Almost no cacao grows around the capital, but almost all of Panama’s chocolate is made here. Oro Moreno, the pioneer bean-to-bar brand, Bocao, Sagrado Cacao’s I Love Panama Chocolate and, since October 2026, Toño’s Factory in Corozal all roast, grind and temper Bocas beans in the city and sell them in Casco Viejo, the airport and supermarkets. The Pacific-side provinces of Panamá Oeste and Coclé have a few experimental plots in the wetter foothills around Capira and El Valle, and they appear in MIDA’s planting plans, but for a visitor this is the region to taste, compare and buy, not to harvest.
What to know
- Oro Moreno (founded 2013) is generally credited as Panama’s first bean-to-bar maker.
- Bocao (2018) sources from indigenous farming communities in Bocas and crafts in the city.
- Toño’s Factory in Corozal combines a coffee plant, a bean-to-bar workshop and a café.
- Casco Viejo chocolate shops are the easiest place to taste several Panamanian origins side by side.
Visiting
Walk Casco Viejo for shops and tastings, book a workshop at Toño’s Factory, and stock up at Tocumen airport before you fly out.
- Toño’s Factory, Corozal, Panama City. The capital’s newest bean-to-bar workshop, opened in October 2026 beside a coffee plant and café. The easy option if you are not going to Bocas. Website →
- Nomé Chocolate factory class, Casco Viejo, Panama City. Visit the Nomé factory, follow the process from bean to bar, mould your own bars and taste the bonbons (the passion fruit one gets the reviews). Good for a rainy afternoon in the old town. Website →
- Cacao Bar Selection tasting, Obarrio, Panama City. A café-boutique where you can taste Oro Moreno’s full range and other Panamanian bars side by side with a coffee. The best single shelf of Panamanian chocolate in the city. Website →
Sources: Boquete Coffee Traders, Oro Moreno · Greek City Times, Toño’s Factory (Oct 2026)