Don Carlos and Doña María: An Authentic Off the Beaten Path Coffee Tour in Costa Rica
Just five minutes from Chayote Lodge, and far from conventional tourist routes, Don Carlos and Doña María welcome visitors into their home. This is not a coffee farm designed for mass tourism; first and foremost, it is a family home. A place where coffee is not presented merely as a product, but as heritage, daily work, and a way of life. Don Carlos and Doña María come from a coffee-growing family that has cultivated coffee for generations, producing what is today considered one of Costa Rica’s finest coffees: Café Arbar. Here, every plant tells a story, every bean carries meaning, and every harvest reflects patience, knowledge, and deep respect for the land. Next to their house, they have built a small micro-mill, complete with traditional African drying beds where the coffee slowly dries under the sun. The tour is led by a professional guide, but it is Doña María who truly captures the hearts of visitors. She is the soul of the experience—warm, generous, and always ready to share stories as the aroma of freshly roasted coffee fills the air. Throughout the visit, guests learn the entire coffee process: from the seed and the care of the plants over the years, to fascinating details known only to those who live from coffee. They witness the harvest, the careful hand-picking of the beans, and the full processing journey—washing, drying, roasting, grinding, and finally packaging the coffee, ready to be shared beyond the mountains. The experience goes beyond coffee. Around the farm, visitors encounter medicinal plants, chickens and other domestic animals, as well as a worm composting system used to produce organic fertilizer, completing a natural and sustainable cycle. Everything happens organically, without scripted speeches—simply as part of everyday life lived in harmony with nature. The landscape is a constant companion. From the farm, views open onto green pastures, the Central Valley, the volcanic mountain range, and rolling coffee plantations that define the character of this region. It is a setting that invites visitors to slow down, breathe deeply, and simply observe. The tour ends as beautifully as it begins. Doña María prepares coffee using the traditional Costa Rican chorreador method. No rush, no embellishments—just hot water, freshly ground coffee, and an unhurried conversation. This coffee tour is a truly authentic, off the beaten path experience, rich in cultural value and rooted in social responsibility and sustainability. More than an activity, it is an encounter—with people, with the land, and with a living tradition in the mountains of Llano Bonito. At Chayote Lodge, we believe that true luxury lies in simple, genuine experiences, the kind that stay with you because they are felt. And this coffee, shared at the home of Don Carlos and Doña María, tastes exactly like that.
The Story Behind the Dream
Some of my schoolmates still remember that, even back then, I used to say that one day I would own a hotel. Perhaps that was when the seed of this dream was planted, quietly stored somewhere in my memory, waiting for the right moment to come alive. That moment arrived 35 years later, enriched by a lifetime dedicated to tourism. My hospitality journey began in the mid-1990s working in hotels and more than 30 years in tour operations, mainly in sales. My role was to convince international tour operators that Costa Rica deserved a place in their portfolios—first as an alternative destination, later as a fashionable one, and eventually as a truly aspirational place to visit. Through my global business travel, I learned to see my country through different eyes. Costa Rica is far more than breathtaking landscapes. Its natural beauty awakens the senses, but its greatest strength lies in its people—the warmth, the kindness, the unmistakable Pura Vida spirit that makes visitors leave smiling and return home feeling lighter. In the year 2000, I chose Llano Bonito de Naranjo as my home. A small mountain village surrounded by green pastures, lush forests and sweeping views of the Central Valley and its volcanoes. But above all, it is a place shaped by humble, hardworking, and genuinely warm people. It is where my mother taught at the local school and where my father’s family grew up. Llano Bonito has always been part of who I am. Throughout my career, I had the privilege of visiting more than 60 countries. I experienced extraordinary landscapes, dream destinations and met people who are now close friends. Yet in every place, I found myself wishing to create a place where people from around the world can discover the beauty of Llano Bonito de Naranjo. That is how the dream slowly took shape. And like all meaningful dreams, it required hard work, sleepless nights and sacrifices that, somehow, never felt painful. In 2015, we opened the restaurant; six months later, our first three rooms; and a year after that, the twelve rooms that today make up Chayote Lodge. Chayote Lodge is a special place. A mountain boutique hotel in Costa Rica, built with love and intention, far from crowds and noise. A place where silence feels comforting and where reconnecting with yourself happens naturally. Dreams do come true when they are built with heart. And the most beautiful part of dreaming and creating is sharing it. Chayote Lodge exists so that you, too, may find a place to live your own dreams.