Wake up and smell the coffee in Costa Rica: 6 eco-friendly coffee farms to visit

Without the glossy-red berries clinging to the branches of the shrubs in front of me, I wouldn’t have known I was on a coffee farm. Neat rows of plants had been supplanted by a hodgepodge of vegetation. The frayed leaves of banana plants reached towards a canopy of coral trees that echoed with the throaty hoot of Lesson’s motmots and cast a dappled shade.

Costa Rica has a rich history of coffee production. The plant was first introduced here in 1779, but producers have long dedicated themselves to quality over quantity. In 2002, when Glenn and Teri Jampol bought Finca Rosa Blanca, a 12-hectare coffee farm in the hills above San José, they converted to organic farming. While eschewing chemicals was key to their new approach, their greater impact came from something far simpler: they began planting thousands of trees.

“Shade-giving vegetation is just as important as the coffee plants themselves,” explained my guide Ulises Zúñiga, as we followed a rough, calathea-lined path through the plantation. A canopy of native vegetation produces nitrogen and natural shade for the delicate arabica coffee plants, fostering a diverse ecosystem where natural predators control pests. Since the farm turned organic, bird species have increased from 40 to 145. And with a slew of awards, including Best Central American coffee, under their belt, the farm’s dedication to quality has more than paid off.

1: El Toledo

Wake up and smell the coffee – literally – at this organic, family-run finca in Alajuela province, whose rustic but charming A-frame cabins overlook the plantation. It is known for the quality of its brews and distinctly unusual coffee fruit wine.

2: Hacienda Espíritu Santo

This 258-hectare plantation outside San José is a more commercialised operation, growing beans for global brands such as Starbucks. Discover local wooden handicrafts and, of course, coffee in their shop.

3: Café Monteverde

Run by an association of 20 families in the Monteverde highlands, this farm’s tours introduce you to the notes of cloud forest-grown coffee. Short on time? Visit its café in nearby Santa Elena.

4: Finca Paraíso Orgánico

Learn how this pineapple plantation near La Fortuna goes against the chemicalheavy approach used by many farms. Tours finish with a pineapple juice or pina colada.

5: Palmitour

Palm hearts are on the menu at this organic farm in the north-east, where tours include a lunch of everything from ceviche to fruit salad and bread – all utilising different types of palm, of course.

6: Don Juan

Don’t miss learning the secrets of coffee, chocolate and sugar cane on a tour of one of the country’s bestknown fincas, situated not far from La Fortuna.