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Central America is at the heart of coffee production, and at its center is Guatemala – a region known to offer some of the best coffee in the world. This is due to the diverse climate that enhances the growth of coffee. In fact, 7 varietals of Arabica are grown well here.
Many of you might already be familiar with Antigua coffee – it’s the country’s most highly sought after coffee. Reason being, Antigua features 3 surrounding volcanoes, young soil, moderate temperatures, high altitudes of 4600 to 5600 meters, and a constant humidity of 65%.
Another region that features some great coffee is the region of Fraijanes Plateau, which recently had volcanic eruption, which left the soil extra fertile and chock full of rich ashes and minerals that contribute to a marked acidity and full bodied coffee.
In the Rainforest Coban region, much more humidity is present along withvaried temperatures andrain throughout most of the year. The limestone and clay in the soil present the coffee with wine and fruit notes.
In the Highland Huehuetenago region, you’ll find a unique and subtropical micro-climate that it gains from its border with Mexico. The coffee produced here is of Antiguan standards and has key wine notes.
The Atitlan region grows coffee with a pronounced crispness and is high in acidity, which is due to the very organic (no fertilizer) soil that is used, the high altitude, and low pest issues.
Volcan San Marcos is Guatemala’s warmest region, and it gets the most rain and has the highest humidity. This results in some fabulous coffee.
In the Oriente region, soil consists of clay and rock from the volcanoes. There is little rainfall here (low humidity), along with a mild temperature – coffee here is full bodied and very aromatic.
In recent years, Guatemala has been experiencing a great political instability, which in turn leads to problems on coffee farms. This also in turn contributes to widespread crime and poverty, and uneven land distribution. However, recent democratic movements and processes that have been put into place will hopefully lead the country once again into prosperous years.