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Introduction to Costa Rican Coffee Growing Regions and Coffee Bean Grading

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Costa Rica, located in the Central American isthmus, produces world-renowned coffee beans in its high-altitude regions. These beans are known for their rich flavor, mild taste, yet pronounced acidity. Every coffee bean from Costa Rica undergoes meticulous processing, which is precisely what results in such high-quality coffee. Costa Rica is located in Tarrazú, near the capital San José.

FrontStreet Coffee · Costa Rica Coffee Flavor Description, Variety, Origin, and Grading Introduction

Costa Rica, located in the Central American isthmus, produces coffee beans at high altitudes that are world-renowned for being rich, mild in flavor yet extremely acidic. The coffee beans here are carefully processed, which is why they achieve such high quality. Costa Rica is situated south of the capital San José in the Tarrazú region, making it one of the country's most valued coffee-growing areas.

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee, boasting a long history and a complete system from production to sales. Located in the Central American isthmus, the volcanic soil is extremely fertile with excellent drainage. Particularly in the Central Plateau, the coffee-growing areas benefit from fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—all factors contributing to coffee becoming one of the main agricultural products. All coffee beans here are of the Arabica variety. FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica coffee offers pure flavor and pleasant aroma, with impeccable balance in both acidity and mouthfeel. The coffee beans are full-bodied, with ideal acidity and unique, intense aroma.

Main Varieties:

Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Villasarchi, Villalobos, and others.

Caturra is a single-gene variant of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. It has better production capacity and disease resistance than Bourbon, with shorter plants that facilitate harvesting. Unfortunately, like Bourbon, it also suffers from biennial production cycles.

The flavor of Caturra is comparable to or slightly inferior to Bourbon beans, but more importantly, it has extremely strong adaptability. It doesn't require shade trees and can thrive directly under intense sun exposure, hence commonly known as "Sun Coffee." It can adapt to high-density planting but requires more fertilization, increasing costs, so initial acceptance by coffee farmers was not high. It's suitable for cultivation from low altitudes of 700 meters to high altitudes of 1700 meters, showing strong altitude adaptability, though higher altitudes yield better flavor with relatively reduced production capacity.