Costa Rica once again earns a place on the world map of fine cacao. On September 23, 2025, in Rome, Italy, the organizers of the international “Cacao of Excellence 2025” competition announced this year’s 50 best cacaos, one of which is produced by Hacienda Dos Lagunas, located in Siquirres, Limón.
This farm’s lot was selected to represent the country globally, along with four other samples from other cacao-growing regions in the country. 191 samples from 45 countries participated in this stage, all of which underwent rigorous physical and sensory evaluations, following standardized protocols and a blind tasting process to ensure impartiality.
Hacienda Dos Lagunas’ cacao will advance to the next phase in December 2025, when it will be processed into dark chocolate and blindly evaluated by an international panel of cacao and chocolate experts.
This process will determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Cacao of Excellence Awards, which will be announced on February 20, 2026. The Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Fernando Vargas Pérez, highlighted the importance of this award for the international positioning of Costa Rican cacao:
Potential of our cacao-growing regions
This recognition not only honors the efforts of producing families, but also validates the potential of our cacao-growing regions. From the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, we will continue to support our cacao with concrete policies and actions that promote quality, innovation, and access to differentiated markets.
National Cacao
Hacienda Dos Lagunas is located in the Caribbean region. According to the judges who selected the participating national samples: The beans from this farm display high sensory complexity, elegant, silky, creamy, and well-balanced.
It stands out for its intense floral notes reminiscent of roses, combined with the acidity of red and dark fruits, especially plums, cherries, black grapes, and raisins.
This type of distinction offers farmers international visibility, access to new markets, and the opportunity to establish links with manufacturers and buyers who value the excellence of single-origin cocoa.
Costa Rican beans are classified as 100% fine for export, according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) (2019). You can find the complete list at the following link: https://www.cacaoofexcellence.org/2025-awards/2025-best-50
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