Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
Various Specialty Chocolate Shops
Photos & Highlights
- Learn about the city's sweet legacy of chocolate and confections
- Led by a chef or culinary expert
Select a date
Tour Description
Delight your taste buds on a 3-hour private Barcelona Chocolate Tour, where Europe’s love affair with cocoa—sparked when Columbus returned to Barcelona with cocoa beans—comes alive. Led by a chef or expert in gastronomy, this delicious tour weaves through the city’s esteemed chocolate makers, offering ample tastings while uncovering the history, culture, and artistry of chocolate making. Discover how chocolate elevates Catalan daily life, shapes its unique cultural identity, and inspires traditional desserts, leaving you with a deep appreciation for this seaside city’s sweet legacy.
"The history of chocolate is particularly fitting for Barcelona, and the diversity of the products was delightful. I never thought I would say this, but even I couldn't eat all that chocolate."
Taste Spanish Chocolate in Barcelona
Beginning at the port of Barcelona, where Christopher Columbus allegedly landed with a fist full of dried cacao beans, we will trace the sweet legacy of chocolate and confections throughout Barcelona’s history. In 1493, Columbus returned to Spain a conquering hero. Along with tales of the rich, plentiful land in the New World, he brought back the dried cacao beans, which had made a dramatic impression upon him in the Americas. While cacao made the Trans-Atlantic crossing, it was Spanish influence that transformed this simple bean into the global sensation that is known as chocolate today. Whereas the Aztecs drank the beverage as a cool, bitter drink flavored with chili peppers, Europeans quickly turned towards warming the chocolate and adding copious amounts of sugar. Chocolate, as it became known, quickly conquered the hearts of the Spanish royal court and their citizens alike. As a result, Barcelona instituted the merienda, similar to English tea. Together, we will head to one of Barcelona's top chocolate cafes to experience merienda and sample some Catalan sweet treats for ourselves.
Hunt for the Best Chocolate in Barcelona
From its quiet beginnings to its global dominance as an affordable luxury item, chocolate has shaped Barcelona’s culinary landscape. Connecting chocolate's past to its present, we will explore the world of modern confections and pastries on our Barcelona chocolate tour. We may sample liquor-filled bonbons, bite into freshly fried churros, or buy chocolate in various places. As we sit down for merienda, we will compare and contrast the differences between Barcelona's ornate Modernista cafes and the humbler granjas. For decades, both types of cafes provided meeting points for artists, dancers, poets, politicians, and everyday people, serving a rich array of delicate pastries and an assortment of sweet and caffeinated drinks. As we taste our treats, we will discuss how chocolate became a beloved ingredient in Catalan cuisine across the city's social classes. Whether you prefer a traditional ensaimada, baked with lard, or favor the bold, new trends of flavors of chocolate mixed with wasabi, Barcelona’s chocolate café culture is still felt every day.
I have a food allergy. Can I take this tour? We can accommodate participants who have food allergies, including those with an allergy to nuts. You must inform us of any relevant food allergies at the time of booking.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible? Some of the shops we visit are small and many will have a step up to access them. The general route may include small streets with narrow sidewalks; please contact us if you have any questions regarding accessibility.
Where You'll Start
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87 Reviews
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Loved Michelle's in-depth knowledge of the topic, and her adorable relationship with vendors. Her enthusiasm for the subject matter - the history, as well as the tastings - was infectious.
Brava!
Sarah
Reviewed on:
Aug 5, 2011
Michelle is super nice and really easy going, and put together a great tour. But, she's not an expert on the subject, and when we asked questions following up on things she discussed she was often at a loss to answer them. Again, she was super nice and the tour is well put together, but that was different than what I expected.
Miranda
Reviewed on:
Jul 27, 2011
Michelle was extremely adaptable, first of all. She hadn't given tours before to children as young as ours (3 and 6) and recognized right away that she would have to simplify. And she did this beautifully! For example, instead of talking in more depth about Columbus's expeditions, she took us to a market to sample some of the flavors that would find themselves into the chocolate. This was a new stop for her on the tour, and it worked brilliantly for us. The girls learned what hazlenuts among others were all about, and were thrilled with the bright colors and fragrant smells of the market. My husband and I got to hear more details while the girls munched bonbons and sipped xocolate, and as an added bonus Michelle knew a lot about the local architecture. We were amazed when she told us she'd only relatively recently moved to Barcelona. She really did a great job.
Mary beth
Reviewed on:
Jul 6, 2011
