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The History of Coffee Cultivation in Colombia and Famous Estates: How Much Does a Cup of Colombian Coffee Cost

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style ) The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era of the 16th century. There are many stories about coffee's history in Colombia: One theory: It is said to have been introduced via water routes from the island of Haiti in the Caribbean Sea, through El Salvador in Central America. Another theory

Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

The Rich History of Colombian Coffee

The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era of the 16th century. There are several accounts about coffee's history in Colombia:

One theory suggests that coffee arrived via water routes from the Caribbean island of Haiti through El Salvador in Central America.

Another account states that in 1808, a priest first introduced coffee beans to Colombia from the French Antilles via Venezuela. One version suggests that Colombia's first coffee seeds entered through the Santander province from Venezuela.

A third theory cites the earliest record of coffee cultivation in Colombia appearing in a book titled "The Illustrated Orinoca" by Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla. He described his experiences while missionarying along the banks of the Meta River in 1730, mentioning local coffee plantations. By 1787, other missionaries had spread coffee to other parts of Colombia.

Located in northwestern South America, Colombia is a beautiful country with a rich history. From ancient times, indigenous people have thrived on this land. It became a Spanish colony in 1531 and gained independence in 1819. In 1886, it adopted its current name to honor Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the American continent. Colombia boasts beautiful mountains, pleasant scenery, comfortable weather, spring-like conditions year-round, and fresh air. The country is rich in natural resources, with coffee, flowers, gold, and emeralds being celebrated as the "four treasures." Today, Colombia is the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans, and the world's largest exporter of washed coffee beans. Colombian coffee beans are often described as having a silky smooth texture. Among all coffees, it offers the best balance, with a mellow and smooth taste that can be enjoyed anytime. It has earned praise unmatched by other coffees: being hailed as "green gold."

Notable Colombian Coffee Estates

Santa Rita Estate

Santa Rita Estate is located in the Antioquia department of Colombia, situated in a micro-region adjacent to the Andes Mountains. This premium coffee is produced collaboratively by 9 nearby farms. These 9 farms still use traditional methods to process their coffee: hand-picking coffee cherries, then subjecting them to traditional washed processing, with the processed beans laid out on racks to dry in the sun. The environment around the Andes Mountains provides this coffee-growing region with fertile volcanic soil and exceptionally abundant water resources.

Mirador Estate

Mirador Estate is located in the Pitalito micro-region at the southernmost tip of Colombia's famous Huila region, an area renowned for producing high-quality coffee. The estate owner, Elkin Guzman, is undoubtedly a pioneer in coffee cultivation. This intelligent young grower utilizes the latest technology to enhance his planting, harvesting, and processing techniques. After coffee cherries are harvested, they are first sorted in water tanks, then hand-sorted again before drying. For the first 8 days, the coffee is dried on raised racks in the sun with constant turning. On the 9th day, the coffee is moved to drying machines for 35 days to avoid excessive temperatures affecting the flavor.

Millennium Estate

Monserrate is located in the southwestern part of Colombia's Huila department. Most Monserrate farmers have quite small cultivation scale, treating coffee as a bulk agricultural product to exchange for cash. A few years ago, the New Millennium Farmers Association (Grupo Asociativo Productores del Nuevo Milenio) was established locally, dedicated to improving coffee quality and hoping to sell green beans at higher prices. Additionally, in 2005, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) established the Colombia Premium Coffee Program, introducing American premium green bean traders to cooperate with the Millennium Farmers Association. They sent personnel to Monserrate to participate in coffee production and guided farmers to improve cultivation techniques and produce higher-quality coffee. They also provided advice on positioning and marketing in the premium coffee market.

The association has 42 members and can produce approximately three containers (about 825 bags) of green coffee beans annually. To improve quality, the New Millennium Farmers Association continues to recruit new members in Monserrate, hoping to expand production scale. Additionally, with assistance from USAID and American traders, they established a cupping laboratory locally, teaching farmers cupping methods, hoping that farmers can determine coffee quality through cupping and thereby benefit coffee production.

Diamond Estate

Diamond Estate, located in Colombia's Huila region in the southwestern part of the country, is one of the main coffee cultivation areas. Because famous coffee cultivation areas are scattered throughout the Huila region, the names of various small areas have become brand names and circulated. Although the cultivation conditions in this area are also very good, the cultivation infrastructure of coffee farms and surrounding conditions is not yet well-developed. Green bean drying equipment or washed processing facilities are still incomplete, which is quite regrettable. Coffee from the Huila region has a strong flavor and heavier texture. Particularly, the nutty, chocolate, and caramel aromas and appropriate acidity of Huila region coffee can be called high-end specialty coffee.

Colombian Coffee Brand Recommendations

Colombian coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee offer excellent guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide extremely high value for money - a 227-gram box costs only 95 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. Compared to coffee shop prices that often reach tens of yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.