Coffee: the Pride of Panamá

Soils enriched with volcanic minerals, and a humid environment due to the influence of both oceans, appropriate climatic conditions and, above all, vast experience in planting, harvesting and processing. 

The result could not be better: the production of Geisha coffee, the world's most sought-after coffee variety, that has put the country’s name in world rankings.

The farms where this exquisite coffee is produced are located 1,000 to 2,100 meters (3,280 to 6,900 feet) above sea level. They offer the best landscapes in the country’s mountainous region, and are surrounded by natural reserves that add a unique charm to the experience. 

We are world leaders; Best of Panamá (BOP) is an international auction where Geisha coffee and other varietals that have wowed the experts are catalogued and sold. In this auction, the best national and international juries gather to find the true value behind each cup, and the prices at which Panamanian coffee is sold in BOP continue to break world records.

Panamá’s certified coffee farms have joined together in the Coffee Circuit to offer quality tourist experiences. In their farms you can learn about the careful process behind a good cup of coffee: planting the best beans in the best soil, harvesting at the best time, peeling, washing, pre-drying, drying, aging, peeling again, classifying (by size, shape, density, color and defects), roasting, packing, grinding and filtering. Finally, enjoy the most exquisite cup of coffee, with an incredible view of the Highlands mountains.

The farms in the Coffee Circuit also offer experiences such as horseback riding, hiking, agrotourism, trout fishing, zip lines, hanging bridges, and a series of outdoor activities that will make your visit an unforgettable experience.

When you visit, you will also learn about the efforts to cultivate coffee sustainably and responsibly; the member farms of the Coffee Circuit have taken up this challenge and offer you different ecological visions. 

Another experience that you can have in our coffee farms is meting the Ngäbe-Buglé people, two of the seven indigenous communities in Panamá. They are the harvesting hands in this completely artisanal process, and the coffee farms are having an increasingly positive impact within the community.

If you go from December to March, during the harvest months, the coffee buds will be red and shiny. Then, you will see the landscape dotted with hundreds of workers who handpick each of the beans. It is quite an experience. 

If you come at the beginning of the rainy season, between March and April, you will enjoy a special sight: the foothills are covered with white flowers, as if the tropical mountains were covered in snow. And finally, if you come in the months of May to November, you will find the coffee plantations green and lush. 

Remember that you can find an excellent cup of coffee throughout the country. In Panama City, you can take a tasting tour with baristas specialized in Geisha coffee who will tell you about the best techniques to brew coffee and the importance of the cup’s presentation. 

This experience is not to be missed, whether in the middle of the city or in the mountains, immersed in history, modern architecture, nature, and immense biodiversity, where you will see and taste the efforts of the hundreds of people behind one of the best coffees in the world: Panamá coffee.