Costa Rica
Diego Robelo
Aquiares Estate
Turrialba
1200 masl
Mariana
Anaerobic Natural

Tropical fruits, orange liquor, and cacao.

Deep Roots: The farm name Aquiares Estate comes from the Huetar indigenous language and means “land between rivers.” Today, it’s known as Aquiares Coffee and Community--and for good reason. Not only is it the largest farm in Costa Rica, but it’s also home to around 1,800 people.

Birth of the Aquiares Community: Producer Alfonso fled Nicaragua in the 1980s, escaping political violence and threats to his life. When he and his family arrived in Costa Rica, he began rebuilding his life on the slopes of the Turrialba volcano, surrounded by rivers, forests, and rich biodiversity. Alfonso didn’t stop at growing coffee though--he also reshaped the way his farm and workers coexist. Aquiares originally had over 200 employee houses on the farm, but no formal ownership. This somewhat fraught arrangement, or more accurately, lack of arrangement, left families feeling insecure about their future, and in turn, in their commitment to Aquiares.

Alfonso saw a way to fix this. He turned the farm into a community where workers could work their way to buying their own homes. The change created stability, commitment, pride, and a stronger connection between the people and the coffee they produced. Today, Aquiares is looked to as a model of sustainable agriculture, fair practices, and the benefits of the 'lifting of all boats' philosophy embodied by Alfonso.

Evolving with a new generation: Now, Alfonso’s son Diego, runs the farm. He’s pushed Aquiares into the world of specialty coffee, experimenting with new varieties and processing methods. Thanks to strong agricultural management and innovative thinking, Aquiares Coffee and Community has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in Costa Rica and beyond.

Sustainability is at the core of Aquiares: Aquiares Coffee and Community actively measures its greenhouse gas emissions and offsets them to move toward carbon neutrality. These efforts are verified under international climate standards and tied into Costa Rica’s broader environmental goals.

But their work goes beyond numbers. Aquiares Coffee and Community maintain protected biological corridors to support wildlife, plants, and overall biodiversity. Researchers from around the world often visit to study topics like agroforestry, soil health, and the many bird and animal species that thrive there.

Finding varietal balance through innovation: Aquiares Coffee and Community embraces cutting-edge coffee science that is game-changing. The Mariana varietal originates from a cross between IAPAR 59 and an Ethiopian landrace varietal. What makes this F1 hybrid cultivar related to Starmaya so special is that Mariana is one of the first F1 hybrids in the world to be propagated by seed instead of tissue cloning. This opens new doors for coffee breeding and resilience.

The Anaerobic Natural Process: The Coffee cherries are first floated and washed, but not depulped. Next, they’re placed in stainless-steel tanks with one-way valves. Natural yeast and microorganisms kick-start fermentation, and after a couple of hours, all the oxygen is gone. This creates our desired anaerobic environment, where the cherries stay to ferment for around 24 hours.

Once finished, the cherries are washed again and dried--first on a ceramic patio for two days, then on layered beds in solar dryers until optimum moisture is reached.