Costa Rica Tours, Ltd.

TROPICAL COOKING SCHOOL
& TOUR IN COSTA RICA

Open up to the tastes of the Tropics!

 The Only Cooking Tour in Costa Rica
 Specially Designed for Culinary Students & Alumni

ACF Certified for 12 Continuing Education Hours

Interest in cuisines from Latin America is growing as American tastes are becoming more international and exotic tropical fruits and vegetables unique to this region become available.

The Tropical Cooking School & Tour will provide you with the knowledge of traditional recipes and cooking techniques needed for adding authentic Latin American cuisine to your repertoire. You will get acquainted with the Tropics, the “Ticos” (Costa Ricans), and their Way of Life while you are immersed in their Way of Cooking.

You will have lessons on three styles of “Tico” cuisine by local instructors with ample opportunity for hands-on participation.  On field trips, you will visit local markets, farms and restaurants to see the cultivation and processing of local crops. Your program will be enriched by sports, nature, and cultural activities, many of which are only possible through our Tropical Cooking School.  

Tour Highlights: 

• Three Tico cooking lessons: Highland Cooking, African-Caribbean, Tropical Fusion  

• Hands-on cheese making lesson at a local organic farm

• Hands-on lesson in turning raw cocoa beans into chocolate (For more details..)

• Hands-on lesson in making several types of tortillas

• Tour of local coffee plantation to learn how coffee is grown and processed

• Tour of tropical fruit tree collection at world renowned CATIE research center

• Guayabo National Monument: rainforest hike to Costa Rica's most significant archaeological site

• Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure Park: nature exhibits & Canopy (zipline) tour

• Basilica de los Angeles in Cartago

• Folk dances by local school children           

Optional tour extension can include:

• White Water Rafting
• Behind the scenes tour and discussion of running a lodge
• Soccer game with a local team or a party with students of CATIE
• Community service activity
• Tour of Irazu Volcano
• City Tour of San Jose with visits to museums and craft shops

What our passengers have said about their Tropical Cooking School & Tour experience:

"This trip was educational, and fun. I walk away happy and feeling fulfilled in my trip." (Tiffany Derry)

"It was a great trip. I could not have asked for anything more. You had everything planned to a T. We did so much it was all so fun. I could not decide what was the best." (Alex Guzman)

 "The tour and guides were great, the energy they showed to everyone was outstanding. They thought of everyone, and made you feel welcomed." (Matthew Crowe) 

"I liked that we did lots of fun things that I have never done before.  I would definitely do another trip."  (Carol Treece)  

"Words cannot describe how thankful I am for the opportunity to be on this trip.  It was very well organized and executed. I had the time of my life, learned way more than I thought, and gathered memories of a lifetime.  I can't thank everyone enough, thank you for all your hard work." (Emily Bair)