Guatemala Santa Ana Natural

Finca Santa Ana is located in the village of Pueblo Nuevo Viñas, Department of Santa Rosa, Guatemala, between the Tecuamburro and Pacaya volcanoes. Managed by the amazing Fernando 'Nando" Diaz, Nando is not just a fantastic businessman but also a dedicated farmer. Santa Ana, co-owned with his siblings, was passed down to him by his father, who acquired it in the late 80s. The farm contains coffee varieties such as Bourbon and Catuaí, with native trees grown to shade the coffee plants. The combination of these elements, plus the quantity of rain, soil type and particularly the altitude of the plantation, makes Santa Ana coffee very special. Strict supervision during the harvesting season has become very important, as the coffee bean must be perfectly ripe. The de-pulping and drying in the sun during the wet milling are also highly managed to maintain the quality of each coffee bean.

Many people cite Guatemala as their favourite coffee origin, and for good reason: coffees from here tend to be balanced and sweet but with lots of complexity, and the diverse regions from volcanoes to plateaus to rainforests provide a huge variety in growing conditions and terroir.

Guatemala is one of the world’s most renowned coffee-producing nations, and enjoys nigh-on perfect growing conditions across most of the country. Since its introduction in the mid-18th century, coffee has become a massively important part of Guatemala’s economy and culture.

With support from the national coffee association, Anacafé, Guatemala's coffee industry has grown to become the world's tenth largest producer, generating around 40 percent of the country's agricultural export revenue and supporting almost half a million families.

Speciality coffee is grown across eight distinct regions in Guatemala, designated by Anacafé as those producing Strictly Hard Bean (high altitude) coffee, and can be divided into five volcanic and three non-volcanic regions. Huehuetenango, one of our favourite coffee producing areas (which means 'Place of the Ancients') is the highest of the non-volcanic regions, located in the west of the country along the Mexican border and dominated by the Cuchumatanes Mountains.

Here, hot air sweeps across from the Plains of Tehuantepec in Mexico, and mixes with cooler mountainous air, creating a frost-proof microclimate that allows coffee to be cultivated up to 2,000 metres. Coffee from Huehuetenango (pronounced way-way-teh-nahn-go) is much sought-after and often places highly in Guatemala's Cup of Excellence competition.

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.

Sourced in partnership with: Caribbean Goods
Producer relationship length: 3 years