The Best Coffee routes in Latin America

Latin America is a region that has the aroma of coffee in its mountains. Its vast forests and a wide variety of microclimates have allowed many countries to position themselves among the most important coffee industries on the planet.

The two most emblematic are Colombia and Brazil, however, others produce the aromatic with high-quality standards, although in smaller quantities.

Over time, routes have been created for tourists to visit the various production farms in the region, here are some very popular locations in remote villages in the highlands, which offer a great adventure for coffee lovers around the world.

Colombia
This iconic coffee country distributes its production area in the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío, which are part of 62 municipalities, from where premium coffee is produced and distributed worldwide. In half an hour the traveler can tour important sites of the Colombian coffee route that are also very pleasant for the visitor because of their colorful villages and the natural beauty that surrounds them. The region boasts incredible canyons, a forest full of banana plantations along the Quindio River, as well, as waterfalls and natural pools.

The city of Manizales, located at the foot of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, in addition to having abundant coffee farms, has fantastic places where visitors can find thermal waters in the middle of lush nature. For those interested in seeing how coffee beans are harvested, it is advisable to visit the area between March and May (first harvest), as well as October to December (second harvest).

In Manizales, there is the Hacienda Venecia, where the famous TV soap opera Café con Aroma de Mujer (Coffee With Woman’s Aroma) was made, and where visitors can stay to admire the wonderful nature from their balconies and enjoy colonial-style interiors.

In addition, visitors can tour the coffee area and attend workshops to learn about the secrets of coffee. In addition to enjoying the aromatic, travelers to the Colombian coffee route can enjoy adventure experiences like rappeling, paragliding, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, and canopy, among others.

Brazil
The region of Massif de Batirité is one of the most representative of the Brazilian coffee route. In this place full of history in the production of java, visitors know closely the tradition of this crop in the region that continues to be made with agro-ecological techniques. The municipalities of Aratuba, Mulungu, Baturité, Pacoti, and Guaramiranga, offer great attractions for tourists including visits to coffee plantations, the process of harvesting, roasting and grinding the beans, as well as visits by farms in the area.

A place that no coffee lover should miss is Ceará, a town located in the mountain range where visitors can enjoy great gastronomy, crafts, and an abundant nature full of flowers and tropical fruits. Here, the so-called shade coffee is produced, which has the advantage of protecting the environment because no trees are cut down for production and much less water is used for irrigation. All this has been achieved thanks to the implementation of a program called Green Coffee Route, a sustainable production option that is mainly developed in the municipalities of Mulungu and Aratuba.

Another important farm with shade coffee plantations is Granja Caridad where visitors can walk around the facilities and learn the techniques for coffee production, in addition to purchasing the product in the shop of the Monastery Café.

In addition to this place, tourists have the opportunity to visit the historic plantations of Sitio Aguas Finas surrounded by a nature full of flora and fauna. This site produces the exclusive Guará coffee. Other important places in the area that no one should miss are Sitio de San Roque and Sitio de San Luis, two symbolic spots of the history of coffee production in this large South American country.

Costa Rica
Costa Rica includes in its wide repertoire of sites to explore nature, those dedicated to coffee culture. Guanacaste is the area where the aromatic is cultivated and has many tours to know the production techniques, among which can be mentioned Diria Coffee Tour, Tio Leo Coffee Tour, and Don Juan Coffee Tour, among many others.

The most popular areas in which visitors enjoy beautiful estates are Valle Occidental and Valle Central, where there are estates to visit such as Don Evelio Coffee Tour, Turrialtico Lodge, Hacienda Monte Claro, and Naturalba, among many others. In Costa Rica there are eight coffee-producing regions with different characteristics due to the particularities of each place however, all their products are rated as high quality.

Tours prepared for tourists include visits to crops, drying and roasting plants, as well as talks to explain coffee growing and processing techniques, as well as product testing, coffee brewing courses, and selling gourmet quality organic coffee.

Mexico
The different microclimates of Mexico allow the production of high-quality coffee and are distributed throughout three states of the country mainly: Chiapas, Veracruz, and Oaxaca. Chiapas, besides having beautiful landscapes, has one of the best coffee shops in the country because its climate is warm and humid, which is ideal for the production of aromatic coffee. The most famous farms in the region are La Chiripa, Irlanda y Hamburgo, and Agravia, among others. There, visitors participate in the production process and know the secrets that make Chiapas one of the best places in terms of coffee culture. Hiking, horseback riding, and visits to fabulous waterfalls are also possible.

Veracruz, meanwhile, is also privileged in terms of climate, which has allowed it to produce highly recognized coffees in the world. The most important regions are Córdoba, Coatepec, Huayacocotla, Misantla, Huatusco and Zongolica, to mention just a few. In this state, the traveler can enjoy gourmet venues in the middle of a rainforest that is ideal for lovers of nature, coffee, and tranquility. In Coatepec there are several farms that can be visited and where you can buy local products and support the local economy. There are also very accessible accommodations to enjoy a few days in contact with nature and the warmth of its inhabitants.

The coffee route in the state of Oaxaca is located in a beautiful mountainous area where crops are organic and completely free of chemicals. The regions where it is cultivated and that can be visited by tourism are: Miahuatlán, San Mateo Río Hondo, San Miguel Suchixtepec, Candelaria Loxicha, Santa Maria Huatulco and Pluma Hidalgo.

On the so-called Pluma Coffee Route, visitors can live with the population and know their language, tradition, and culture, which includes community work and respect for nature. This route consists of eight communities located in the Sierra Sur, full of mountains, valleys, and grasslands. The traveler can find fabulous lodging sites in cottages and coffee farms, regional gastronomy, and activities related to the production and cultivation of coffee in the region, considered gourmet for its high quality.