What makes Guatemalan Coffee so Special?

Road to Coffee Plantations. Quiché. 

Guatemala is known all over the world for its wonderful scenery, its diverse culture, but above all, for its excellent coffee!

By. Josue Morales 

But what exactly is it that makes Guatemala's Coffee so special? To understand Guatemalan Coffee, one must understand Guatemala first. The name "Guatemala" comes from the ancient mayan meaning "land of many trees." Which only helps describe even better the nature of coffee growing in this country where 98% of coffee is shade grown. Using shade is an agricultural practice that provides priceless nurture to coffee plants, it provides the perfect natural setting for coffee to be grown under unique land and climate factors. The main 

natural occurring influences in coffee are: 

HIGH ALTITUDES: The finest coffee in Guatemala is cultuvated between 4,300 and 6,500 feet above sea level. Which are extremely  high altitudes at which coffee production may only be achieved by shade forests and our next factor. 

Burning flame at Coffea Roasters Guatemala. 

MORE THAN 300 MICROCLIMATES: In a relatively small geographical area, 108,889 square kilometers, this can only be explained by the many geogrphic influences present in Guatemala such as a large number of Volcanoes, vast Crater Lakes, High Plateaus and Ranges, along with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. All combine to create significant flavor differences among the different coffee regions in this country.

CONSISTENT RAINFALL PATTERNS: Annual rainfall in Guatemala ranges between 32 and 200, and constitutes our third natural factor in coffee excellence. Rain in Guatemala is not only plentiful, but in many ways predictable. With a heavy rainy that provides perfect development conditions for the coffee plant, with an added value of atleast one heavy rain in summer that allows for the coffee flower to blossom.

Clouds over Guatemala City.