Initially, we wanted to infiltrate the Colombian coffee industry by working at a coffee farm. But we didn’t have time to do that and well, the farms are rather open to coffee tours. You have plenty options about the tours, nearly all coffee fincas offer one - they differ in quality, prices and duration. Nevertheless, any of them provides an excellent insight into coffee production and it’s a must do in Colombia!

Quindío, the coffee country

The coffee country stretches between Medellin and Bogota. We went to Quindío, which is home to plentiful coffee fincas. Many offer comfortable accommodation on top of the coffee tours and are the perfect place to spend a few days (plus the obligatory swimming pool!). The landscapes are incredible, everything’s green, beautiful, there are the tall palma de cera, Colombia’s national tree. You can go horseback riding, mountain biking or trekking in the nearby mountains. Or just relax in one of the pretty small towns. Paradise?

I won’t go into too many details about coffee production here as it is very well captured in the video below!

About coffee

When it comes to coffee in Colombia, there are two different worlds: export-grade coffee and cheap coffee for Colombians. The former is available in top-end coffee shops in Colombia or rather exported abroad, where it’s worked by baristas to brew the best cup of coffee. In around Cafetero region, you have a good chance of finding coffee shops serving premium coffee even in normal cafeterias. Go for up to medium roast as it is the main treatment coffee beans receive here - it’s rich in flavour and you won’t be mistaken in buying shit coffee. The prices of coffee beans are similar to what we’re used to pay in Europe.

Then there’s the world of the cheap coffee, available everywhere. Hostels, lower-end cafeterias, kiosks, mid-range cafeterias outside of the coffee country.. It’s made from defective coffee beans that do not make it up to the premium tier. This coffee is recognizable by its dark roast to cover the misery in taste. It’s ok for everyday coffee like a huge lake of an Americano, but it won’t leave a good impression if you are looking for coffee to blow your mind.

The overall coffee standard is best you can find in South America. For good coffee, you don’t have to track down cafeterias artesanal like in other South American countries. The mid-range cafeterias and bakeries brew good coffee at very low prices (max 1$ or 3000 pesos). Then there are world class cafes, where it’s a blissful experience. Moreover, the traditional coffee machines are incredibly beautiful complicated beasts and you will wonder how can one operate it. If you love coffee and must have your cup every morning like me, then give Colombia a go!