The
word "amistad" means friendship and in this special place, it
amplifies the real meaning of friendship. La Amistad is a friend
to the forest, to the animals, to
the community, and to the land around it.
Located at nearly 4,000 feet in the lush mountains on the border
of Costa Rica and Panama next to La Amistad National Park, the
largest national park in Costa Rica, this shade-grown organic
estate coffee exhibits mild body, mild acidity and a clean, lively
cup.
A
family farm dating back several generations, this environmentally
friendly estate is now a “National Private Protected Area” known
as “Las Tablas,” and is inundated and surrounded by natural forest,
and is protected against hunting, wood extraction and environmental
detriment. The diverse flora and fauna that thrive here are quite
unique, and protected, as many native species are near extinction.
Organically shade-grown, certified by OCIA, this exquisite coffee
shares the estate with organic vegetable gardens and Erythrina
and leguminous trees which were planted for a steady supply of
nitrogen into the coffee system. The streams from the rainforest
supply the water for the coffee and gardens in this well-balanced
ecosysytem, as well as power the farm through their on-site hydro-electric
plant. The natural fertilizer comes from waste compost from the
animals, cherry pulp, leaves and ashes.
The Region & Ecotourism
The estate, known as "Las
Tablas," which forbids people from hunting, extracting wood
or doing any damage to the area, is located next to the popular
La Amistad National Park, one of the few national parks situated
on the border between two countries. The largest reserve area
in Costa Rica, the diversity of flora and fauna is quite unique
with a large number of species on the verge of extinction.
The farm itself has a ten room lodge for ecotourism, and has
become a popular destination. The natural tours into the mountains
are always lead by a local guide into restricted areas of the
mountain. The food served in the dining room of the lodge is
prepared by native women that live on the farm. When spending
the night at the lodge, visitors have the privelige of being
awakened, early in the morning, to the many sounds of all the
different birds singing and chirping, and the obnoxious screams
of the monkeys that also inhabit the rainforest around the farm.
The beauty of this fascinating place, with the sounds of the
birds and monkeys, and the colorful flowers and trees that surround
it, brings a peace to the soul and a wonderful reminder of the
romance that coffee brings into our lives.
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