Finca Monte Alto

The Finca Monte Alto is a naturally processed Arabica coffee grown on a family-run farm in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica. It is cultivated at around 2,000 metres above sea level by the Arias family, who also manage Café Directo. The cherries are hand-harvested, then dried on African beds for 30 days, which enhances sweetness and fruit character. After drying they rest in a cool, dry environment before being hulled and sorted. The result is a coffee with a balanced body and notable sweetness, from flavours of pear, papaya, marshmallow, and citrus.

Tarrazú is one of Costa Rica’s most acclaimed coffee-growing regions. Its high altitude and volcanic soils, paired with cool yet stable temperatures and abundant rainfall, create ideal conditions for high-quality Arabica cultivation. Tarrazú beans are known for their bright acidity, clean flavours, and strong body. Only Arabica is grown in Costa Rica, reinforcing the focus on quality.

Coffee cultivation began in Costa Rica in the late 18th century. The first official introduction occurred in 1791 when Governor José Vázquez y Téllez arranged for coffee seeds to be brought from Panama to Cartago. Successive government measures—such as tax exemptions, land incentives, and seed distribution—rapidly expanded cultivation. By the 1820s, coffee had overtaken tobacco, sugar and cacao to become the nation’s dominant export. In 1843, Captain William Le Lacheur initiated direct shipments to Britain, which drove foreign investment and economic modernisation. Coffee revenues funded infrastructure like railways and the National Theatre in San José.