Embrace Guatemala’s famous coffee culture at this sprawling coffee plantation outside Jocotenango. Guatemala is world-renowned for its coffee and its production is an important part of Guatemala’s economy, the country being Central America’s top producer of coffee for most of the 20th and much of the 21st century, too.
At La Azotea, one of Guatemala’s most historic coffee plantations dating back to the late 1800’s, you can learn about everything from coffee to Mayan musical instruments. This diverse complex of museums – three museums, to be exact – are housed within a 19th century coffee mill and plantation.
Let’s take a look at the different elements of La Azotea..
Museo del Café
Here in the mill is the coffee museum, where visitors can learn about the history of coffee and view the fully-functional equipment from the 1800s that remains at the plantation.
Between December and March, visitors can even tour the plantation itself to see the harvesting and production of coffee in action. You will learn from expert coffee farmers and the passionate La Azotea staff about the history of the coffee production in Guatemala, and how it has been marketed globally to make it the world-famous export it is today.
For the equestrians out there, by prior arrangement it is also possible to arrange a tour of the farm on horseback!
Casa K’ojom
This Mayan museum houses artifacts from the ancient Maya people in pre-Columbian times, such as musical instruments, masks and other crafts spread across permanent and temporary exhibitions. There’s a reconstructed Mayan village, lots of ancient paintings, and the Antigua valley’s traditional outfits and crafts.
You can pre-book a guided tour in the Pre-Hispanic, Contemporary and La Cofradía rooms, and in the auditorium you will find an audiovisual presentation taking you on a journey through Mayan history.
Rincón de Sacatepéquez
The final of the three museums is dedicated to items of traditional Guatemalan dress. Garments are displayed on mannequins and take you through how the culture and dress has evolved over the years.
No coffee plantation would be complete with a cafe to sip the homegrown goods, nor a shop for you to purchase the local produce to take back home as a memento of your travels, or a gift for your loved ones.
For more information, including details of tours and admission, please visit www.fincalaazotea.com