La Paz hosted its annual chocolate and artisan food festival in early February 2026, The event drew cacao producers from across Baja California Sur to the waterfront malecón. It featured tastings, workshops, and direct sales. Specifically, more than two dozen vendors showcased BCS-grown cacao products. These included traditional sweets, moles, and drinking chocolates made from beans cultivated in the Cape Region’s microclimates near Santiago, El Triunfo, and the Sierra de la Laguna foothills.
Among the standout producers was Cacao Baja Sur. This cooperative of small-farm growers has been experimenting with criollo and trinitario cacao varieties. These are adapted to the arid subtropical conditions of southern Baja. Their single-origin dark chocolate bars, priced between 120 and 180 pesos ($6.75 to $10.00 USD), sold out by midday Saturday. Additionally, vendors from Todos Santos offered chocolate-dipped pitahaya fruit. A La Paz-based roaster also demonstrated stone-ground chocolate preparation using traditional metate techniques.
Growing the BCS Cacao Industry
Baja California Sur’s cacao sector remains small compared to Tabasco and Chiapas. However, local growers say the peninsula’s unique terroir gives their beans a distinctive flavor profile This appeals to craft chocolate makers in both Mexico and the United States. Furthermore, SADER-BCS has been providing technical assistance to roughly 15 small-scale cacao farms in the Cape Region, with the goal of expanding planted acreage from approximately 20 hectares to 50 hectares by 2028. Visitors interested in touring cacao farms can arrange visits through the La Paz tourism office at the malecón kiosk or by contacting the BCS agricultural fair office at (612) 122-5939. The next major artisan food event in La Paz is scheduled for the Festival del Tamal in early 2027.
