Price Range: $60pp
Duration: 2.5 hours
Departure Time: 9am or 1pm
This tour is a gentle walk through the plantation and is hands-on with sensory stops along the winding "epiphyte trail". Our "Flavors of the World" tasting is an assortment of gourmet vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate treats prepared by our pastry chef at our expansive viewpoint. We are by design, an educational tour. The tours start at the post-harvest warehouse where we dry, process, and package our spices and explain their ancient origins, history and properties. Then you'll take a gentle walk through the plantation on our "Epiphyte Trail" (air plants), a winding garden path where you will experience the sights, tastes, aromas, and flavors of tropical spices, essential oil plants, tropical flowering plants and rock gardens. You will then pass the fish pond on your way to the Punta Mira Viewpoint, where in addition to the view, you will experience Villa Vanilla's "Flavors of the World Tasting" - an assortment of gourmet chocolate, vanilla & Ceylon cinnamon spice treats prepared by our pastry chef. The last stop is our now famous Spice Shoppe, where you can stock up on vanilla beans and extract, True Ceylon cinnamon, cocoa nibs, black & white peppers, cardamom, allspice, red turmeric, ginger and other spices for use in your kitchen or as gifts.
We provide a unique "foodie" experience with a major focus on sustainability. As proponents of sustainable development we are also proud to demonstrate the cultural practices we apply on our plantation that has been certified organic since 1992 and Demeter/biodynamic since 2000. Demeter is the oldest and most respected certifier of sustainable agriculture - since 1935.