We had such an amazing time with Mario. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and made us feel very well taken care of from the first moment he picked us up. The chocolate making was an incredible experience at a lovely family owned cocoa farm (amongst many other things they grow!). We learned a lot and tried some very delicious fruits and chocolates—they also cooked us a fantastic lunch. The city tour around Guayaquil was just as special and interesting. Mario went above and beyond to show us the city he loves and we left wanting to return for more. Very highly recommend this tour with My Trip to Ecuador!

My wife and I were debating whether or not to do this tour with everything that happened in early January in Guayaquil, but we are extremely happy we decided to go. If you are debating whether or not to go, you should go! Mario and his driver Luis picked us up exactly at the arranged time, took us to a beautiful cacao farm called Finca Cumanda about an hour drive out of the city. Rody showed us everything around the farm, fed us some mango straight from the tree. Best mango we’ve ever had in our lives. Got to partake in the making of chocolate from picking the cacao from the tree to the final product. Rody’s family treated us to the best meal we had in Guayaquil - encebollado pescado- a delicious plate of fish and fresh vegetables from the farm. After the farm, got to drive around and tour some of the sites of Guayaquil, ending at a nice lookout spot overlooking the entire city. Mario is genuinely the friendliest tour guide you will ever meet. He clearly cares and wants you to have an incredible experience. One final note on safety. We had concerns in the weeks leading up to the tour and considered cancelling but not only are we glad we didn’t, but at no point were we worried and felt incredibly safe the entire time. Thanks for the memorable tour!

We really enjoyed the trip to the cocoa farm. The information on farming and chocolate was great and making the chocolate was fun. The lunch served was delicious and artfully presented. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area, history and culture. The tour of the city felt like a bonus. Would highly recommended this tour.

Mario was very informative with in depth knowledge of the cocao process. Visiting a family’s plantation was more interesting than a large company’s plantation. The experience is hands on from picking a cocao pod, breaking it open, removing the seeds, then they gave us some dried seeds to roast, peel and put through a grinder which becomes a paste, which you add a percentage of sugar to and any other flavours you want such as salt, lemongrass, raisins, etc. The 3 course lunch was very good too. The walking city tour was also informative with Quayaquils history explained to us. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Had the most insightful and fun experience on this tour. Had an in-depth and hands-on experience at the plantation, and got to try lots of new tropical fruits! Our guide, Tony Escobar, was so great and knowledgeable, he showed us such a great time! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a new and unique experience!

We truly enjoyed the Coco Farm, what a wonderful experience! Our guide Tony Escobar was a delight and very knowledgeable.

If you have one day in Guayaquil I highly recommend this tour. It’s an excellent mix of city and countryside. Mario, our guide, was terrific. He is punctual, knowledgeable, and considerate. He is passionate about the city and ensuring that we had a wonderful experience. Mario’s English is excellent which was great for us since our Spanish is a work in progress. The cocoa farm is picturesque. The tour is entertaining while being very educational. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at the farm. Mario hired a driver so he was able to be fully engaged. Having a driver also made it easier to navigate the city. We hopped in and out at various tourist sites within Guayaquil. All in all, a great experience.

My family of 10 had an amazing time on this tour. We had a day in Guayaquil prior to our Galapagos trip and this tour was the perfect addition to our itinerary. Marco is a passionate, hilarious and knowledgeable guide. He tells a lot of personal stories to really shed light on what life is like living in Ecuador. The cacao farm was incredible - we got to see how cacao is processed from the beginning to the end and we got to participate in many of the active parts of the process from picking the fruit to sucking the fruit off the seeds to roasting the seeds to churning the toasted seeds into cacao to making our own chocolate bars! The lunch was fantastic and we have a picky bunch! In the afternoon, Marco gave us a tour of some highlights of the city - we all loved the iguana park the best. Marco accommodated our request to stop by a market to pick up some souvenirs. Marco was one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had and we’ve been on a LOT of tours. Do yourself a favor and book this excellent tour!

Loved!!! Coco farms beautiful and very interesting. I learned a lot and also enjoyed tasting all of the chocolate. The family that owns the farm is amazingly sweet and accommodating. The city tour was both interesting and beautiful. It is an easy walk around the city. If it all possible, select Tony as your guide, he was wonderful.

A great time in cocoa farm and tour in quayaquil is very pleasant despite the rainy afternoon. Our guide is wonderful!

