Hacienda La Carrera

A trusted partner in our Salvadoran cacao sourcing journey

In our cacao-sourcing work across El Salvador, we found in Hacienda La Carrera a true partner.

The estate stands out for its strong infrastructure and highly skilled team — agronomists, production managers, and post-harvest specialists all dedicated to producing exceptional cacao.

With its modern fermentation and drying station, managed under strict quality protocols, Hacienda La Carrera ensures consistently high-grade cacao with clean, well-defined flavor profiles. 

A strategic estate for Salvadoran cacao

Today, Hacienda La Carrera is the largest cacao plantation collaborating with Nahù in El Salvador.

As a strategic ally during our first Salvadoran cacao import, the estate coordinated the collection and quality control of lots from four neighboring farms, helping strengthen the country’s fine-cacao value chain.

A passionate, expert-led team

Under the guidance of Jairo Vigil, an experienced cacao taster with a holistic vision of the crop, the estate integrates every stage — from cultivation to sensory evaluation of the finished product.

He is supported by Héctor García, quality manager and one of the most respected cacao tasters in El Salvador.

Both are active members of the Mesa Nacional de Catadores de Cacao, a professional network trained at the National University of Peru that promotes quality improvement through sensory analysis and good-agricultural-practice sharing.

Innovation and heritage preservation

One of the plantation’s flagship projects is the creation of a fully equipped quality-control laboratory.

The lab enables precise analysis of cacao beans and the small-scale production of cacao liquor and craft chocolate for research and development.

Under Héctor’s supervision, measurable progress has been achieved — better-defined flavor profiles, controlled fermentation, and consistent results across export lots.

A model plantation and a natural refuge

Beyond quality, Hacienda La Carrera is remarkable for its biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

The plantation conserves heritage cacao varieties and century-old shade trees that sustain the local ecosystem.

This living forest also shelters native wildlife, including endangered spider monkeys and migratory birds.

By combining agricultural precision with ecological balance, Hacienda La Carrera stands as a model of responsible, sustainable cacao production in El Salvador.