If you are a chocolate fan, eating delicious truffles, fudge and bonbons should be part of any vacation. But why stop there? Take a tour of a factory to learn how bars are made, indulge in a chocolate-based spa treatment and attend a sacred cacao ceremony. Here are seven ways to incorporate confections into your getaway.
Attend a cacao ceremony at W Punta de Mita, Mexico
The cacao ceremony at W Punta de Mita honors the area’s past
(Image credit: W Punta Mita)
At the blissful W Punta de Mita in Riviera Nayarit, guests can take part in a cacao ceremony, an ancient ritual “honoring the Mayan ancestors of the region,” said Forbes. Cacao beans were sacred to the Maya, with chocolate considered food for the gods, and this ritual is meant to stir “self-reflection and spiritual awakenings.”
Led by a shaman, the ceremony takes place outside the hotel on the white sand beach, with participants drinking the cacao before relaxing with a sound bath meditation. The experience leaves guests energized and renewed.
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Chocolate Laboratory at Jade Mountain Resort, St. Lucia
Guests can take home with them chocolate made from beans grown at Jade Mountain Resort
(Image credit: Jade Mountain Resort)
Chocolate is part of St. Lucia’s culture, and has been since the first cocoa trees were planted here during the early 1700s. At the luxe Jade Mountain Resort, guests can learn more about the island’s sweet side while visiting the Chocolate Laboratory. There are over 2,000 cocoa trees at the property and its sister estate, and at the lab, guests can taste the “incredible” chocolates made from those beans, said Food & Wine.
Other interactive activities include truffle making and tempering chocolate. Book the Chocolate Alchemy package for extras like a chocolate-infused spa treatment and excursion to the resort’s Emerald Cocoa Estate.
Cacao-centered spa day at Rancho La Puerta, Mexico
Chocolate is made in-house at Rancho La Puerta
(Image credit: Rancho La Puerta)
Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort spanning 4,000 acres only an hour’s drive from San Diego, is a “special place,” said Travel and Leisure, and the magazine’s readers have named it “one of the best destination spas in the world” for 10 consecutive years. The legendary spa offers a native-inspired Xocolatl Skin Replenishment treatment that uses nourishing, antioxidant-rich cacao butter and sugar to soften the skin, followed by a body mask and massage using cacao-infused products. This treatment is reason enough to grab your passport and book a stay.
Lindt Home of Chocolate, Switzerland
The centerpiece of the Lindt Home of Chocolate lobby is a massive chocolate fountain
This “shrine to sweets” also happens to be one of Zurich’s “most impressive contemporary buildings,” said The Sydney Morning Herald. The museum is dedicated to telling the story of chocolate, from its global origins to how it became a vital part of Swiss culture. Visitors can also make their own chocolate during workshops led by Lindt master chocolatiers, pick up souvenirs in the world’s largest Lindt shop and see a 30-foot chocolate fountain.
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Hot chocolate from Park Terrace Hotel, New York City
Park Terrace Hotel is ensuring guests stay warm with hot chocolate
(Image credit: Tara Moore / Getty Images)
Walking around New York City, seeing the sights with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, is one of the best ways to spend a winter trip in the Big Apple. At the inviting Park Terrace Hotel, the Cocoa + Go perk lets guests grab an insulated mug of hot chocolate from local favorite Chocolat Moderne, so they can have a nice, warm beverage at all times.
Park Terrace is right by Bryant Park, so you’ll be “right in the midst of all the typical NYC action,” said Time Out. The hot cocoa will fuel your walk to Rockefeller Center to see the giant Christmas tree and the sparkling storefronts of Fifth Avenue.
Hershey’s Chocolate World, Pennsylvania
All the classic Hershey candies are represented at Hershey’s Chocolate World
(Image credit: Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg / Getty Images)
The candy epicenter of the U.S. is Hershey, Pennsylvania, home of the Hershey Company and Hershey’s Chocolate World. Here, visitors can take a ride through the chocolate factory to learn about the manufacturing process; create their own candy bar; go on a chocolate tasting journey during the interactive Hershey’s Unwrapped show; and take a trolley ride around town. Taking a stroll around the nearby Hershey Gardens is a sweet way to end the day.
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
