Coffee since 1779, now mapped by ICAFE into seven regions, with the finest lots grown around 1,200-1,700 m. Tarrazú is often seen as the top area.
Costa Rica has grown coffee since 1779, beginning in the Meseta Central, and by 1829 coffee had overtaken cacao, tobacco and sugar as a source of revenue. The government encouraged planting through land offers in the 19th century, and coffee income helped fund railroads and the National Theater. Wikipedia lists eight growing regions, but ICAFE has since redrawn the map into seven: Los Santos, Valle Occidental, Valle Central, Pérez Zeledón, Coto Brus, Turrialba and Zona Norte. Wikipedia says the finest coffee is typically grown at 1,200-1,700 m in a shorter winter season. Cherries are processed at beneficios, where they are washed and pulped, then sun or mechanically dried. Tarrazú is regarded as producing the most desirable beans, and Geisha planting there began in 2012. Villa Sarchí is a Bourbon mutation found in Costa Rica.
History
Coffee arrived in the Meseta Central around 1779 and by 1829 had surpassed cacao, tobacco and sugar in revenue. British investors became major buyers after 1843, the Anglo-Costa Rican Bank was founded in 1863, and coffee revenue funded the first railroad to the Atlantic coast in 1890. Growth and a 1983 blight plus falling prices led to a crisis in the 1980s.
Field notes
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Costa Rican coffee production began in 1779 in the Meseta Central.
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A Tarrazú Geisha became the most expensive coffee Starbucks sold, in 48 of its US stores.
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In 2023 the Los Santos region took the top three Cup of Excellence places, with Johel Monge first at 91.08.
Where it growsSeven ICAFE regions, from lower-altitude Turrialba to high-grown Los Santos, the zone around Tarrazú.
Regions of Costa Rica
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Three saint-named cantons grown at about 1,200-1,900 m, where ICAFE describes good body and a fine, high acidity that is not pungent.
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Valle Occidental, one of ICAFE's seven coffee regions, with about a fifth of the national crop and a high share of Cup of Excellence winners.
Naranjo · Grecia · Palmares · Sarchí
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Where Costa Rican coffee began in 1779. ICAFE lists it at 1,000-1,400 m with about 15% of the crop, and Cafe Imports points to its natural-processed lots.
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A former ICAFE region around La Unión canton, now folded into the Central Valley as housing replaces coffee. Listed at 1,300-1,700 m.
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The southern zone that ICAFE counts as two regions, Pérez Zeledón and Coto Brus, both listed at 800-1,700 m with a September to February harvest.
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Region that now includes Orosi, listed by ICAFE at 600-1,300 m with a June to February harvest. Home of the very large Aquiares estate.
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A valley district of Paraíso canton that ICAFE has folded into its Turrialba region. Listed at 800-1,400 m with medium to light acidity.
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A former ICAFE region now folded into Zona Norte. Listed at 700-1,350 m with a June to February harvest and a balanced profile.
Varietals grown here
How it is usually processed
Species
Sources · 4 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-11. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Coffee production in Costa Rica · Wikipedia
- List of coffee varieties · Wikipedia
- Tres Ríos desaparece del mapa de las regiones cafetaleras de Costa Rica; vea todos los cambios que hizo el Icafé · El Financiero (Costa Rica)
- 24.000 familias dependen de la producción de café en Costa Rica · CRHoy