finca rosa blanca coffee plantation

We wanted to see a coffee plantation while we were in Costa Rica. We were trying to decide between Cafe Britt, Doka Estate, and this place. We ultimately went with this one because we're suckers for great branding (who isn't?) and we wanted to do a cupping to really understand the coffee - which the others don't do (or at least, don't advertise). The nature hike through the plantation was incredibly informative of the jungle and the cupping experience was fantastic. You can tell they have a passion for their coffee and the ecology in which it grows. But the best part was their restaurant. I started with my doubt. Most of these hotel-attached restaurants are overpriced and mediocre, but they proved me wrong. We were hungry after the tour, so we went for it. Glad we did. Worth every penny. The Chips (made with various starchy vegetables grown on their property) blew me away. And everything else was just as good.Do yourself a favor, and go here even though its hard to find.

Ulysses was our tour guide and it was so fun! worth the price and very informative from how they grow the beans to how they make the coffee. we are still talking about what we learned and saw there.

We were pleasantly surprised at how much we learned about coffee. First we arrived and had a delicious and reasonably priced lunch in the El Tigre restaurant. Coffee tour started promptly at 1pm with our excellent guide Ulysis, who spoke both Spanish and English fluently. Tennis shoes or boots are a must for the hike through the grounds, and umbrellas are provided for the typical afternoon rain showers. As you walk through the coffee plantation, the tour provides information about everything from the environmental conditions, cultivations, harvesting, all the way through the preparation and roasting process. Ulysis is a star and he explained everything in easy to understand detail. The tour ends with a tasting and smelling experiment which allows one to correctly identify coffee of the highest quality. This tour is highly recommended for all coffee connoisuers and amatuers alike.

The Coffee Plantation tour at Finca Rosa Blanca was excellent. My wife and I were the only ones on the tour so we were able to go at our own pace and have all of the attention of our guide, Ulysses. They produce only organic shade grown coffee and throughout the tour sustainable practices were emphasized. The tour involves quite a bit of walking at high altitude and up and down hills so I would consider the activity level moderate. My wife has recently had knee surgery and she was able to make it OK. The entire coffee production process was explained in detail. We started with a stroll through the plantation which is coffee plants dispersed through the hills intermingled with trees and vegetation. Ulysses pointed out and explained many species of plants and wildlife and told hoe each played a part in the coffee production. The process from harvesting to roasting was explained and I was suppressed to discover how many steps are involved. We learned how to evaluate coffee by smell and taste and it was both fun and informative to slurp the coffee noisily from a spoon, let it cover our tongs and then spit it out, just like I’ve seen on television. At the culmination of the tour we were treated to a cup of freshly prepared coffee and cookies. I think the $35 per person cost for the 2.5 hour tour was a good value and our guide warranted a generous tip. We are staying at the Finca Rosa Blanca and booked the tour after we arrived. It is a 20 minute drive from SJO and there is information about the tour on the FRB website but if you are not staying there you might have to call to arrange a tour.

This is the most we could ever imagined learning about coffee! The tour guide was amazing and taught us about what is required for good coffee, how the organic planation functions, and how to taste test for good coffee!We also stayed for a okay lunch - but with a great view. If you are cabbing here, make sure the cab driver knows where it is - because it may seem a little hidden.