Recently Viewed
Costa Rican Cooking: Traditional Cuisine Class
5.0
69 Ratings
La Fortuna
Immerse yourself in the flavors of Costa Rica with our Pura Vida Cooking Class in La Fortuna. Learn to prepare traditional Costa Rican cuisine and take home new recipes to share with your loved ones.
Immerse yourself in the flavors of Costa Rica with our Pura Vida Cooking Class in La Fortuna. Learn to prepare traditional Costa Rican cuisine and take home new recipes to share with your loved ones.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- La Finquita from Farm to Table - Delight in a culinary journey that showcases the genuine flavors of Costa Rican cuisine at La Finquita Farm, an ecological farm dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices and the responsible use of natural resources. The farm cultivates products like cassava, plantain, sugarcane, corn, and a variety of…
-
La Finquita from Farm to Table - Delight in a culinary journey that showcases the genuine flavors of Costa Rican cuisine at La Finquita Farm, an ecological farm dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices and the responsible use of natural resources. The farm cultivates products like cassava, plantain, sugarcane, corn, and a variety of vegetables, all integral to the experience.
The activity kicks off with a guided tour of the farm, where participants will discover the cultivation process and harvest fresh, seasonal ingredients straight from the garden. These ingredients will later be used to create a traditional recipe: “gallina achiotada,” a classic Costa Rican dish.
During the class, participants will learn to prepare this dish along with handmade tortillas, using techniques handed down through generations. Each step highlights the connection between the land, local traditions, and the authentic flavors of the country.
In the end, participants will savor the fruits of their labor, surrounded by the tranquil rural landscape and the serene ambiance of the farm.
What's Included
- Fresh ingredients to pick up
- Apron
- Fresh ingredients to pick up
- Apron
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
Meal Options
- Yuca Chips
- Gallo Pinto - our traditional breakfast, which is a combination of rice, beans, special sauces, garlic, onions, and diced sweet peppers.
- Patacones
- Annatto Chicken
- Yuca Chips
- Gallo Pinto - our traditional breakfast, which is a combination of rice, beans, special sauces, garlic, onions, and diced sweet peppers.
- Patacones
- Annatto Chicken
Additional Information
To be a good tourist, it’s important to “try and learn to prepare local cuisine.” When visiting a new country, gaining insight into its customs and traditions involves exploring its meals and popular recipes. Our food reflects our culture, so the best way to understand Costa Ricans is by participating in traditional cooking classes. Join us to explore…
To be a good tourist, it’s important to “try and learn to prepare local cuisine.” When visiting a new country, gaining insight into its customs and traditions involves exploring its meals and popular recipes. Our food reflects our culture, so the best way to understand Costa Ricans is by participating in traditional cooking classes. Join us to explore the Costa Rican kitchen. Enjoy this exciting tour that will enable you to bring new recipes home to share with your family and friends.
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know when booking
Location
Jacamar Naturalist Tours
Main Office is located upstairs of Lava Rocks Restaurant, beside La Fortuna Church.
La Fortuna, San Carlos, Alajuela.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(69 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Anthony_j
Feb 17, 2026
Great experience and meal - This class was an overall great experience and awesome atmosphere. Hosts very welcoming and helpful. Great food too!
Review provided by Viator
Chantal
Feb 6, 2026
Unforgettable experience - We enjoyed every minute of this experience. Our guide, remarkable and passionate, gave us excellent information on organic farming. It was a real pleasure to harvest the peppers, celery and coriander that served our meal. The chef then accompanied us with kindness and know-how in the preparation of the dish, making this moment as rewarding as it is delicious.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marylb45
Jan 25, 2026
Great experience! - This was a fantastic experience! The tour company picked us up from our hotel. On the way, they stopped the van so we could see a sloth and her baby! Our tour guide, Marco, had his telescope and showed us. After that, they drove us to the small farm. Marco took us around the property and explained all of the agricultural. He was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We then cooked with Marcella who was very sweet! Marco translated everything while we were cooking as well. The food was delicious! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jo_anns730
Jan 22, 2026
Amazing cooking class - Had a wonderful time during this cooking class! Got a brief tour of the farm (brief due to the rain) and made a delicious and authentic Costa Rican meal! We had a ton of fun learning each step of the process and the instructors were super friendly and kind. Highly recommend as an afternoon activity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traveler10_03_87
Jan 20, 2026
One of Our Favorite Experiences in La Fortuna - We had an amazing time at the Pura Vida Cooking Class in La Fortuna and can’t recommend it enough. From start to finish, the experience felt personal, authentic, and truly “pura vida.”
Our wonderful guides — Nelson, Gilbert, and Jose — made the day both fun and informative. The tour of their mini organic farm was fascinating, and we loved picking fresh peppers and vegetables that we later used in our dishes. It was such a special touch to see exactly where our ingredients came from before cooking with them.
The outdoor kitchen setting was beautiful and relaxed, making the whole experience feel like cooking with friends rather than attending a class. The food turned out absolutely delicious, and we enjoyed learning traditional techniques and recipes we can actually recreate at home.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shari_g
Jan 4, 2026
Great cooking class and farm tour - Marco did a great job making our evening fun and informative! We even got to see a sloth along the side of the road that we would have never seen.
Review provided by Viator
Michel_h
Jan 2, 2026
Great fun in great company - We really enjoyed this experience; the setting (a small farm or large garden) was lovely and the cooking facility was perfect for our small group (an open air structure large enough to feel quite open). We were a couple and the were joined by a family of 6. The guide served as our interpreter with the chef who was a wonderfully warm and excellent chef who led us in our preparations. By the end our meals was one of our best of the trip. A fun and yet instructive tour.
Review provided by Viator
Loretta_t
Dec 28, 2025
Make a tradition meal - It is educational and a lot of fun. Really enjoyed learning about the farm and the ingredients that they grow. The cooking portion was entertaining and hands on. All of the staff were really nice and it was an enjoyable morning. Loved getting an apron as a souvenir.
Review provided by Viator
Dalena_p
Dec 23, 2025
Wonderful time! - We had a great experience! My boys got into the cooking and loved meeting the fellow travelers from other countries! .
Review provided by Viator
Watt_a_gator
Dec 17, 2025
Great Cooking Class!! - My girlfriend and I had an amazing time. We made a Casado (traditional Costa Rican) lunch which turned out very good, so good we ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. During the farm picking portion of the event, we learned a lot about the different spices and veggies they grow. We even saw all kinds of Wild life like turkeys, toucans, and some three toed sloths. The guides were able to set up a telescope and assist with taking pictures of the sloths. They also taught us about the sugar cane plant and we were able to manually extract the sugar water to have some. We originally scheduled for a dinner but plans were moved around due to the weather dependent activities and it got pushed to the morning to make lunch and ended up being just us in the cooking class. Overall would very highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
More activities from this operator