If you have a full day in Guayaquil, you need to go on this tour. It was one of the highlights of our entire trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Mario is truly the best guide I have ever had the pleasure of meeting! The cocoa farm was an incredible experience- we got to make our own chocolate and then enjoyed a delicious three course lunch. All the ingredients were either grown/raised on the farm or nearby (right down to the sugar for the coffee!). Mario was able to accommodate my food restriction so I could enjoy a delicious meal. We also got to make our own chocolate bars to take home with us. Afterwards, we enjoyed a tour of downtown Guayaquil, including the cathedral, iguana park, and the 444 steps. Mario shared the beautiful history of Ecuador and also provided us with great recommendations of places to eat during our last day in Guayaquil (which we ended up trying and enjoying). Mario us so knowledgeable, kind, and accommodating. I highly HIGHLY recommend this experience!!!

The guide was absolutely great - full of knowledge- could not have been a better tour. Cacaw farm was fun educational and the food exceptional

Mario was beyond MARVELOUS. We had an amazing tour and he customized things on the fly to accommodate our interests. The chocolate farm was the best experience we had so far while being in Guayaquil. We can’t wait to book our next excursion.

I selected this tour based on Mario's reviews and we were not disappointed. The tour was excellent, Mario and his sister were delightful, and we will definitely be using him for future explorations of Ecuador. The cocoa farm was beautiful and making chocolate was very interesting - but honestly that experience was upstaged by the lunch provided by Hacienda Cacao y Mango. Mario was very knowledgeable, courteous, and friendly. His sister was driving, which allowed him to share information and answer questions. After the farm tour, we explored some of Guayaquil and learned some very interesting history and information about the culture. I wanted to tour the hat maker, so we stopped there. We also greatly enjoyed his dinner recommendation. I strongly suggest contacting Mario about any visit to Ecuador.

Fantastic experience! We were looking for something more than a city tour and this trip was perfect! Mario is an expert in agri-tourism and was very knowledgeable about the cocoa farming process. We loved seeing how chocolate is made and leaning about growing and harvesting. We got try our hand at roasting and grinding beans, and made our own chocolate bars to take home. Yum! The farm to table lunch was amazing, and was a true Ecuadorian culinary experience! Delicioso! The tour is far more than a typical hop-on hop-off bus tour and that is why it costs more. While driving Mario told us all about the history of Ecuador. He answered all our questions about education, politics, history etc., and was very friendly and welcoming. In the afternoon he took us to the city highlights and gave a thorough explanation of each location. At the end Mario took the time to walk us past recommended restaurants near our hotel and gave us suggestions for things we could do the next day. We had a wonderful day! Thank you so much Mario!

Had a wonderful day with Mario learning about Ecuador and chocolate. The chocolate farm and process of making chocolate was fascinating. Lunch was delicious. The tour of the town of Guayaquil gave me a feel for the area. I would definitely recommend this, especially as he welcomes single travelers.

This tour was amazing - just like everything else we did with Mario during our stay in Ecuador. The city tour was very exciting: Mario knows Guayaquil like the back of his hand and his personal comments and stories make the information he shares about the city so much more interesting and personable. The cocoa farm we went too was also amazing. The family that owns the farm is super kind and hard-working. Their attention to detail made our tour informative and surreal.

I'd give this tour five stars if it were half the price. It was a fun excursion, but not a great value. In retrospect, I should have shopped around first. This day tour was three times the price of our private day tour in Otavalo (with car/driver) and three times the price of our private day tour in Quito (walking/ no driver). We had both a guide and a driver, which seemed an unnecessary expense. They spent much of the drive talking to each other rather than us. That said... It was fun to see the chocolate farm and the highlights of Guayaquil.

Our Galapagos Islands tour began in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The first day before our flight to the islands we toured the Cocoa Farm with our guide. Before the tour we sampled the "Drink of the Gods" made from the delicious fruit of the cocao pod (chocolate is made from the seeds) and a fried plantain cookie. The plantation guide showed us fruits from the cacao trees, cut them open, and let the group sample the fruits. He also showed us how the trees are grafted for faster fruit production. We enjoyed seeing mango trees, numerous birds, and butterflies. At the end of the tour we sampled chocolate products at the castillo.

Not only was Mario an incredible host, but this tour was a once in a lifetime experience. Mario picked us up from our predetermined location on time, in a clean, air-conditioned vehicle. He also had water bottles available if needed. We made a quick 1 hour drive to the farm, stopping for some fresh fruits along the way. Mario pointed out cool places, plants, and items during the drive while describing the culture in Ecuador. The farm itself was incredible. It was quiet and secluded. Mario was super educational and gave us the opportunity to be very hands-on if we wanted. We had a fantastic lunch, and we definitely recommend paying the extra few dollars for this part! After the farm, Mario took us on a walking tour of Guayaquil, where we learned about the city's history and saw many beautiful buildings. Overall, we had a great time and Mario made our experience in Guayaquil absolutely wonderful! We would highly recommend booking this experience with him! P.S. We heard good things about his cooking class ;)