're a chocolate snob or are happy to eat anything vaguely chocolate-related, this factory visit and tasting in San Jose will expand your palate. Learn how the humble cocoa bean is transformed into a bar of high quality chocolate, then try your hand at making your own bespoke goodies. With over 15 fillings and toppings, the combinations are endless.

This is not a cooking class or a typical food tour, it’s a delicious, eye-opening journey through Costa rica’s extraordinary biodiversity, guided by a local fruit lover. If you opt for the full experience, your day begins at one of San Jose’s bustling markets, where your host will select and open fruits you’ve probably never seen before. Want to skip the walk? No problem — the tasting alone is just as immersive. As you taste, you’ll discover: Nutritional properties and healing uses Indigenous and colonial histories Seasonal patterns and farming traditions Culinary secrets from Central America From tangy to creamy, sweet to earthy, this tasting experience invites you to rediscover fruit the Costa Rican way.

This is a feel-good evening where everyone is welcome grill newbies and seasoned carnivores alike. You’ll be welcomed into an open-air space or cozy patio in San José, where coals are glowing, music is playing, and the scent of garlic, lime, and slow-roasted meat fills the air. Start with a welcome drink, meet your hosts and fellow guests, and get right into prepping and grilling side by side. You’ll learn about Costa Rica’s cuts, how to build a perfect fire, and the secrets to juicy, flavor-packed meat. Along the way, you’ll snack, sip, laugh, and eat together like family. Come hungry, leave inspired. Why It’s Special: Learn Costa Rica’s unique approach to grilling with a seasoned asador Taste traditional cuts and marinades rarely seen outside the country Connect with fellow travelers over smoke, music, and chilled drinks Dive into culinary culture that blends indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, and Spanish influences

We believe that a healthy and prosperous life starts with what we eat; also, gastronomy and family recipes connect us as human beings. Eleven years ago we decided to switch our farm from a "traditional" crops to organic ones to improve our own health. In this experience we'll walk through our organic farm with the last bits of sunlight looking for the fresh ingredients we'll need to prepare a delicious dinner and share our culture with you. We hope that, besides providing a delicious foodie experience, what we do inspires more people to care about the source of their food and protect our planet. We have veggie and vegan options. Please do let us know if you have any other allergy and/or dietary restriction.

Explore the rich coffee heritage of Costa Rica at Hacienda La Chimba. This engaging 1.5-hour tour takes you through a historic coffee estate where tradition meets culture. Begin your journey at the Coffee Museum House, where captivating antique photographs unveil the significance of coffee in shaping the nation. Wander through lush gardens and working plantations, crossing the scenic Koi Fish Bridge and visiting a charming colonial-style chapel. Conclude your adventure with a unique coffee tasting session, savoring Hacienda La Chimba's high-altitude Arabica coffee in three distinct processes—washed, natural, and honey. Perfect for coffee lovers and families seeking an authentic cultural experience.

Discover three of Costa Rica's best-known products on an interactive tour in La Fortuna. Learn how coffee, chocolate, and sugarcane are traditionally produced through hands-on demonstrations before sampling each along the way. Combining local culture, artisan techniques, and fresh tastings, this experience offers an engaging introduction to Costa Rica's agricultural heritage and the flavors that have shaped the region.

Don’t just feast on delicious ceviche and empanadas, learn to cook the Latin American delicacies during a cooking class in La Fortuna. Enjoy personalized attention from your cooking instructor as you learn about Costa Rican cuisine, while enjoying views of the mighty El Arenal volcano and sipping cocktails.

Get a taste of authentic Costa Rican life and cuisine as you join a local family for a cooking class and home-style meal. Along with a guide, visit the home of your hosts outside of La Fortuna and learn about household customs and cooking techniques for a cultural experience that takes you well beyond just dining out. Join in the preparation of a typical meal, and then savor the fruits of your labor alongside new friends.

Combine learning to cook with learning to dance with this combo experience. You'll learn how to make traditional Costa Rican food and sit down to eat your creation. Once you're done, you'll work off your meal with a dance lesson focused on Latin dance styles such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, and bachata.

Discover one of La Fortuna's more unusual nature experiences with a guided visit focused on Costa Rica's native stingless bees and the traditional uses of their honey. Learn about these important pollinators and the role they play in the local ecosystem, then sample different varieties of honey, including medicinal and monofloral options. The relaxed, educational format makes this a particularly accessible experience for families and travelers looking for something beyond the region’s typical adventure activities.

A sustainable tourism project located in Sarapiquí, Chilamate. It focuses not only on cacao production but also on forest conservation and biodiversity. The goal is to share both the chocolate-making process and its connection to nature. The standard Chocolate Tour lasts about 2 hours. Visitors explore a cacao plantation within a private forest reserve. The tour explains the entire process: from the cacao tree, flowers, and pollination, to harvesting, fermentation, drying, grinding, and finally producing chocolate. Guests can taste different stages: the fresh cacao fruit, cacao at various processing steps, and even enjoy traditional hot chocolate. Focus and Values Sustainability: minimal impact on the forest, preserving natural habitats, and practicing eco-friendly farming. Education: the tour highlights the history of cacao, its cultural role, and its ecological importance.

Spend a half-day at a farm in La Fortuna for a cooking class that features some of Costa Rica’s favorite dishes. Start with a tour of the farm’s orchards and gardens, collect some ingredients for your meal, then head to the kitchen to learn to prepare classics such as gallo pinto (rice and beans). Top off your experience by enjoying the meal with your hosts.

Discover San Jose’s hidden delights with this unique evening tour of the Costa Rican capital. Get up close and personal with the nightlife in San Jose, starting with the Morazán Park where you'll learn post-colonial Costa Rican history. From there, gain an appreciation for San Jose’s historical architecture, with a walk by the Metallic Building, then on to Spain Park for a fantastic view of the Yellow House (now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Continue to charming Barrio Escalante, one of the oldest residential areas in San Jose.  Finish the night with a tasty traditional meal (and wine or beer) at a gourmet Costa Rican restaurant.

Follow underground trails into a series of remarkable grottoes and chambers on this Venado Caves tour from La Fortuna. Gear up and follow your flashlight along an ancient seabed as you explore the caves with your guide, checking out formations and bristling stalactites and stalagmites. Visit a bat colony that thrives in the cool, dark cave system, then return to the surface to enjoy a snack of tropical fruits.

We are sure that the most special thing about this activity is the authentic and personalized service. We highlight that the activity is done in our home which makes it even more special as we open the doors of our home to people we do not know, but who we want to feel comfortable as when we receive our best friends to cook together and have a wonderful time. We do our utmost to offer an interactive experience where you will discover the unique flavors of traditional tortillas and empanadas with delicious accompaniments of Costa Rican cuisine.