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Costa Rican Cooking: Traditional Wood-Fired Dinner
5.0
136 Ratings
La Fortuna
With the help of Doña Chela, you will learn about the preparation of traditional Costa Rican dishes with products from the garden and the oldest way in the heat of the wood-fired kitchen.
With the help of Doña Chela, you will learn about the preparation of traditional Costa Rican dishes with products from the garden and the oldest way in the heat of the wood-fired kitchen.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- El Fogón de Chela - You will learn how to prepare a typical recipe with products from the garden and in the style of the grandparents in the wood stove, and then enjoy a dinner in the company of the hosts.
- El Fogón de Chela - You will learn how to prepare a typical recipe with products from the garden and in the style of the grandparents in the wood stove, and then enjoy a dinner in the company of the hosts.
What's Included
-
- Dinner
-
- Dinner
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Private transportation
Meal Options
-
Typical married - Preparation of rice, fried beans, salad, Picadillo and a meat or vegetarian option.
In addition to preparing the webbed tortillas.
-
Typical married - Preparation of rice, fried beans, salad, Picadillo and a meat or vegetarian option.
In addition to preparing the webbed tortillas.
Additional Information
- Not recommended for people who have the flu or cough
- Not recommended for people who have the flu or cough
Location
El Fogón de Chela
From the School of San Francisco, 150 meters South Calle 702 highway to San Ramón.
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
(136 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Missthekeys
Apr 6, 2026
Great experience for anyone! - This was a great experience! Chela's kitchen was wonderful. The atmosphere of her open air restaurant/kitchen was really unique. Each group of guests were able to choose what they wanted to make from Chela's cookbook and then we shared all the cooked food. It was a lot of fun to work with the other guests. Both my 15 and 13 year old enjoyed the experience. And the food was delicious!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angela_r
Mar 29, 2026
A perfect experience... - A perfect experience making authentic Costa Rican food with a wonderful woman-Chela. Was relaxed and fun, got a tour of her garden after we stuffed our bellies so full! Highly recommend for adults/families/kids.
Review provided by Viator
Elizabeth_m
Mar 24, 2026
Great family activity! - Great experience cooking with Chela! Family of 5 with 3 teens. Everyone enjoyed learning to cook traditional Costa Rican food. Immersive tour. Chela is great with the kids. She's super friendly, engaged with everyone as we cooked. Food was delicious! Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Seth_e
Mar 21, 2026
Great and yummy experience! - This was a wonderful experience for our family (ages from 5 to 75). We had fun preparing the meal and everything was delicious. There was even an impromptu dance party that broke out! Chela is a fantastic host and teacher, and has a special ability with the kids. This was a highlight of our trip for sure!
Review provided by Viator
Meagan_b
Feb 22, 2026
A Highlight of Our Vacation - Our family visited Costa Rica for two weeks, and cooking with Chela was easily one of our favorite things we did. She is so warm and inviting and made everyone feel at ease. It was so fun to pick what we wanted to cook, and then use the fresh ingredients to make dinner. We all had a blast and the food was delicious!! It was our favorite meal we had in our two weeks there. She will send any leftovers home with you to eat later as well. If you’re in the area, make sure to book this experience. You won’t regret it!
Review provided by Viator
Jackie
Feb 3, 2026
3 Canadian friends - Amazing cultural experience! A fun time cooking delicious food and meeting lovely people. Everyone at el Fogon de Chela were very friendly, helpful and welcoming. The team were amazing ambassadors for the area! Thank you very much from Canada!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marjid2019
Jan 21, 2026
Fun and unique experience! - My daughter and I wanted to take a cooking class while vacationing in Costa Rica, and we were lucky enough to get a private experience on Christmas Day! We were thrilled that they accommodated us on a holiday. We got to pick out several dishes to cook, and she walked us through each step as we cut vegetables and cooked delicious meals. Afterwards we ate, and there was enough leftovers to feed 4 of us for dinner that night.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_w
Jan 15, 2026
Chela’s place was... - Chela’s place was incredible and we made one of the best meals I’ve ever had! We made gallo pinto, cerdo, patacones, arroz con pollo, and more. It was a lovely and unique experience and she was amazing.
Review provided by Viator
Jillkg1084jy
Jan 2, 2026
MUST DO! - This is a must do when in CR! Chela is so gracious and passionate about local cuisine and enthusiastically shares her grandmother’s recipes. We went with our 17 year old son and all agreed it was a highlight of our trip—not to mention a delicious meal!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erica_w
Dec 22, 2025
Must do in Costa Rica!! - My favorite thing we did on our trip! If you have the opportunity to do this cooking class, you must! Learned a lot and was such a treat getting to chat with Chela. Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Viator