Coffee arrived in Nicaragua in the mid-1800s. Since then, the country’s fertile soil has helped the crop to play a significant role in the country’s economy. A wide variety of small to large farms are operated by multi-generational families. During the coffee harvest, which usually occurs between November and February, large plantations employ and house hundreds, sometimes thousands of coffee pickers.
The country’s most popular cultivating areas are in regions within Nicaragua’s Central northern mountains “ Las Segovias (Estelí, Madriz and Nueva Segovia), Matagalpa (Isabelia and Dariense mountain ranges) and Jinotega.
The humid climate and rich volcanic soil allow for lush vegetation to thrive.
Selva Negra Mountain Resort: Owned by descendants of German settlers, Selva Negra is an ecolodge, organic farm and bird-friendly coffee estate in the highlands of Northern Nicaragua in Matagalpa. Guests stay in chalets overgrown with orchards and ferns. The property is well-known for protecting the forest, birds and wildlife. Coffee plantation tours are best from November through February. They’re usually on foot and include lessons on plantillo (coffee plant) care, coffee picking, how coffee is processed, waste processing, an introduction to the coffee museum and coffee tasting.
