In my short stop in Boquete up on the central mountains of Panama I did a couple of tours. The first was a horseback riding hotsprings tour I wrote about before, and in the rainy afternoon we were taken to the coffee plantation to hear a bit about the blooming Panama coffee industry and see the local production first hand. Let me tell you, it’s very basic, and it’s mostly done by hand. I was expecting big machines and large factory-like productions, but it all boiled down to a single family and another person or two who handle the whole production. And we’re talking one of the major coffee families in the region.
Surely, you’ll get some Starbucks dissing, hear about the different roasts, and explained some misconceptions about coffee in the west (french press is preferable for coffee quality, instant coffee isn’t coffee, freezing coffee doesn’t keep it ‘fresh’, dark coffee does not have stronger boost, etc.).
Although it all boils down to a hut and a field, it’s all quite entertaining and worth visiting to get a bit of a feel for what many of the locals in Boquete are doing…
Following are some ‘highlights’ from the tour…
Other reviews on this coffee tour:
A fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.