Tiffany Eckhardt

Two passions, travel and coffee…

Spending a month in Costa Rica taught me one thing for sure, Costa Ricans are fiercely proud of their country. It is Pura Vida! From the top of the Volcanoes to the beaches on either coast, it’s no wonder why tourism is one of the top industry in this picturesque country.

One of the newest forms of tourism in Costa Rica is the agro-ecotourism. According to a recent article in the Costa Rica Reviews, over 3,000 make their living from rural-community based tourism in Costa Rica. This kind of tourism is right up my alley. I prefer authentic, non-commercialised destinations and mixing with the locals. The idea of combining this kind of travel with another passion of mine… coffee, got me hooked.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the adventure of zip lining through the rain forest in Monteverde, the relaxation of lounging on the Playa de Tamarindo, and all the wild life at Manual Antonio. However, you can’t drive through the mountainous areas of Alajuela, Heredia and Monteverde without recognising that the coffee industry is important Costa Ricans. Iwanted to learn more.

I scheduled a tour at Café Britt, a famous coffee roaster located in Heredia. Honestly, I was a bit worried that it would be too commercialised. I signed up for the coffee lover’s tour which included a tour of the processing plant, lunch and a barista demonstration. I was not dissapointed.  The facility at Café Britt is gorgeous with murals everywhere depicting rural plantation scenes. The staff is bilingual and very knowledgeable about their industry. I was entertained as I learned about the coffee industry, history, the harvesting of the coffee bean , processing, coffee cupping and brewing. One fact that I discovered is that coffee is only harvested in the dry season. I happened to visit in July, the wet season. Although, I didn’t get to see the actual work at the beneficio Tierra Madre, the processing plant, it was fascinating. The beneficio offers a breathtaking view of the areas that the coffee is harvested; such as Poas, Tarrazu and Tres Rios. I definitely learned a lot about one of my passions, but it left me with a thirst for more.

I have a lot to learn about fair trade, coffee plantations and farmers.  As I traveled throughout Costa Rica I noticed many coffee tours advertised and saw acres and acres of coffee trees growing. I want to return to Costa Rica in the dry season to find rural-community based plantations in action. Coffee and tourism gives a new meaning to Pura Vida for me! Stayed tuned, I am busy researching my next agro-ecotourism adventure to Costa Rica.

admin Travel adventrue, agro-ecotourism, Alejuela, beneficio Tierra Madre, Cafe Brit, Coffee plantations, Costa Rica, fair trade, Heredia, Manual Antonio, Monteverede, Poas, Pura Vida, rural community-based tourism, Tarrazu, Ticos, Tiffany Eckhardt, Tres Rios