Selva Negra - an ecologically managed coffee farm

Yesterday, I joined the four travelers I had met on the canyon tour to visit a coffee finca. Such plantations are typically hard to reach without a booked tour and shuttle, as they are usually not connected to the public bus network. What started as a purely functional community to save costs turned into a wonderful day that we spent together.

We rented a car for a day for the five of us (cost per person: $11) and headed to the Selva Negra coffee farm. The farm is run by a second-generation German expatriate family and is entirely dedicated to sustainability and ecotourism. While the cultivation and export of coffee beans continue to be the economic focus, there is now also a tourism resort with private rooms, a restaurant, farm tours, and several hiking trails.

Approximately 250 workers live permanently on the farm; during the coffee harvest, there are significantly more. For the permanent laborers, there are small accommodations with gardens, a small shop, and a school that offers after-school care for the children.

No pesticides are used on the farm; instead, only ecological fertilization and pest control methods are employed. The meat offered in the restaurant comes from their own livestock and slaughtering, and there is extensive vegetable cultivation. Coffee cultivation, as well as the harvesting and further processing, undergo strict quality controls. We gained insights into almost all production steps, making it an exciting and educational experience.