ROÇA DIOGO VAZ

Founded in 1880 between sea and volcano, this fertile plantation was abandoned in the ^mid-20th century by the Portuguese at the time of independence. Neglected for several decades, it was taken over in 2014 by the Kennyson group, headed by Basque Jean-Rémy Martin, who has been traveling the African continent for some 45 years. It was then that a new page was written: over 150,000 cocoa trees of three varieties endemic to the island (Amelonado, Trinitario and Forastero) were planted on the 400-hectare farm, which was awarded the organic label in 2017. The beans harvested are of the highest quality, and the group then embarks on artisanal chocolate production. While preserving ancestral know-how and promoting the work of local people, it took up a fine challenge: that of obtaining a chocolate of excellence with subtle flavours, which won an award at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris. In a permaculture approach, the plantation has now diversified into fruit and vegetable production, including vanilla, pepper, beans and even redcurrants, introduced for the first time on the island by the group! During your visit, you'll stroll, on foot or in a 4x4, through this roça, which has regained all its charm of yesteryear and where over 150 employees work six days a week to produce the very best. During the cocoa harvest, you can discover the various stages of sorting and drying before the cocoa is transformed into chocolate. A visit not to be missed!