Boquete

Did you know that Panama produces some of the most flavorful coffee in the world? A relatively new player on the gourmet-coffee market, the country produces traditional shade-grown-coffee varieties that are generally considered to be more complex and distinctive than those produced by its more famous neighbor, Costa Rica. Most coffee plantations in Panama are concentrated around Boquete because of the high altitude required for prime coffee growing, and because of the region's fertile volcanic soil. On this tour you will learn about the cultivation and process of the coffee bean and you will never look at your morning cup of joy the same once you have taken a coffee tour. Even coffee snobs will glean insight not only into the meticulous growing process but into the economics of the local Ngöbe-Buglé indigenous labor and culture, the shade-grown theory to protect the environment and to grow a better bean, the effect coffee has on the world, and what coffee producers really think about Starbucks. Tours are capped off with a cupping, which, much like a wine-tasting, gives you a chance to sample different flavors, strengths, and roasts.

Transportation from the hotel, English speaking driver/guide, entrance fees.

 4 hours

Comfortable clothes and shoes, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, water