An original from Venezuela's Gold Cacao Coast 100%
Pure Criollo, fino de aroma , since 1793
Hacienda ORICAO, where rare Wildlife finds Sanctuary, and Ancestral Cacao Fuels Conservation.
Spanning 2,400 hectares Hacienda along the rugged peaks of the Cordillera de la Costa down to the Caribbean Sea, Hacienda Oricao is a privately safeguarded ecological corridor bridging Henri Pittier and El Ávila National Parks.
More than 2,150 hectares remain an untamed wilderness of coastal cloud and seasonal rainforest—sheltering some of South America’s most iconic and vulnerable species: the elusive jaguar, the regal harpy eagle, endangered spider monkeys, rare harlequin toads, and the critically endangered red siskin.
Within this sanctuary lies a regenerative vision: 250 hectares of ancestral, shade-grown Criollo cacao. By transforming this rare white-bean heirloom into world-class luxury chocolate, we directly fund the perpetual protection of the reserve, its vital mountain watersheds, and the extraordinary life that calls it home.
We operate on a pure model of self-sustaining conservation. Through the ORICAO EcoFund, proceeds from our 250 hectares of certified, ancestral Criollo cacao chocolat directly finance the permanent protection of our remaining 2,150-hectare pristine rainforest.
A Vital Biological Corridor: Nestled along the coastal mountains of La Guaira, our canopy links the Caribbean sea and regional national parks, preserving vital freshwater watersheds and untouched cloud forests.
A Haven for Endangered Wildlife: The reserve provides safe haven for top predators and critically threatened fauna.
Conservation-Fueled Luxury: By restoring genuine, deforestation-free Criollo cacao under native forest shade, our craft leaves the mountain wilder and richer than we found it.
Every pod harvested defends a living ecosystem in each chocolat bar.
To a true fine chocolate connoisseur, the names Chuao, Choroní, Ocumare and Oricao are not merely geographical designations; they are the ultimate expression of cacao criollo terroir and the reason Venezuela is revered as the historical and qualitative epicenter of fine cacao in the world. Chocolate is where food engineering was born.
Genetic Scarcity: While 95% of global production is dominated by bitter hybrids,pure Venezuelan Criollo is less than 0.01% of global production.
Our Purity Marker: Raw Oricao beans are white or pale pink, a direct visual indicator of extremely low tannin and polyphenol levels.
What makes Oricao a truly disruptive asset for technology-minded visionaries is our complete, Sanctuary-to-Bar vertical integration powered by ¨natural technology¨, by embedding a sophisticated AgTech A.I. framework across our operations. Crucially, we want AgTech to help us protect and develop our organic treasure, not to replace it or alter its molecular structure.
By reviving our ancestral criollo strain we are safeguarding our 2,400-hectare reserve, dedicated to preserving natural ecosystems, protecting a myriad of endangered species, flora and water. At the same time educating on our autochthonous beauty and feeling pride to taste our pure, organic ancestral lines of cacao criollo made into fine chocolate again.