It is believed that the introduction of this aromatic bean to Guatemala , and then throughout the area formed by the kingdom, was due to the initiative of Jesuit priests during the XVIII century. As coffee plant properties were hardly known, it was used as a decorative tree or a medicine. Gradually it evolved from a simple black colored infusion to a highly appreciated beverage. Then in 1803, together with other products such as cotton, cacao, and sugar, coffee obtained a tax exemption. This event encouraged the landowners to produce these crops. For the city of Antigua , (which had been reduced to the category of a village due to the abandonment caused by the 1773 earthquake), this decision was a turning point. In 1860 its surroundings were developed by large coffee farms causing a re-settlement of inhabitants in town. This growth was enhanced by the desire of the authorities and populace to rebuild some of its main civil and religious constructions such as the Cathedral, the Ayuntamiento (City Hall), and La Merced Church among others. In 1871, La Antigua was reclassified as a city due to its economic progress. Coffee became, for the first time, an important export product for Guatemala . The country obtained the highest production rate and price for its coffee after it won First Place in the Paris World Exhibition in 1888 and the First Place in the San Francisco Exposition in 1915. Guatemalan coffee is internationally renowned due to the unique qualities produced by its beans, which are cultivated in five different natural regions in the country: Fraijanes, Coban, Huehuetenango, Atitlán, and Antigua . The coffee from Antigua is best known internationally, and, therefore, generally subject to a high price in "gourmet" markets. Unique qualities are produced by the areas where the coffee is cultivated such as the foothills of Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego volcanoes. In these lands ecological and weather features offer optimal soil conditions to fertilize the best coffee plants. In order to showcase the past and present, some coffee plantations in Antigua , have opened their doors to national and foreign tourists. Plantation and bean processing tours are offered where you learn not only the procedure from the bean up to the preparation of a cup of coffee; but you can also appreciate the importance of coffee forestry, which in the case in Guatemala plays an important role in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, a "lung" for America. After a walk through any coffee plantation tour, we invite you to spend a charming evening out on the city, drinking a cup of our aromatic Antiguan coffee. Some of the caf é s are located in ancient buildings containing intimate and wonderful gardens; others are situated around Plaza Central where you can witness the coming and goings of life on Antigua 's streets.

At present the following coffee plantations tours are available:

Finca La Azotea (Centro Cultural La Azotea )

Finca Filadelfia

Finca Los Nietos

Finca Capeuleu

Suggestions where you can drink an excellent cup of coffee produced in these plantations and others around La Antigua :

· Café Condesa

· El Viejo Café

· La Tostaduría

· Restaurante Mediterráneo

· Café El Portal