Finca Sampaka

Finca Sampaka is a cocoa estate on Bioko outside Malabo, established in the colonial period when the island's cocoa was among the most valued in the world, and it still grows, ferments and dries beans on site with the old drying sheds and machinery in place. Tours run through the plantation and the processing buildings. Bioko cocoa collapsed after independence and only a fraction of the estates still work. Bioko cocoa was sold as a premium origin in Europe before independence, and the estates were among the most productive per hectare anywhere.

What you actually see

• The cocoa groves - the plantings under shade trees across the estate.
• The drying sheds - the colonial-era buildings still used for processing.
• The fermentation boxes - where the beans are worked after harvest.
• The surviving estate - one of the few plantations still in production.

When to go

December to February is the drier season. The main harvest falls around August to December. Tours must be arranged in advance.

Honest expectations

Visits must be arranged beforehand and are not always available. Much of the estate is run down. Photography restrictions apply across the country and should be respected.

Nearby

Malabo is north, and Moka is south.