Visit a Working Coffee Hacienda in Puerto Rico

Hacienda Muñoz

San Lorenzo

One of the island's newest coffee haciendas is in San Lorenzo, just 30 minutes from San Juan. Hacienda Muñoz offers a nice escape from the metropolitan area without venturing deep into the mountains of Puerto Rico. Their walking tour includes a history lesson, while you enjoy the views of their small coffee plantation, and a snack overlooking the neat rows of coffee plants. Animals such as peacocks, turkeys, chickens, and even a donkey roam freely through the property.

Hacienda Tres Picachos

Jayuya

The same family has managed this hacienda for over 40 years. Nestled in Jayuya, it is an ideal place for a family daytrip. The estate has a traditional Casona, a water mill, a small museum with Taíno artifacts, and a river that crosses the property. At Tres Picachos, you’ll get the full countryside experience, including animals roaming around the premises.

Sandra Farms

Adjuntas

In this Adjuntas farm you will not only find a coffee plantation, but you can also appreciate the island’s local chocolate production. The farm, named after one of the owners, immerses its visitors into the history and evolution of sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico. Learn all about their environmentally-friendly farming techniques, which result in less water consumption. Every eco-friendly coffee and chocolate lover will be fascinated by their tour and, obviously, their samples.

Find a local coffee shop

Harvesting and Processing Specialty Gourmet Coffee

Puerto Rican coffee goes through a meticulous process before it can be poured in a cup:

1. Once the coffee cherries are hand-picked from the plant, they are sorted, and the ones that are caritostados (sundried) are discarded.
2. The coffee cherries that are 100% ripe are thrown in a machine to be separated by color and size.
3. The freshly harvested cherries are passed through a pulping machine to separate the skin and pulp from the bean.  
4. The beans are dried out with one of two methods: they are either thrown in a net to sun-dry completely or tossed in a machine that simulates sunrays.*Fun fact: The most commonly used coffee toasting machine was invented in Puerto Rico and perfected in Colombia. These machines dry up to three layers of the bean.
5. When the bean's humidity is down to 10%, the seeds are left to rest for up to three months. If they are processed immediately, the beans lose their unique properties.
6. Once again, the coffee beans are sorted by color, size, and weight. They go into a milling machine that removes the hulls. The milled beans are known as green coffee.
7. The exposed beans are examined for flaws or imperfections.
8. The coffee beans are roasted to a medium finish and sent to be packaged or ground for consumption.

Fun Facts about Specialty Gourmet Coffee

1. Puerto Rican coffee is primarily Arabica beans of the Limaní variety, which was developed on the Island.

2. To achieve the special properties of Puerto Rican coffee, the beans must be planted and sown in the Island’s volcanic soil at an altitude of 1,800 to 3,500 feet above sea level and grown under lots of shade.

3. Specialty coffee is only roasted to a medium finish to make sure the bean preserves the fruity and nutty qualities that make it unique.

4. Puerto Rican coffee is sweet and creamy, and experts suggest it is better enjoyed black and without sugar.

5. The most common ways to drink coffee in Puerto Rico are pocillo (espresso), cortadito (espresso with a little steamed milk), and café con leche (latte).

6. It only takes 22 seconds to extract a shot of espresso.