At Ocotea Boutique Hotel, we believe every part of your Costa Rican experience should feel meaningful – from the forest that greets you in the morning to the meals you share at our table. Sometimes, it’s the smallest things – like a simple cup of coffee – that tell the biggest stories.
This is the story behind the cup of Monteverde coffee we serve at our hotel. The kind we hope to soon serve you.
A Local Relationship Brewed in the Cloud Forest
Long before Ocotea Boutique Hotel welcomed its first guests, the story behind your morning coffee had already begun: Arabica plants had been trekked from the Central Valley to Monteverde, and the seeds of a future coffee collective had taken root.
Our relationship with Café Monteverde is built on shared values – sustainability, community connection, and deep respect for place. The farms that supply the cooperative are all located within 5-9 kilometers of Santa Elena, at elevations ranging from 1,100 to 1,400 meters. This local connection keeps the supply chain rooted in Monteverde’s landscape and community.
We’re proud to partner with them and to serve locally grown coffee at our hotel table, on our rooftop, and at Nectandra, our restaurant – single-origin coffee grown just minutes from where you sip it. They are suppliers and our neighbors. Friends. Partners in purpose.
Coffee with Roots: Family-Grown & Community-Driven
Café Monteverde isn’t a faceless brand; it’s a collective of over 20 families farming in harmony with the cloud forest. These families form Unión Varsan de Monteverde, a cooperative founded in 1990, with roots tracing back to the 1930s when the first plants arrived in the area by hand.
Here, on family farms where half the land remains forested, coffee isn’t just grown – it’s nurtured. From hand-picking red-ripe cherries beneath shade trees to eco-conscious processing, the approach is slow, intentional, and rooted in place.
“We grow all our seedlings ourselves in on-site nurseries,” explained Guillermo Vargas, one of our partners at Café Monteverde. “That way, we know exactly what we’re planting. Our soil gets a blend of compost and bioles we make ourselves, and we add some chemical fertilizer when the plants really need it – especially during tough weather years. We also make charcoal from pruned coffee wood, inoculate it with microorganisms, and mix it into the soil. That’s helped keep our land fertile and healthy.”
Their farm has cut herbicide use by nearly 90% by relying on mechanical clearing. Trees are planted for shade, windbreaks, and natural nitrogen fixation. “We follow the natural contour of the hills,” Guillermo added, “and build terraces to protect against erosion. Everything we do is about working with nature, not against it.”
What’s in a Variety?
Our local coffee growers cultivate traditional Costa Rican coffee varieties:
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Caturra: Compact and productive, offering balanced acidity and sweetness.
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Catuaí: A cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra, known for clean, bright flavor profiles.
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Venecia: A newer variety known for its complexity and adaptability in high-altitude climates.
These varieties, combined with artisanal processing – from fully washed (clean, classic flavor) to honey processed (retaining some fruit for sweetness) and natural (dried with the cherry on for bold, fruity depth) – create a range of profiles that speak to Monteverde’s diversity of flavor and ecosystem.
A Closer Look at the Coffee Process
Shaped by the high-elevation cloud forest, Monteverde coffee begins with a rare gift: a unique microclimate where cooler temperatures and frequent clouds slow the ripening process. This extended maturation allows the beans to develop deeper sugars and more nuanced flavors, resulting in rich, complex cups that reflect the land itself.
Once picked, how the coffee is processed shapes its character:
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Fully Washed: The fruit is removed from the bean before fermentation and drying. This clean process yields a crisp, bright cup with classic flavor clarity, often the method of choice for Costa Rica’s signature balanced profile.
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Honey Process: Some of the fruit’s mucilage is left on the bean during drying, adding sweetness and depth. Expect a rounder body and notes of honey, ripe fruit, and baking spices.
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Natural Process: The entire cherry is dried with the fruit still intact, allowing the sugars to be absorbed into the bean. This bold method results in fruity, floral, and sometimes wine-like notes – a vibrant expression of the bean’s origin.
Over 70% of Café Monteverde’s beans are sun-dried. The rest use a low-impact oven fueled by recycled husk. Pulped skins are composted, husks repurposed, and water treated in artificial lagoons. Nothing is wasted.
Café Monteverde, the Ocotea Way
At Nectandra, our Monteverde boutique hotel restaurant, we highlight the local terroir through curated, local roasts. Depending on the season, we may feature:
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Medium Roast, Fully Washed: Balanced and smooth, with rich notes of brown sugar and caramel.
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Honey Process, Medium Roast: Sweet and citric, with juicy pear, cinnamon, and a rounded finish.
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Natural Process, Medium Roast: Floral and fruit-forward, with hints of cedar and bright berries.
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Cloud Forest Blend: A house favorite combining natural and dark roast beans for a bold, smooth cup.
Roasting and packaging are done on-site using propane-fueled roasters. While the packaging isn’t biodegradable, the process ensures quality and full traceability. We know where your cup comes from, and so will you. Whether it’s your first sip at breakfast or an afternoon cafecito on the terrace, know that every brew offers a deeper connection to Monteverde and the people who cultivate its land.
From Seed to Cup, With Care
This journey from cherry to cup is one of precision, patience, and care. Café Monteverde controls every step of the process, which includes working with neighboring farms, offering training and technical support, and maintaining shared processing and distribution infrastructure.
The cooperative only produces between 65,000 and 75,000 kilograms of green coffee annually, maintaining a small-batch, artisanal scale that ensures consistency and quality. What results is not only exceptional coffee, but a more resilient local economy – one that prioritizes shared growth and environmental stewardship.
Coffee That Reflects Our Values
The cooperative also reflects a labor ethic we’re proud to support.
“All our permanent team members earn at least 20% above the legal minimum,” Guillermo told us. “They’re fully registered, with all their labor rights protected. We also encourage them to keep learning – through on-the-job training or continuing their education.”
He explained that all their seasonal harvesters come from Nicaragua: “We always try to hire locals, but there just aren’t Costa Ricans willing to do the harvest work anymore. So we hire Nicaraguans – and we make sure they’re treated well. They’re paid over double the legal minimum, given free housing during the harvest, and subsidized meals. They’re also fully insured and have access to Costa Rica’s public healthcare.”
Their care extends beyond labor practices – to environmental education, composting systems, and continued research into agroecological farming. “The goal,” Guillermo said, “is to grow excellent coffee while taking care of the people who grow it – and the forest that surrounds it.”
A Taste of the Forest, Served Daily
At our restaurant, on our rooftop, and at our daily table, you’ll taste local Monteverde coffee at its freshest. It’s poured every morning alongside breakfast and served in the quiet beauty of the afternoon as part of Costa Rica’s sacred cafecito tradition.
For something a little different, try a signature dish featuring local coffee notes – from sauces to desserts – or end your evening with an Espresso Martini on our Monteverde Rooftop Bar & Café, for our spirited nod to the bean that sustains us. Every cup supports the people behind the bean and the land we all share.
Visit, Taste, Connect
Want to go deeper? Book our coffee, sugar & chocolate tour – a 2.5-hour, hands-on experience in sustainable coffee. Walk the farm. Meet the growers. See how the forest and the bean grow side by side.
Because here in Monteverde, coffee isn’t just a drink. It’s heritage. It’s a community. And it’s an invitation to slow down, savor the moment, and share something real.
