While traveling from Tortuguero National Park to La Fortuna, our tour group made a stop at Mi Cafecito Coffee Tour, situated in fertile volcanic soil at around 1000 m altitude. The closest community is Sarapiqui.
Mi Cafecito Coffee Tour is run by a non-profit organization that brings together over 200 small coffee growers. The group works together to process and market locally grown beans (in the principles of Fair Trade), and run tours, a quality restaurant, and gift shop.
(The gift shop)
(Part of the Mi Cafecito Coffee Tour property)
The tour is informative, going through the steps involved in growing coffee cherries, removing the seeds (beans), and the process of drying and roasting them. I’ve previously described this in greater detail in my post from the Doka plantation, to which I refer the interested reader.
(Our tour guide)
(Air-drying the coffee beans)
(Coffee roaster)
The coffee tour ends with a tasty cup of the coffee you’ve just watched being processed. You’ve a chance to purchase some coffee and souvenirs in the gift shop, which we did.
Our stop included a very delicious lunch at the Mi Cafecito restaurant. The plantation raises its own fish (tilapia), which is the dish I enjoyed.
(Tilapia pond)There are walking trails around the property, and into the surrounding rainforest.
There are some floral gardens which were frequented by hummingbirds. I succeeded only in getting a photo of a hummingbird by silhouette, but I kind of liked it.
Recommended for those interested in learning more about this cooperative, going on a coffee plantation tour, or enjoying a locally run restaurant.
