Lush scenery, intoxicating views, palate-pleasing favors — it turns out coffee-growing areas have everything you want to experience on your dream honeymoon.
Photo courtesy of Guatemala Tourism Board
Whether you’re a casual coffee drinker or know your cold brew from your pour-overs, a visit to these top bean-producing destinations will provide unforgettable experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
Guatemala
About the size of Ohio, Guatemala is one of the top coffee producers in the world, with most of its rich, medium-bodied product ending up in baristas’ hands in the larger coffee chains in the U.S. Guatemala has several coffee growing regions, each of which yields beans with different aromas and favors. The volcano-ringed Lake Atitlán in the Central Highlands rivals Italy’s Lake Como for dramatic backdrops and misty charm, and produces beans with floral acidity or a spicy-chocolaty favor. Crops from the mountainous areas near the Caribbean Sea or Pacific Ocean yield a lighter, fruitier acidity.
Where to stay: Check in to Relais & Chateauxmember Casa Palopó on Lake Atitlán, which has just nine rooms, and you can explore a dozen nearby Mayan lakeside villages, each with its own dialect, signature color and artisan traditions. shop for hand-woven textiles and other handmade goods, and then come back to impressively furnished rooms, gourmet eats, private terraces and in-room massages at the inn. Room rates start at $154 a nigh.
Photo courtesy of CasaPalopó
What to do: Have you ever seen a coffee tree, red with cherries, ready for harvest? Casa Palopó has partnered with coffee growers Finca Santo Thomas Perdido to provide an exclusive coffee-and-foodie experience for guests. Located on a nature preserve on the lower slopes of the Tolimán volcano, the sustainable plantation (whose product fuels many a Starbucks) includes coffee fields, cow pastures and an artisan cheese dairy. Learn all about the growing cycle from the white blossoms to the ripe red cherries that contain the beans, and then enjoy a feast of farm-made products and freshly brewed java.
Photo courtesy of Guatemala Tourism Board
