Driving along an 18th-century cobblestone road into the cloud forest, we reached La Palma y El Tucán Coffee Cooperative & Boutique Hotel. Java aficionados—from hipsters in Portland to World Barista Champions—know this brand of coffee for its prized Geisha, Sidra, and pink bourbon beans. Locally, they are famous for turning Colombia’s most industrialized crop into a beacon of biodiversity and farmer empowerment.
When Felipe and Elisa bought this depleted farmland, they took time to nurture the soil through polyculture and organic practices. Though pesticides were so prevalent on the surrounding farms, they had to think beyond their own land. It was time to restore the ecosystem and the honor of the Colombian “cafetero.” They started the “Neighbors & Crops” program to teach local farmers about regenerative practices and incentivize change by being their best customer. @LaPalmayElTucan pays its farmers 50% above the national average for their coffee cherries, and for each kilo they produce, they receive a free half-kilo of organic fertilizer. With this cooperative, P&T has not only improved the region’s coffee but also the lives of 2,000+ locals.
La Palma y El Tucán originally built lodging for coffee buyers and industry members to experience and learn from this type of regenerative farming and cooperative. Though with such rave reviews of the property, they built 10 more cabins and a farm-to-table restaurant for travelers.
Finding our @LaPalmayElTucan_hotel suite was like walking through a botanical garden meets food forest. We settled in with a hot bath and coffee break from our in-floor hammock. Lunchtime brought portobello sandwiches and creamy calabaza soup by the pond. Following the Coffee Trail over the river, we started our tour of the plantation, production facilities, and classrooms. It culminated with a coffee tasting, where we honed our senses with 36 essential oils and the coffee taster’s wheel to pinpoint the notes of our upcoming brews. We learned how to make the perfect pour-over coffee with the proper measurements and finesse, then savored every last sip, overlooking the unforgettable LaPalmayElTucan.
