Cacao Festival with TIDE Tours on Saturday, May 22nd

Guided kayaking trip in front of Punta Gorda. The lunching site will be right in front of the Cacao Fest Fair in Punta Gorda town. We will paddle in front of town to have a look on PG from the Caribbean Sea and then we will continue south along the mangrove to find birds and other wild life. The tour will take and hour.

Start times: 9:00am - 10:30am - 12:00pm - 1:30pm
The price is US$7.00 per person
Price will include kayak, life jacket and guide.

Cacao Festival with TIDE Tours on Sunday, May 23rd

Cyrilla Chocolate Factory Tour

Learn all about the cacao on a real cacao farm! You will begin the day with a tour of Cyrila Chocolate Factory in San Filipe Village. Here, you will experience traditional Mayan Chocolate making. You will learn how the cacao tree is grown as well as how the cacao beans are turned into the delicious chocolate while sampling a few of the sweets. During your visit you will learn how Cyrila and Abelina make chocolate from scratch on a matate (grinding stone) made of volcanic rock. You will help them crack and winnow the beans, grind in local allspice, sugar, and vanilla, and sample your completed work. You also will be served traditional Mayan lunch (Caldo) at the Cyrilas place.

After Lunch we will go Lubaantun Archeological Site to watch Monkey Dance & Three Kings Performance

2:00 p.m. Monkey Dance
The Monkey Dance is a Maya dance, and a tradition that goes far back in time. The dance will be performed by the villagers of San Jose for the first time in over 20 years. While some say that it can be performed to influence the outcome of the corn harvest, it is the depiction of a Maya legend concerning a great flood and how monkeys were created.

4:00 p.m. Three Kings Performance
The day ends with a very special live performance by the “Three Kings of Belize,” along with Carlos Perotte. The Three Kings consisting of Toledo’s own Florencio Mes and Paul Nabor in addition to Wilfred Peters from Belize District are the stars of the newly released DVD which shares moments from their daily lives in Belize, and a offers a glimpse of three very different cultures, whilst the musicians quietly battle to preserve their musical heritage. This concert that can’t be missed!
Price for the tour is US$80 per person
Includes entrance fees, lunch, guide and transportation.

For more information about Cacao Festival 2010 please visit Toledo Cacao Festival official pages.