Ultimate Guide To Colombian Coffee Farms

People of Earth drink 2.25 billion cups of coffee every single day! And no country is more associated with coffee in the global imagination than Colombia.

Given the drink’s incredible popularity, it’s no surprise plenty of travelers want to experience their favorite beverage in its cultural heartland. In this guide, learn about the history of coffee in Colombia, and discover useful insights into the country’s coffee cultivation landscape today.

The History of Coffee Farms In Colombia

Coffee has shaped Colombia’s history across three centuries.

1790: Jesuits Bring Coffee To Colombia

Coffee beans grow in the pits of coffee cherries, fruit of coffee plants native to Ethiopia and Sudan. At the end of the 18th century, Dutch Jesuits came to Colombia and Venezuela with coffee plants. In Colombia in particular, they began a ritual of planting coffee seeds as part of repentance, a religious practice.

The seeds took well to the soil, and coffee became a thriving crop.

However, it wasn’t until the mid-19th century the plant became a crucial part of Colombian culture. Post-independence, Antioquian people migrated and settled deeper into the Andes, building new coffee farms, infrastructure, and tightly-knit mountain cultures.

1835: Small Family Farms Export Colombian Coffee To The U.S.

Many of the small farms were run by Paisa families, a traditional Andean culture deeply connected to the mountains, and each other. Together, they cultivated and delivered the first truly Colombian coffee to the world’s stage.

Colombia’s very first coffee export was shipped to the United States in 1835. The shipment of roughly 2,500 lbs of coffee, entirely grown on small family farms, made a big cultural impact. As the neighboring Panama canal neared completion, the appearance of immediate, affordable, delicious beans cemented Colombia as the place for coffee in Americans’ imagination.

1850 - 1880: Coffee Production Increases by 9900%

In the second half of the 19th century, coffee production boomed. After winning independence, Colombia moved from growing 1,000 bags of coffee annually to over 100,000.

However, the industry’s growth was propped up by worker abuses and reckless corporate greed by large plantations. These conditions, alongside political ideological conflict, helped spark the Thousand Days War.

After the war ended, many large coffee plantations were broken up. In their place, a network of small, family- and worker-owned farms rebuilt the industry.

1927: National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) Founded

The FNC was the biggest boon to Colombia’s coffee growers. The non-profit, non-government organization represents coffee farmers interests, promoting and protecting the well-being of growers, coffee farm communities, and the land.

Crucially, the FNC helped maintain Colombian coffee communities’ stability during times of economic upheaval. During The Great Depression, the FNC’s advocacy empowered the government’s purchase of coffee haciendas, land redistribution, and stable agricultural practices to keep the nation’s coffee culture resilient.

They also promoted economically stabilizing forces like the Agricultural Bank (Caja Agraria , the National Coffee Fund, and a shift away from the gold standard for currency (boosting export income).

2011: UNESCO Declares Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia A World Heritage Site

In 2011, UNESCO recognized six sites in Eje Cafetero, the nation’s “coffee axis” as a place whose “natural, economic and cultural features” are of “outstanding universal value.”

This designation protects the CCLC farms, lands, and cultural heritage while uplifting and promoting them.

Colombia: An Ideal Coffee Climate

Coffee grows well in Colombia thanks both to an optimal natural environment and a nurturing coffee culture. Four environmental factors stand out.

Latitude

Colombia’s geographical latitude provides the coffee plants with a tropical atmosphere and abundant rainfall. This ensures they’re warm, well hydrated, and never risk freezing.

Altitude

The altitude of Colombia’s Andes Mountains grants the crops an elevation between 3,000 - 6,000 ft. above sea level.

The high altitude’s lower temperature slows the beans’ rate of maturation, enhancing their density letting them develop more complex sugars and biodiverse flavor compounds as they grow. Moreover, the mountainside enables easy drainage, preventing beans from soaking in accumulated water (which would risk diluting their flavor).

Nutritious Soil

Colombia’s soil has been enriched by millenia of volcanic minerals, replenished by rains. The nutrients both help the seedlings grow into robust, healthy plants, and encourages them to store hearty, flavorful fatty acids.

Microclimates

The diversity of microclimates in the country offers different species and cultivars of coffee plants bespoke micro-environments. Elements like tree shade and precise elevation are tailored to give different plants an optimal space in which to thrive.

Where Is Coffee Grown In Colombia?

Most coffee is grown in Eje Cafetero (“the Coffee Triangle,”) in the center-west departments of the country. The “points” of the triangle are Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío.

However, different cultivars have been bred by different farms to achieve distinct flavors, and each type of coffee plant has its own needs. As such, farms devoted to different species or cultivars of coffee thrive all over the country.

Hulia grows the largest proportion of Colombia’s coffee, though it’s nearly tied with the Paisa region (particularly in and near Antioquia).

Tolima is the third largest producer, and its farms have earned a reputation for premium quality. Coffee sommeliers often describe java brewed from Tolima-grown beans as creamy and balanced, discerning intricate notes of brown sugar, light orange citrus, baker’s chocolate, and raspberries in its flavor profile.

Altogether, these three departments grow over 56% of Colombia’s coffee.

Where Can People Tour Colombia Coffee Farms?

Visitors can tour coffee farms in almost any Colombian region where coffee is grown.

Look for sustainable, fair trade plantations that offer in-depth experiences. Some grant guests the chance to try their hands at part of the fermentation process. Others are oriented towards tastings, encouraging guests to taste the difference among different cultivars and practices firsthand.

How To Enjoy Tastings At a Coffee Plantation In Colombia

One of the best ways to enjoy coffee tastings in Colombia is with a professionally guided, curated tour.

Every stop on Caravan’s ten-day Colombia Tour is carefully selected by our masterful travel directors. They hand-pick and book the best events, accommodations, meals, and transportation options well in advance, so our guests never need to stress.

On the fifth day of the tour, guests are guided into the Andean Highlands, just outside of Antioquia. There, guests explore the art of coffee cultivation with professional guides. The experience explores traditional and modern techniques, and it teaches how to discern the unique aromas and flavors of each brew through guided tastings.

If that sounds like your cup of Joe, book your spot by calling 1-800-227-2826. Or, call our team at 1-312-321-9800 to learn more.

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