Quetzaltenango soil grows the best coffee beans on the Guatemalan market. Each of the following plantations employs locals, and takes important measures to make sure visiting the grounds remains an ecologically sound practice. Explore the following four options to choose the coffee plantation experience that interests you most.

Each of these coffee plantation tours lasts a half day. You can combine a coffee plantation tour with a visit to the archeological site Takalik Abaj, the IRTRA amusement parks, or the Pacific coast to make this a full-day excursion. In order to accommodate a longer trip, these coffee plantations also have lodging for overnight stays.

El Patrocinio: Besides coffee, El Patrocinio Reserve also grows macadamia nuts, papayas, and ginger flowers. A huge variety of bird species make their homes in the trees. At the cafeteria, you can sample some of the fruits of the plantation, and admire the local volcano, Santiaguito, 5.5 miles (9 km) away. Santiaguito is still active, and you may well see a belch or two of smoke.

Nueva Alianza: Nueva Alianza’s coffee plantation is over 100 years old. Visitors can hike to a large waterfall on the property. Walking tours of the plantation will show visitors how the coffee beans are grown and harvested. The agricultural tour also shows visitors the macadamia nuts and medicinal plants that grow on site.

Santa Elena: For three generations, the Rivera family has overseen the production of coffee beans at the Santa Elena coffee plantation. Santa Elena offers tours that allow visitors to see the behind-the-scenes process that goes into an exquisite cup of Guatemalan coffee. This plantation also harvests honey, bananas, and coconuts for commercial sale.

Takalik Mayan Lodge: The Takalik Mayan Lodge and coffee plantation started as a way to combat the negative effects of the falling price of coffee. In the past few decades, consumers have had increasingly more types of coffee to choose from. Instead of just growing coffee, Takalik also serves as a local attraction.This plantation has beautiful grounds that overlook the Chicabal Lake and a nearby volcano. This lodge is named for the nearby Takalik Abaj archeological site, which hosts the remains of one of the Maya’s longest-standing cities.

Comfortable clothes, camera, and money for personal expenses.

Transportation, local guide, and entrance fees