Course participants must fly into Panama City and then take a domestic flight to the town of David in the province of Chiriqui (close to the border with Costa Rica). Chiriqui features the most spectacular tropical forests of Central America and has many pristine coffee estates which make this region into the “Napa Valley of Latin America”. There’s no need to rent a car! We will arrange transportation from David airport to Volcan and from Boquete to David airport and of course during your stay in Chiriqui.

Day One: Farming Techniques & Cupping
Santa Clara - Finca Hartmann
Spend the night in Hotel Dos Rios, Volcan meet for breakfast and travel by car to the nearby Piedra Candela and Santa Clara regions. We will visit Finca Hartmann, one of the most impressive eco-friendly and sustainable farms in the world. Finca Hartmann counts more than two hundred tropical bird species. The farm has been an object of study by the Smithsonian Institute.
During our visit, we will start with an in depth review of farming and coffee cultivation philosophies, including topics like seed germination, shade management and how to maintain the eco-balance in the farm. This will be followed by a cupping session in the pristine coffee lab. After the gourmet lunch, we will tour the Ojo de Agua farm which includes heirloom varieties like Typica, Caturra, San Ramon and Geisha. The most spectacular part of this tour features a rainforest jungle trek through trails on the 100+ acre forest reserve. We’ll spend the night again in Volcan.
More reading on Finca Hartmann.

Day Two: Coffee Cultivation, Heirloom Varieties & Economics
Volcan - Finca Sophia
During breakfast and our morning cup of coffee, we will discuss the extensive preparations required to start your own coffee farm. Willem Boot will share his personal ideas and experiences with coffee farming and cultivation. We will review essential questions like:
- Benefits of heirloom varieties and considerations during the selection of coffee types;
- Investigating the soil and the land prior to the planting;
- Desired climate conditions and measuring techniques;
- Selecting employees and other important legal issues;
- Financial planning and cash flow budgeting;
- Maintaining sustainability, quality and profitability;
- Tree density and shade tree management.
Of course we will tour Finca Sophia, the farm that Willem Boot started in collaboration with his friends from Equator Coffee.
Finca Sophia is situated on the northern side of the Baru volcano and lies close to the spectacular farms of Carmen Estate and Bambito Estate. We will hike through Finca Sophia under the guidance of our farm manager Kelly Hartmann and you can see how the Geisha trees are slowly maturing in the ultra-high conditions bordering the Unesco protected Amistad Park. After a late lunch we will travel to Boquete during the afternoon.
Check this introspective map of Panama and the Volcan Candela region. More about Amistad Park and birding options.

Day Three: Cloud Forest Hike - Processing Techniques & Cupping
Boquete - Finca La Mula, Kotowa Estate
After spending the night in Boquete (a quaint town that could be the Aspen of Central America) we will rise early and you will join us for a spectacular hike into Finca La Mula. We started this farm in 2006 and the Geisha trees have been planted in a unique cloud forest setting. After lunch we will arrange a specialized tour to Kotowa Estate and here we will review the ongoing processing of incoming coffee cherries. We will also arrange a cupping session of fresh harvest coffees. As long as time permits, we will visit another farm in the Boquete valley and
we will conclude the course with a final discussion about “Crafting Quality at Origin”.

Lodging
Participants can make their own travel and lodging arrangements. Of course we are available to assist you. Please call our office: +1 415 380 1999.
Volcan: in the rustic Hotel Dos Rios.
Boquete: Hotel Isla Verde.
Detailed information about transport and hotels is available here: Panama Info

Crafting Quality at Origin

Course Fee: $ 1295.00

(includes all meals and 4x4 transport in coffee regions - we pick you up from David Airport)

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