I am going to Guatemala this August with my family and i am in the process of organizing my trip at the moment. Being coffee lovers, we are interested in visiting a coffee plantation and was wondering
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Cat:Central and South AmericaForum:0EE9CAD6
Cat:Central and South AmericaForum:0EE9CAD6Discussion:3da334ef-740a-4aa2-9298-9b460f3242df
I am going to Guatemala this August with my family and i am in the process of organizing my trip at the moment. Being coffee lovers, we are interested in visiting a coffee plantation and was wondering if anybody has been to any. Can you recommend any to us?
I watched a recent documentary on Coffee from Guatemala, you may be interested in watching it before you head off, the program is on bbc and is call blood, sweat and luxuries. I think you can get it on iplayer
Stay in Antingua not Guatamala City much nicer. There is a large coffe plantation a " Fince los Nietos" short taxi ride 7km from the town of Antigua with a coffee museum. I visted it by myself but Antigua Tours give a tour to it. I really enjoyed it and the beautiful gardens on the grounds. I met the owner of by chance and she was showing me how the plantation owners extracted the coffee essence with a small still and that is the way they drank coffee. Added a spoon of essence and added water. Since it was a little late and the tours all had gone I would of had to walk to the main road to get a taxi she gave me a ride into town a gracious lady. You can also go to a Macadamia Nut plantation in the area. It is a enjoyable and beautiful area. Paul C.
Are you aware that one or more of Guatemala's volcanos is currently going off? If you still decide to go, I highly recommend that you do NOT stay in Guatemala City. Dangerous (a man tried to rob me on a busy street) and not very attractive. Antigua is lovely and centuries awash in culture and beauty, and very different from dirty GC. Also, lake Atitlan (more volcanos) is gorgeous. There are coffee plantations galore in Latin America; I wonder why you've selected Guatemala as the country to tour. I went there to study Spanish for a master's degree. Fascinating, violent, beautiful and, as I said before, dangerous and very 4th world; i.e. extreme wealth and extreme poverty. Please be very careful who and what you photograph, as many Mayans believe one's soul can be stolen by a photograph. Do not take photos of children unless their parents agree, and it's very unlikely they would say okay. Also, as tourists, stay away from the northern border between Mexico and Guatemala - always a hotbed of something going on.
If I were you, I'd skip Guatemala. I volunteer for a medical mission as an RN and we were told NOT to go there at this time. Too much unrest in most of Central America and Mexico. However, Costa Rica, with their vast coffee plantations, is a good choice for you. gbrowne
Acchh. When we went to Guatemala three years ago, everyone gave us the same tired advice about how dangerous it is. We never felt unsafe, just take the same smart precautions you'd take anywhere else. Do Avoid GC, there is nothing there you need to see. Wear your pack in front of you in the markets or crowded buses. After asking, I was able to take beautiful pictures of children. Read LP's guide, all the necessary warnings are in there.
That said, of course you'll be going to Antigua on a trip to Guat. And from there I HIGHLY recommend you do a tour with an NGO called As Green As It Gets. Contact them before you go and make arrangements. It's a short ride from Antigua to the village of San Miguel Escobar where they meet you and walk you to the coffee farm they helped the locals found, free from the exploitation of the large fincas that pay the farmers pennies for their coffee. You see the whole process and can actually meet the farmers whose coffee you will taste. And you are supporting these villagers who are able to dramatically raise their standard of living (affording little houses, indoor plumbing, the ability to keep their kids in school!) as they are paid fairly for their coffee. There's a lot more too, like they are helping the women start small businesses sewing coffee sack tote bags that are so awesome, I still use mine. It's a great time.
Go and enjoy Guatemala, some of the loveliest people on Earth.
When visiting Guatemala, I’d definitely avoid staying in the capital unless you have an early departure flight, For early departure or late arrival, the 4-star Hotel Barcelo Guatemala is an excellent GC choice. It’s only 1½ miles from the airport at 7 Avenida 15-45. Zona 9 and offers free transfers from/to the La Aurora airport. www.barceloguatemalacity.com. If flying American Airlines, their office inside the Barcelo lets one check in the evening before. The kitchen will prepare a box breakfast and have it waiting at the desk if requested the evening before an early departure. The included buffet breakfast is outstanding. Be sure to save Quetzales 30 for your departure tax. ATMs are common, but may have low maximum withdrawals.
Am unsure what your budget is, but the Hotel Filadelfia Coffee Resort & Spa - Antigua Guatemala might be a high-end choice if you like an active vacation set within a gorgeous coffee finca. The $180 double rate(www.venere.com/hotels/antigua-guatemala) doesn’t include breakfast, but its quiet, very secure location 10 minutes outside Antigua offers many on-site (expensive) activities: Coffee, Birding and Canopy Zip Line tours; mule rides and biking.
I took my Guatemalan extended family zip lining last month and everyone from my 60+ husband to my 6 year old granddaughter had a blast! You can see videos at http://antiguacanopytours.com/Not cheap, canopy tours cost US$50 foreign adults, US$40 Guatemalan adults, credit cards accepted. Coffee tours were US$20.
May to November is rainy season so mornings are best for outdoor activities. Another activity, not weather dependent, is taking a cooking class. A TripAdvisor reviewer recommends El Frijol Feliz Cooking School , 7a Calle Poniente #11Antigua Guatemala 03001Guatemalainfo@frijolfeliz.comTel:502 7882 4244.
Antigua makes a great base and offers many coffee tour opportunities. Enjoy.
I will be going to Rio das Ostras Brazil in August so I am looking for things to do. I will spend the last few days in Rio. Does anyone have any suggestions of things to do in and around Rio das Ostras also I am looking for a good dive facility there to make a couple of dives with. Thanks for any help you can give.
