Costa Rica - Las Lajas

Costa Rica may be small, but its climate variety gives its coffee real punch — and Las Lajas is a great example. Grown by the Chacón family on six farms (73 ha total) on the slopes of the Poás volcano, the mill sits at 1,300 m with farms up at 1,450–1,500 m. The estate produces around 2,000 exportable bags a year, run by Oscar and Francisca Chacón with their four children.

The family follows organic principles — chemical-free farming, composted pulp returned to the trees, and remarkably low water use (about one cubic metre per day). While they no longer hold formal organic certification, sustainable practice remains central to everything they do.

Innovation is part of the story: the Chacóns grow a wide range of varieties (Caturra, Red & Yellow Catuai, Paraiso, Geisha, Pacamara, SL28 and more) and carefully sort and process every lot. Cherries are floated on Penagos machines to remove low-density fruit before processing. Honeys are dried on raised beds and moved according to colour — longer drying yields darker, more developed honey profiles. The family has even named their signature processes (Alma Negra, Perla Negra, Yellow Diamond).

In 2020 they invested in new fermentation tanks with conveyor pulping and a mechanical dryer for second grades, and they’ve upgraded the warehouse for direct container loading — all helping to improve consistency and scale while keeping the lot character intact.

Las Lajas is a clear, refined coffee with the balance and care that come from family farming, thoughtful processing and volcanic soils. Add it to your basket and taste Costa Rica’s craft in every cup.