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What Coffee Estates Exist in Costa Rica? What are the Flavor Characteristics of Costa Rican Coffee?

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Costa Rica, meaning "rich coast" in Spanish, boasts abundant volcanic soil. Combined with the influence of Pacific Ocean currents and monsoons, along with its high-altitude mountainous environment, Costa Rica features unique microclimates that provide excellent conditions for coffee cultivation. Since the 18th century...

Costa Rica, meaning "Rich Coast" in Spanish, boasts rich volcanic soil, influenced by Pacific Ocean currents and monsoons, along with numerous high-altitude mountainous environments. These conditions create unique microclimates in Costa Rica, providing excellent conditions for coffee cultivation.

Since the early 18th century, Costa Rica introduced coffee beans from Cuba and became the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee and the first to grow coffee for commercial purposes. Thanks to Costa Rica's relatively developed national economy, the country's coffee production ranks among the world's leaders. The excellent coffee quality, research and innovation in new varieties and processing methods, as well as improved infrastructure, all support the development of the nation's coffee industry. Furthermore, the Costa Rican government believes that only producing high-quality Arabica coffee beans can establish a firm foothold in the market, therefore passing a law prohibiting the cultivation of Robusta coffee varieties.

Today, Costa Rica is home to many renowned coffee estates, such as El Cedro and Volcan Azul. However, many of Costa Rica's famous estates are located in Tarrazú, the country's largest and most renowned coffee-growing region. This region, situated in central Costa Rica, is a volcanic area surrounded by numerous mountain ranges and national parks, featuring a humid climate and volcanic rock soil that provide uniquely favorable conditions for coffee cultivation.

Tarrazú: Costa Rica's Premier Coffee Region

The Tarrazú region has a long history of coffee cultivation, and Costa Rica places great importance on the development of its coffee industry. In 2019, the Costa Rican government registered "Café de Tarrazú" with the European Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as a coffee designation of origin. FrontStreet Coffee's daily selection series also includes coffee from this renowned region. This entry-level selected Tarrazú coffee is made from Catuai and Caturra varieties, processed using the washed method, graded as SHB. After brewing, it reveals light fruit acidity with sweet orange, nut, and honey flavors, delivering a smooth aftertaste.

Beyond Tarrazú, the country has established seven coffee-producing regions, all located in the Cordillera mountain range of central Costa Rica. Although other coffee regions may not be as famous as Tarrazú, they equally produce high-quality coffee beans and feature many renowned estates, such as Finca Las Piedra in the Brunca region.

Finca Las Piedra: A Story of Perseverance

The owner of Finca Las Piedra is Gerardo Arias, for whom coffee has been a lifelong companion. Gerardo Arias comes from a family of hereditary coffee farmers. His parents worked at the Llano Bonito cooperative, and the family owned 1.24 hectares of land. However, coffee prices were not high at that time, making it difficult to support the family. Consequently, Gerardo dropped out of school at age 10 to help his family grow coffee, continuing this work until adulthood.

However, realizing his limited knowledge after reaching adulthood, he made his way to New Jersey in the United States. After experiencing numerous hardships over eight years, he saved enough money to return to Costa Rica and purchase his parents' estate. His overseas experience broadened Gerardo's perspective, leading him to implement modern agricultural layouts and cultivation methods on the estate. He subsequently continued introducing new cultivation and processing techniques to improve the quality of coffee production.

Finca Las Piedra: Terroir and Varietals

Finca Las Piedra is located in the Brunca region, situated in southern Costa Rica. Due to its terrain connecting to Panama, it lies between two mountains: Cerro de la Muerte and Cerro Chirripo. The Cerro Chirripo mountain range is Costa Rica's highest volcanic peak. Coffee is cultivated on slopes between 800-1,700 meters, experiencing a humid tropical climate. The soil where coffee is grown in the estate consists of a mixture of red clay and limestone, resulting in coffee beans that are not only dense but also exceptionally sweet.

Finca Las Piedra was named after ancient stone carvings from 200 BC to 1500 AD discovered near the estate, created by indigenous people and known as mysterious stone spheres. Currently, the estate cultivates numerous coffee varieties, such as Catuai, Caturra, Geisha, and F1 varieties.