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Immersive coffee tour! - Colombia Coffee Tour

• South America    
• Colombia    
• Antioquia Department    
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• Colombia Coffee Tour

Immersive coffee tour!

What a delightful tour! We had a great tour with Juan and really got to immerse ourselves in the full coffee making process, from bean to cup. We loved how interactive and informative it was. Thank you!

It was a great tour! Juan David, Pablo, and Esteban were wonderful tour guides. It was an immersive and fun experience for our group of friends!

The tour was fantastic and very complete. It goes through the history of coffee making, organic farming practices, a walk through a coffee farm, selection of various fruits, and finally a walkthrough of a roaster. As someone who doesn’t even like coffee, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

Really thorough and interactive tour that walked through the coffee process from seed to fruit to bean to cup. It was also great to learn about the organic farming methods used and different varietals of coffee grown.

The best education in coffee ever. From bean to cup. A step by step understanding of the process. A thorough, incredible, profession, fun, and delicious education. Thank you to Pablo, Diana, and the team for such an extraordinary experience. Highly recommended! Jacqueline - UK journalist

What an experience!!! I highly recommend this tour. We visited a coffee farm and got some history information about coffee. After that we tried some coffee

Coffee Tour Medellin: Where to Find the Best Coffee in Medellin

Posted on Last updated: April 5, 2024

Coffee and Colombia go hand-in-hand, and a coffee farm tour is the perfect way to learn about Medellin coffee. Many people backpacking Colombia wait until visiting the Coffee Region for a coffee farm tour, but it isn’t necessary—I recommend doing a  Medellin coffee tour.

The Best Coffee Medellin Tour was one of three I did with Toucan Cafe & Tours, which supports small independent local businesses in the Antioquia region. While they no longer run tours, there are many other great Medellin coffee tours.

Keep reading to learn how taking a “Best Coffee in Medellin Tour” can enact social change and how to support without stepping foot in Colombia .

Need a Colombia backpacking itinerary? Click here to read mine .

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet? The Insurance companies I recommend are  Hey Mondo and Safety Wing Hey Mondo  is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing  is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy. Read my full  travel insurance post  here, where I go into detail about all companies. 

Need Transportation in Colombia?

I highly recommend booking Colombia transportation with GottoGo . You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and flights on their website—I love their customer service. I know them personally from my time living in Guatemala, and they genuinely care for their customers. If a delay occurs and you miss your bus, call them for help. If you book through GottoGo, you will pay more than at the bus station, but it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Colombia.

Are You Searching for the Best Coffee Medellin Offers?

I’ve been a lifelong coffee lover, but my trip to Colombia and coffee farm tour in Medellin took my coffee obsession to the next level. I tasted a lot of coffee in Bogota and learned to brew the perfect cup. I was taught what’s required to make my favorite hot beverage on a small, family-run coffee farm in Medellin . I sampled some of the best coffee in Medellin and my life there!

Quick Tip:  Book accommodation, tours, and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress.  Best Medellin Tours : C lick here to check out the top Medellin tours Best  Medellin  Accommodation:  Click here to check out the best accommodation in Medellin Best  Medellin  Transport:  Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Medellin

Coffee Tour Medellin: Background Information

During my time in Colombia , I learned much about its politics and history . Without going into a full-blown lecture (I’m saving that for another post), here’s some background information you need to put things into context.

Colombia is the home of Magical Realism for good reason! For many, the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Colombia is “drugs.”

Having spent time in this beautiful country, I have seen and heard firsthand accounts of its troubled past and how Colombians are trying to build a better future. Decades of civil war caused around seven million people to be displaced, many of whom fled the war-torn cities for a new, more peaceful life in rural areas.

While groups like FARC have disarmed and don’t force farmers to grow chocolate or coffee beans anymore, many farmers struggle to make a profit. Farmers who can’t live off their income may be tempted to grow illegal goods for money. When you buy good quality “Fair Trade” coffee or take a coffee farm tour with an independent company, you are directly helping that farmer and their family earn an honest living.

Why Take a Coffee Tour Medellin

Colombia ranks third among the world’s top coffee exporters and is famous for having some of the best coffee in the world. The country exports an annual average of 11.5 million coffee bags. If you are visiting a country with good, quality coffee, I consider it a crime not to take a coffee farm tour! It would be like visiting France without doing a wine tour.

Most people tour Colombia’s Coffee Region, and Salento is the most popular destination. However, there are coffee farms nationwide, so you can find a tour in most departments.

