Capital: Guatemala City
Area: 109,000 Square Kilometers
Population: 15.5mn
Language: Spanish
Currency: Quetzal
Annual Production: 3.3m 60kg Bags
Coffee Producing Area: Not verified
Producing Regions: Acatenango, Antigua, Atitlan, Coban, Fraijanes, Huehuetenango, Oriente and San Marcos
Coffee Varietals: Arabigo, Bourbon, Cattura, Cautai, Typica, Maragogype.
Terrain: Volcanic Slopes, Mountains
Altitude: 1,200m– 2,000m
Soil: Volcanic
Harvest: August-March
Coffee production in Guatemala began to develop in the 1850s and has only progressed from strength to strength. The favourable and complex micro-climates across the country has given opportunity to farmers and enabled them to produce fantastically varied coffees within a small geography.
Guatemala has preserved more of the traditional Typica and Bourbon varieties of Arabica than most other Latin American growing countries; this is generally seen as the reason for the heightened complexity and quality of Guatemalan coffees.
Antigua is internationally renowned for its high-quality coffees. This region is located between three volcanoes in a valley with a climate perfect for cultivating coffee. The soils are young and optimal for coffee. The wet and dry seasons are defined for uniform maturation. The temperature ranges from 19-22 C and the altitude is between 1400 and 1600 MASL. Annual rainfall is between 800-1,200 mm and the humidity is constant at 65%.