GUATEMALAN COFFEE REGIONS PROFILE NO. 3: ATITLÁN

One of the world's most exotic and beautiful places, this region's landmark is the massive crater Lake Atitlán, and its three volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán.
By. Josué Morales

Lake Atitlán in Sololá. Guatemala. Photo by Josué Morales

Guatemala Coffee Profile: Atitlán Coffee SHB.

Home for endangered birds and wildlife, natural reserves and private forests; there are many things to be noticed driving around Lake Atitlán. The amazing scenery, the magical aspect of this place that seems to be a self-contained universe, the notion of time slowing down, the colorful smile of the people that live in the small towns all around the shores, and especially what stands out is coffee shrubs growing everywhere. Starting from the descent on the road from Sololá, to the outer skirts on the west side of the lake going from the high Volcanoes all the way into the lowlands beyond. 

Lake Atitlán. Guatemala.
Images by Google.

Being a completely volcanic region, the soils are rich in minerals and organic content. Altitude plays and important role in the development of this coffee, being Lake Atitlán at 4.500 ft, what grows on the slopes of these mountains and volcanoes develops slowly producing a small blueish coffee bean that is shielded by the natural occurring phenomenon of Xocomil. These are strong winds generated in the Lake whose role is to stir the waters and regulate microclimatic changes allowing for coffee to grow at high altitudes without being affected by frost. 

Lagoon at Finca Tarrales,  half way up the
Atitlán Volcano.  Photo by Josué Morales

The result of combining all these natural factors with the elaborated craft of local people that produce this coffee is near to perfection. Green coffee from Atitlán smells like coco butter and fresh flowers, giving away raspberry, prune and citric notes when roasted; with an elegant, crisp but pleasant long aftertaste. Although characteristics may vary due to difference in altitudes and microclimatic variations from one part of the Lake to another. The coffee from the three volcanoes can come to be extremely different from each other, differences go to the extreme of depending wether coffee plantations are facing the lake or not. One thing is true, however, and that is the unequivocal quality present in everything produced here. 


Sadly, Atitlán Coffee has become very difficult to obtain, since most of it is smuggled into Antigua and sold as a different origin, or used for blending. But some honorable farmers still remain that enable us to distinguish the subtleties of such an exotic coffee-growing region. 

Roasting Coffee. Picture by Ivan Castro for Coffea Roasters Guatemala.