Cassandra F.
Guide was very knowledgeable. The small group was perfect. Tasting and smelling so many spices was amazing.
Costa Rica · Your next adventure
Villa Vanilla and Rainforest Spices
Your experience
Good to Know
Embark on a half-day sensory expedition to Villa Vanilla, a renowned biodynamic spice plantation in Manuel Antonio. This immersive tour guides you along the "Epiphyte Trail," inviting you to touch, smell, and taste exotic spices like vanilla, Ceylon cinnamon, and cocoa while learning about sustainable organic practices. The experience culminates at the "Flavors of the World" viewpoint, where you'll savor a gourmet tasting of farm-fresh treats, including their celebrated vanilla bean cheesecake. Round-trip transportation and a knowledgeable bilingual guide are included, promising an unforgettable culinary adventure.
About the tour
Prepare for sensory overload with this half-day vanilla and spice and everything nice tour! Discover the origin and ancient history as well as traditional uses of the world’s most loved spices: vanilla, Ceylon cinnamon, cocoa, allspice, turmeric, cardamom, black and white pepper, to name a few.
Located in the Pacific rain forest overlooking the beautiful Manuel Antonio beach, this certified organic and Demeter biodynamic farm takes great pride in bringing you to the best spices Nature has to offer. In addition to spice, you will be introduced to how a wide variety of essential oil and medicinal plants are cultivated.
Hand pollinated vanilla orchids abound and, if it is pollinating season, visitors learn to fertilize the vanilla flowers themselves by hand. The major crop of this plantation is vanilla, a native to Central America, but many other native aromatic spices and exotic tropical fruits are grown here as well which you will be encouraged to taste, touch and smell.
Your bilingual tour guide will begin at the warehouse where spices are dried and packaged after being harvested. You will then amble along the sensory Rock Garden Trail with its array of pungent bromeliads, tillandsias and epiphytes landscaping a fish pond until you reach a stunning view of the Pacific coast.
In this lovely spot you will learn how to use the many spices grown on this farm as the pastry chef prepares a delicious sampling of gourmet treats and drinks created especially for you. In one review of this tour it was described as “the best foodie tour in Costa Rica.”
Your final stop will be to visit the Spice Shoppe, a famous destination for chefs and visitors alike to buy naturally grown and processed spices, vanilla beans, extract and the highly prized Ceylon cinnamon.
Included roundtrip transportation provided from Manuel Antonio.
What to Bring
Please bring comfortable clothes and shoes, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
Includes
Transportation, bilingual guide, spice and chocolate tasting.
Restrictions
This tour is not available on Sundays
Location and Availability
Available in: Manuel Antonio
Tour space is generally available when requested more than two days in advance and remains subject to confirmation.
Tour Times
09:00, 13:00, Saturdays 9:00 only
Tour Type
- Nature
- Learning/Family
Explore the location on the map
Location
Latitude: N 9° 28' 21.47" (9.47263)
Longitude: W 84° 3' 26.21" (-84.057281)
Recent Reviews
Overall
96%
Expectations
96%
Experience
96%
Guides
96%
Logistics
96%
Value
96%
Barbara G.
Nice to experience some of the spices in a beverage, ice cream and chocolate drink. This also was educational and guide knowledgable.
Geraldine C.
learned a lot.
Pat N.
Wonderful tour with a very nice and knowledgeable guide. Got to smell and taste multiple spices through different experiences. The sit down snack in the forest with 3 small courses of drinks and edibles made with the different spices was extra special.
Suzanne C.
Amazing tour. Learned so much and host very accommodating.
Valerie C.
An excellent tour, knowledgeable guide and a great tasting experience. We really enjoyed this and would thoroughly recommend to others. Marked this down slightly due only to the poor quality of the vehicle that took us to Villa Vanilla which was old but importantly some of the seats had no seat belts and the air con wasn't very effective. The return vehicle was different and of good quality.
Lisa C.
Absolutely LOVED this tour! Learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the tasty drinks and treats made from farm products. Highly recommend! Our guide gave us his recipe for gallo pinto!
Lauren R.
I want to work there! :D
Anne S.
It would up being a private tour because a group canceled. They sent someone who works in the office to pick us up. We enjoyed the tour and tasting spices right off the trees and vines. Pepper was awesome. Then a beautiful lookout where we enjoyed delicious tea and the drink of the gods, and baked goods they made with their spices. Informative and delicious experience.
