A leading cacao-producing province in Ecuador's central coastal lowlands, blending traditional Nacional with widely planted CCN-51 hybrid material. Los Ríos, Guayas and Manabí together account for the bulk of national output.
Country
Ecuador
Region
Los Ríos
Growing region
Americas
Coordinates
-1.80°, -79.50° (approx.)
Elevation
0-100 m
Producer
regional
Genetic groups
Nacional, admixture
Traditional class
mixed
Bean notes
Variable cotyledon colour; a large share of CCN-51-type hybrid material. The CCN-51 clone is itself a documented admixture (chiefly IMC, Criollo and Amelonado components).
Harvest season
main Mar-Jun; smaller crop Oct-Feb
Fermentation
Box fermentation at farm and collection-centre level, roughly 3-5 days.
Drying
Sun-dried on patios and platforms.
Flavour
cocoa · nutty · mild fruit · earthy
Updated
2026-05-22
Sources
Boza et al. 2014, 'Genetic characterization of the cacao clone CCN 51 and its impact on global cacao improvement and production', Tree Genetics & Genomes 10:1413-1423
Actores Productivos — Los Ríos, Guayas y Manabí lideran la producción de cacao en Ecuador, https://actoresproductivos.com/los-rios-guayas-y-manabi-lideran-la-produccion-de-cacao-en-ecuador/