MONTEBONITO COFFEE PRODUCERS

Everything began with a journey through the mountains of Caldas. Just an hour from Manzanares, the small community of Montebonito is nestled high in the Andes, surrounded by steep slopes and misty peaks. Its location creates a unique microclimate, where cold nights and warm days provide the perfect environment for coffee. Here, most producers remain deeply traditional, cultivating mainly Caturra, and in Montebonito we saw the opportunity to extend our project beyond Manzanares, where Reforest has already taken root.

Montebonito is part of the municipality of Marulanda and sits at altitudes between 1,850 and 2,100 meters above sea level. Farms here are small—usually just 1 to 3 hectares—and worked almost entirely by the families themselves. Coffee is handpicked, carefully fermented and washed, then dried on parabolic beds or rooftops, depending on each producer’s resources.

In recent years, the region has taken part in renewal programs that have introduced greater education in specialty coffee production. This coffee stands as one of the first examples for the community, showing that innovation can open new opportunities and bring great things to the region.