Other than staying at Club Sapphire Beach Club and relaxing for the next week we made sure to take in some of the nearby sights. Even though we’ve been here before it’s a great place to walk around and find local eateries and bars to spend some time in. Like any city, restaurants come and go. New spaces open up and there is always a new place to discover. As we walked down El Malecon we discovered a Choco Museo, or a Chocolate Museum!

But First, A Small Trip Report

This time around I decided I was going on a sunset beach run every evening. The sunsets are beautiful. The golds and pinks melt together beautifully. I was a little self-conscious running on the beach considering it’s a gay beach but I did anyways.

The next few days we went to a few local gay bars. We had a couple of drinks at Swede’s and some at Bar Anonimo and a gay cabaret bar who’s name escapes me at the moment. We even went to Blue Chairs and had a drink on their roof top. This gay bar was hopping when we arrived. However, the crowd seemed very young and messy. Needless to say we had a gay old time.

During the day we lunched at Club Sapphire. We had an assortment of delicious dishes from their menu. I had a burger at one point, but loved their chilaquiles. Their french toast or loaf as they called it is amazing. I made sure to always wash everything down with fresh cups of coffee.

During lunch and dinner we went for a walk and ate at local restaurants. We always checked out the scene first. Sometimes it was too touristy, but our belly’s didn’t care about that.

We walked up and down the Boardwalk several times. We looked at the art and sculptures. At one point we found a pool about a mile out from this section of town to swim laps. Although it was far, we managed to walk back and get a couple of steps in as part of our workout.

The Chocolate Museum or El Choco Museo

On the way back from our swim workout, we stumbled back onto El Malecon (the boardwalk). As we walked we spotted something called Choco Museo… Or Museum of Chocolate. The museum is actually one street in from the boardwalk and if you’re not looking down the street you might miss it.

We stop since I am accompanied by a chocoholic, in the real sense of the word, and decide to see what it was all about.

As we approached we saw a sign that read “Chocolate Cafe upstairs.” This sent my partner into a frenzy. He could not believe he just read that. We enter and head straight to the third floor. Forget the museum part. Lets get to the good stuff.

I have to be completely honest here. I don’t like chocolate or sweets. It’s all just okay. I don’t seek it out because it’s not something I like as much as others. My partner on the other hand eats chocolate before bedtime or he can’t asleep. Can anyone say addiction?

We order a chocolate crepe to share and I get a chocolate smoothie. Considering they make everything from scratch and only have two employees, the service was slower than you would think. In fact, I thought they forgot about us at one point.

Several minutes later, they bring us a delicious chocolate crepe and a chocolate smoothie. They are both delicious. After I chug my smoothie and scarf down my half of the crepe we decide this place is actually worth our time.

We head downstairs to check out what the museum portion is all about. There is a lot of

interesting historical facts about chocolate. Lots of facts that we’ve all heard about but never take the time to research and truly understand.

They have a fake chocolate tree, with pods that look like a dry fruit of some sort. Around the tree, there are several scenarios sculpted out. A Mayan grinding the fruit and turning the seeds into powdered chocolate. From here the cacao is sweetened and turned into the many forms we eat today. It is all extremely fascinating to watch and learn about. The Mayans, who discovered chocolate have an amazing history. It’s always fascinating to learn more.

After soaking up some historical info we go to the first floor. Here they have an assortment of white chocolate bars, dark chocolate cream, milk chocolate powder and everything in between. The owner gave us a shot of a chocolate drink she’s currently working on. It’s delicious. You can see their workstation in the back. The place also smells sooo good.

At this point, we decide we can’t leave without supporting this incredible place. Especially a small business trying hard to make it. The employees are all very nice and the owners look grateful to have anyone buy their product. We buy several bars of chocolate and a few assorted boxes. Happy with our purchases, we depart.

The Choco Museo is worth anyones time, whether you’re a chocolate hater like me, or a total addict, put this on your list of things to do!

Location of the Choco Museo

You can find the Choco Museo at Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, 128 Centro Malecon, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico.

Let Me Break It Down For You

Walking down the boardwalk or El Malecon gives you a great perspective on whats around Puerto Vallarta. There are many touristy places on the boardwalk. However, there’s also a lot of great art, sculptures, street performers, and parties as well. Aside from how picturesque it is you can also find great restaurants, some touristy and non-touristy gems that will make this trip worthwhile.

On the other hand, stop at the Choco Museo for a great educational and delicious experience. I highly recommend it. The also have workshops on how to make your own chocolate bars and such.

Check out their website for more info https://www.chocomuseo.com/puerto-vallarta/ but most importantly go check them out, they’re worth supporting and definitely worth putting on your itinerary.