Pamela E.
This was a very interesting tour. Our guide was excellent and we learned alot about spices grown in Costa Rica.
Stephen S.
Hank made this visit very enjoyable. We were very happy to experience the natural wonders of this organic farm.
Samantha S.
This was an absolutely lovely experience. Quiet, picturesque, informative, and tasty! This was the hottest day of our vacation, and the tour guide was so attentive to that. Thanks!
Janine T.
This ended up being a private tour. Giselle, our guide, was knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting.
The tasting was really great - I hadn't expected such a high standard and range of items. A real Foodie experience.
Kenneth T.
Really interesting, unusaul trip. Great guide
Janei J.
The guide was knowledgeable about the spices, plants, and fruits on the farm. The tasting was delicious (cheese cake, ice cream, cinnamon tea).
Alice L.
Did not expect such a nice tour - learned a lot about the spices and vanilla as well as chocolate- excellent food and refreshments
Deb R.
Enjoyed the tour immensely, learned a lot. Would highly recommend it.
Stephanie V.
Best tour on our trip.
Jerilyn W.
Actually, on this tour, I learned soooooo much about spices etc... I had no idea. Loved it.
Bre G.
Don't expect to much in depth knowledge from here. I thought we would learn more about the different spices but it was more like a gentle hike with commentary. The ending tasting in the treehouse was nice but extremely sweet. I didn't realize that everything that we had to taste would be sweet and was unable to eat more than half of it.
Dee D.
This was a great tour. The only complaint is all of the sweets at the tasting, it would have been fun to try some items in a different way not just the sugar and vanilla in 5 different ways.
This tour was not what I expected. It was not worth the price. However, the tour was conducted by the owner and he was knowledgeable and friendly. I appreciated the taste testing at the end of the tour.
This tour was AWESOME! The beauty was breath-taking and the knowledge we gained not only about vanilla but the many other spices was great. The end of the tour, with the snacks and the view are really without compare. It was great. The kids loved the swing. We brought home some spices--I wish I had brought home twice as much. Love the tea!
Before you go
Frequently Asked Questions
What unique spices and plants will I encounter at Villa Vanilla?
At Villa Vanilla, you will discover a diverse array of exotic spices and plants, including vanilla, Ceylon cinnamon, cocoa, allspice, turmeric, cardamom, and black and white pepper. The tour also introduces you to various essential oil and medicinal plants cultivated on this certified organic and Demeter biodynamic farm.
What kind of tasting experience is included in the Villa Vanilla tour?
The tour culminates in a gourmet tasting at the "Flavors of the World" viewpoint, where a pastry chef prepares delicious samples of treats and drinks made with the farm's spices. Highlights often include their legendary vanilla bean cheesecake and spiced cookies.
Are transportation and a guide provided for the Villa Vanilla tour?
Yes, the Villa Vanilla tour includes convenient round-trip transportation from Manuel Antonio. A bilingual expert guide accompanies you throughout the experience, explaining the sustainable practices and fascinating history of the spices.
What are the available start times and restrictions for the Villa Vanilla tour?
The Villa Vanilla tour typically offers start times at 09:00 and 13:00. On Saturdays, only the 09:00 start time is available. Please note that this tour is not offered on Sundays.
The people behind your vacation
Personal service from Pacific Trade Winds
- Highly trained Costa Rica vacation specialists
- Personal customer service and concierge services at the highest level
- TripAdvisor Hall of Fame recognition for service
- Ranked #1 in its TripAdvisor category
Make this tour part of your Costa Rica vacation
Request a vacation package including Villa Vanilla and Rainforest Spices.
Related Costa Rica Travel Planning
- Explore Manuel Antonio ToursBrowse the established tour guide for Manuel Antonio.
- Explore Manuel Antonio HotelsBrowse the established hotel guide for Manuel Antonio.
- Explore Manuel AntonioRead the destination guide for Manuel Antonio.
- Explore Manuel AntonioRead the destination guide for Manuel Antonio.
- Plan around Costa Rica weatherCheck seasonal patterns before choosing travel dates and activities.
- Explore Costa Rica vacation packagesExplore vacation styles and itineraries for your Costa Rica trip.
- Plan a custom Costa Rica vacationTell Pacific Trade Winds what you would like to include in your vacation.