Caffeine-loving travelers can now learn about the coffee farming process along the newly revamped Honduran Coffee Route. The Honduras Institute of Coffee, working with the Honduras Institute of Tourism, designed the path to take visitors through the country’s six coffee regions, stopping in at farms, training facilities and research centers.
Home to the ruins of an ancient Mayan city, the department of Copán sits over 3,280 feet above sea level, providing varying levels of humidity. Coffee from the Copán region tastes of chocolate, caramel and oranges. Here guests can visit the San Rafael and Finca Santa Alena coffee farms.
Opalaca makes up the other half of the Honduran Western Coffee area. The coffee here tastes both subtly sweet and a little acidic, providing hints of tropical fruits, grapes and berries. Travelers may stop at one of the Institute of Coffee’s graduate schools, ESCAFE, offering programs in coffee tasting, advanced business and farm management.
In Montecillos, the route stops at the COSMA farm in La Paz. The association of organic coffee farmers works to reduce poverty and help the region’s economic development. The beans here are produced without chemicals and are fair trade compliant.
The last three regions, Comayagua, El Paraiso and Agalta lie within Honduras’ interior. Coffee beans from Comayagua and El Paraiso possess sweet and fruity flavors while those from Agalta taste of chocolate and caramel. Visitors can stop at the Institute of Coffee’s research and training facility in El Paraiso, offering lessons in coffee roasting and the grinding process.
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