100% Single-Origin
Maya Mountain, Belize
Ceremonial-grade-Cacao | From Mopan and Q’eqchi Maya Family Farmers
Flavour & Ritual Profile
Sensory Notes: Sweet Fruits | Creamy | Nutty
Energetic Profile: High Vibrational | Soothing | Loving | Heart-Opening
Origin
Maya Mountains, Toledo District, Southern Belize
The Hands
Around 400 Mopan & Q’eqchi’ Maya family farmers
Harvest
January to June, and October to November
genetics
Native Criollo, designated Heirloom cacao
Ceremonial & Organic
100% pure ceremonial-grade, ethically sourced
Flavour
Sweet fruits, creamy, nutty
BELIZE
MAYA MOUNTAIN
Our cacao from Belize is sourced from approximately 400 Indigenous Maya family farmers, representing two Maya nations: Mopan and Q’eqchi. These farmers are located in the Maya Mountains, the least developed and most rural region of Belize. Here, the ancient native criollo variety of cacao thrives naturally on sacred lands, where 100% pure ceremonial-grade cacao has been farmed for generations.
The cacao tree is considered sacred by the Maya and is locally known as “Cucu” in the Q’eqchi Nation. Cacao flourishes in the rich biodiversity of the Maya Mountains, growing harmoniously alongside banana, avocado, coconut, cashew, and vanilla trees. When a new cacao tree is planted, a ceremony is held, during which the local spiritual leader seeks permission from the energies of existence for the prosperity and abundance of high-quality cacao beans.
The harvest season spans from January to June, and again around October and November, when temperatures are cooler. Freshly harvested, unfermented cacao beans are collected by a 100% Belizean Maya team and taken to the centralized fermentation center in the Toledo District. The beans undergo a careful three-stage sun-drying process, after which they are hand-sorted to ensure the highest quality and flavour consistency.
Maya Mountain Cacao is a social enterprise run by a small, dedicated Belizean Maya team. It was the first of its kind in the country to purchase unfermented cacao directly from indigenous family farmers. The team focuses on quality at every stage, starting from the raw beans through fermentation and drying. This commitment enables them to pay farmers significantly more than the local market rate, providing consistent and fair compensation throughout the year. The enterprise aims to support the flourishing of Maya communities, empower women farmers toward financial independence, and create a positive environmental and social impact in the underdeveloped southern region of Belize.
Sustainably grown Regenerative Cacao farming
Ethically Sourced From High-Biodiverse lands
BELIZE
The Hands That Tend Her
Meet the Mopan and Q’eqchi’ Maya families who grow this sacred cacao in the Maya Mountains.
The Faces of Maya Mountain
Moments from the villages, farms, and hands of southern Belize.
Criollo & HEIRLOOM
Criollo cacao is an heirloom variety, often referred to as the “Queen of Cacao” and only makes up around 5% of the world’s cacao production. Heirloom cacao beans are truly the diamonds of the cacao tree, producing the finest and best of the best of the world’s cacao. For cacao to be designated Heirloom they have to be endowed with a combination of historic, cultural, botanical, geographical and flavour value. In 2015 Maya Mountain cacao was designated Heirloom Cacao by the Heirloom Preservation Project (HCP) for a set of farms in the villages of San Antonio, Santa Elena, and Pueblo Viejo, in the Toledo District of Belize. It also has the distinction of being one of the top 20 cacaos in the world!
CEREMONIAL GRADE CACAO
Ceremonial cacao holds significant importance for the Maya people, who honour it as a sacred plant gifted to humanity to enrich our spirit and essence.
Considered a symbol of life and fertility, cacao nurtures physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, providing nourishment throughout the human development journey. With gratitude to Mother Earth for her sustenance and reverence for the cosmos, ceremonial cacao has long connected the Maya to the divine and the energies that enable our existence.
In their sacred rituals, cacao was first offered back to the Earth as a way to give thanks to our great mother. It was then consumed as a sacred drink to deepen the connection to the heart, foster unity with ancestors, and strengthen bonds with the cosmos.
For the Maya, cacao is also a powerful plant for healing, helping to create and strengthen social and communal ties - a tradition that continues to this day.
With the same love and respect, ceremonial cacao is shared in communities and offered during ceremonies to honour the energies of creation. It serves as a sacred bridge between humanity, nature, and the divine.
With every cup, ceremonial cacao opens the heart chakra, inviting you to connect more deeply with your true essence and the loving forces of the universe. It empowers self-love, one sip at a time.
Read more about our Cacao Ceremonies.
Bring Maya Mountain Home
THE LAND
Maya Mountains, Southern Belize
Toledo District, one of the most biodiverse and wild corners of Central America, where she grows in harmony with the forest.
Questions about Maya Mountain Cacao
She is grown in the Maya Mountains of the Toledo District in southern Belize, one of the most biodiverse and least developed regions of the country. Here the native Criollo variety has thrived on sacred land for generations.
Around 400 Indigenous Maya family farmers from two nations, Mopan and Q’eqchi’. Their cacao is gathered by a fully Belizean Maya team through Maya Mountain Cacao, a social enterprise that pays farmers well above the local market rate, all year round.
Sweet fruits, creamy and nutty. Her energy is soothing, loving and heart-opening, a gentle cacao that invites you to soften and rest.
Yes. This is 100% pure, ceremonial-grade cacao, grown regeneratively on high-biodiversity land. In 2015 Maya Mountain cacao was recognised as Heirloom cacao and named among the top 20 cacaos in the world.
Harvested from January to June and again in October and November, the fresh beans travel to a central fermentation centre in the Toledo District. They are sun-dried in three careful stages and hand-sorted, so every batch is traceable back to the farms that grew her.
Explore Our Other Origins
Each origin carries her own spirit. Discover Lachua, Guatemala and Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, or return to our cacao origins overview.
With Love & Reciprocity
We pay a direct and fair premium above market value to honour the craftsmanship of these indigenous farming families, supporting the continuation of this sacred lineage of cacao. With sourcing supported by our trusted partners who work directly at the farm-gate, every step of this journey is guided by integrity, reciprocity, and reverence. Even when we are not physically present, our partners serve as guardians of our shared values.
Cultivated by families whose lives intertwine with the spirit of the land, our cacao holds the essence of community, resilience, and the hope of a future rooted in respect, for Earth, for culture, and for one another.
Every sip is an invitation. A remembrance. A reconnection to your own sacred journey.
With gratitude to the energies of Mother Earth and the loving hands that tend this gift, we welcome you into ceremony.