While not native to Colombia, coffee is now an important agricultural crop within the counry. Not on any map, but located about 25 minutes from Guatape, this 4.5 hectare coffee farm is perched on a steep hillside far above the Guatape River. Accessible only by foot or a sturdy Jeep, the road to get here is steep and extremely rocky at times. From the main road, the road leading to the coffee farm is about 1km (almost all downhill going and uphill returning).
Cafe Artisanal Cirpes focuses on cultivating coffee trees and all the necessary processing post harvest through roasting the beans. Very much family run, they provide an extremely detailed and informative coffee tour. Guests are even allowed to pick beans wearing a special picking basket, can help remove pulp from the raw fruit and of course the most important part, at the end of the tour sample the product.
Cafe Artisanal Cirpes works with several local tour guides and agencies to bring people to the farm. A home made lunch can be prepared ahead of time. Allow at least several hours here. Part of the charm of visiting is not only the educational component but also enjoying beautiful vistas. A number of waterfalls are on the property and guests can often hear these running.
Leave a Reply