Here is a great Colombia Coffee Region Guide  to help you plan a visit.

These tours educate participants on the coffee-making process and life in rural Colombia . Learning about the social and political issues farmers have faced was just as, if not more, interesting than the actual coffee.

My Coffee Tour Medellin Experience

I didn’t have time to visit the Coffee Region during my last trip to Colombia, so I opted for a “Best Coffee Medellin” option. Toucan organized the coffee farm tour and took us to Cafe de la Cima Coffee Farm in Antioquia’s La Toscana Fredonia area, about 1.5 hours outside Medellin. Once we reached the village, we were switched to a 4×4 vehicle to access the farm.

This Medellin coffee tour takes you to an authentic working farm that a family runs—it’s not an overpriced tourist attraction with a fancy gift shop and air conditioning. The family who owns and operates the farm is incredible, and their passion for coffee shows in their delicious beans.

After a delicious breakfast and several cups of coffee, it was time to learn about the coffee process.

Next is a tour of the fields—wear suitable footwear for walking in the mountains. Remember that rain is likely since you are in a cloud forest, so pack your waterproof jacket!

After touring the fields and learning how the beans are grown, we had the opportunity to hand-pick them.

The tour was an eye-opener—I never knew how much work goes into every sip of coffee. I will never again drink a cup without giving a silent salute to coffee pickers!

Once we picked a feeble number of coffee beans, it was time to transport them for processing. Traditionally, the beans are carried by mules—this family created a handy water shoot. You pour the coffee beans in, turn on the water, and they go down the shoot to the farm. So cool!

The coffee beans were waiting for us when we got back. From here, the coffee is washed and goes through a water channel—any beans that float are considered defective and separated from the rest. This “poor quality” bean is used for instant coffee, while the other beans are dried to remove skin.

Finally, it’s time for the beans to be roasted and ground up!

I’ve done several coffee tours before in Colombia and Guatemala , and this tour wins hands down! The other tours felt rushed—we briefly learned about coffee production and tried a cup of coffee, but none went into much detail.

At the end of the Medellin coffee tour, we got to sample some cups of coffee. We were taught how the beans are scored and how to properly taste the coffee rather than chugging it down.

Watch this short video to see the coffee-making process!

Quick Tip : View my full Colombia packing guide here including a downloadable checklist. And check out my Colombia Essentials shopping list here.

Alternative Medellin Coffee Tour Options

Here are some coffee farm tour alternatives to the Toucan one, which is sadly no longer available. They all have good reviews, but I urge you to research and find the perfect tour for your preferences and interests.

Coffee Tour and Lunch in Medellin

Most Complete Coffee Tour in Medellín: From the Seed to the Cup in Just Half Day

EXPERIENCES COLOMBIA (Coffee Tour)

How to Choose Good Colombian Coffee

There are many things to consider when shopping for the best coffee in Medellin.

Roast : Lightly roasted beans are usually sour, while medium-roasted beans taste acidic. Dark roasted beans are less acidic and have a nuttier flavor.

Altitude : The altitude at which the coffee beans are grown significantly impacts the taste. The higher the altitude, the more acidic and complex the flavor. If you prefer a more alkaline taste, stick to coffee grown at lower elevations. Generally, the higher the elevation, the better the quality—look for coffee beans grown at 1800 meters or above.

Area/Blend/Region : A blend is often of lower quality since it contains a mix of beans from several regions. A coffee from a specific region could be a blend of beans from different farms at varying altitudes. The best option is to buy coffee from one particular roastery or farm.

Thoughts on Instant Coffee

Sorry, not sorry, but I think instant coffee is awful. Yes, I know, I’m a coffee snob. However, instant coffee is made with defective, flavorless beans. I beg you to throw away the Nescafe and buy an Aeropress! I may be a backpacker, but I never travel without mine.

Why Fair Trade Coffee is Important

You may think the cup of coffee you are drinking is insignificant, but that isn’t true. I hope this article has shown you that purchasing Fair Trade coffee supports hard-working farmers, regardless of where you are.

If you travel or live in coffee-producing countries like me, I urge you to shop locally. Don’t buy coffee from a grocery store—buy it from a local market, farm, or an independent coffee shop.

Medellin Travel Guide Planning

🧳 Any recommendations on what I should pack for Medellin?

Yes! I have created a whole packing guide to Medellin which you can read  here  and you can also check out my packing list for Medellin on Amazon  here .

🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Medellin?

I strongly recommend using  GottoGo . You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.

🎫  Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Medellin?

I recommend either  Viator  or  GetYour Guide . They have a lot of options!

👩‍⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?

I recommend using  Heymondo  for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out  SafetyWing  digital nomad insurance.

I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance  here

✈️ Any flight recommendations?

WayAWay  offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise  Skyscanner  or  Expedia  are my go-to flight searching platforms.

📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?

I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read  here . I personally use  GlocalMe  as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.

With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using either Airhub  or  Alosim . Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.

🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?

The 3 best platforms that I normally use are  Booking.com ,  Hotels.com , and  Expedia  They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.

🛅  Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?

I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list  here . I’m currently traveling with  this suitcase  and  this backpack. 

Coffee Tour Medellin: Final Thoughts

If you’re considering a Medellin coffee tour, do it! Not only do you support local farmers by embarking on a coffee farm tour, but you also learn interesting facts about coffee-making and Colombian culture. Plus, you get to taste some of the best coffee Medellin offers. Those outside of Colombia can also support small farms by purchasing Fair Trade coffee beans. Now, you’re a coffee aficionado and social justice warrior!!

Wondering where to stay in Medellin?  I recommend staying in either El Poblado or Laureles, and here are a few of my favorite places to stay: Parceros Med Hostel  (I stayed here for a month and loved it!) Los Patios Hostel Boutique Purple Monkey Hostel Hostal Medellin -Laureles El Jardín de la 10 – El Poblado You can also read my full  Where to Stay in Medellin Guide here .

This post was proofread by Grammarly .

Darlene Hildebrandt

Monday 30th of March 2020

I regret not doing this tour now. We've been on two different coffee tours in Nicaragua. One was on the volcano near Granada and was a big tourist production. The other in Matagalpa was like this experience, small farm, we picked and roasted (they fed us lunch too). Then we saw the drying process down at the bottom of the valley. Now I have to go back to Medellin to do this one and the cacao farm (which I've also done in Cuba and Nicaragua and Peru in the Amazon).

Saturday 4th of January 2020

Hi Claire, Most likely, you might have gotten wrong the units as 1,800 feet is far from being considered high altitude coffee. I guess you really meant 1,800 meters, not feet. At higher altitude where overcast is the norm, the ripening of the coffee berries take much longer, therefore the density of the beans is higher. In some way is like the slow cooking effect where taste gets to be more intense. Please let us know when you're back so we can share more insight having you join other coffee tours that are among the top-rated on Trip Advisor. Best,

Claire Summers

Sunday 5th of January 2020

Haha thank you! Yes, my bad I've corrected it now. I'm actually back in Medellin in March :-)

Sunday 2nd of December 2018

An inspiring article!

Here in Latvia (that is where I am from) we now have this movement going in support of coffee makers, the title is "And how did your coffee story start: with the illegally employed"? This campaigns main motive is to support the farmers growing coffee and workers by trying to create an environment where they actually receive a proper salary for their work done, social care and medical care. The movement is also within the international Fair trade campaign! As a coffee lover and nerd myself I really like to learn more about the coffee culture (and recently I have also started my own blog about coffee, not too long ago I wrote an article about cold brew techniques, perhaps you would find it interesting - https://coffeforus.com/immersion-methods-cold-brew-coffee/! and I find your article very promotional, I will certainly include a reference to this in my own blog at one point, people need to hear more about this!

Hi I’m Claire!

At 34 I sold all my worldly possessions that wouldn’t fit into 3 boxes or my backpack and hit the road.

I started Claire’s Itchy Feet to inspire women to pack their bags and travel more. With no plans to stop anytime soon I’m always looking for my next adventure be it attempting to surf or climbing a volcano I’ll try (almost) anything once!

© 2023 Claire’s Itchy Feet  

Medellin Coffee Tour: From Tree to Cup

Some of the best coffee in the world is grown in Colombia . Many travelers head to the famous coffee region for a coffee tour. But you can also do a Medellin coffee tour and visit beautiful farms right on the edge of the city.

We visited Rituales Cafe in Medellin and were told they get their beans from a farm in Medellin . The coffee was amazing so we decided we had to visit it.

The tour with Urban Coffee Tours Medellin is one of the best tours I have ever been on and one of the best things to do in Medellin.

It’s more than a coffee tour: You will learn a lot about Medellin’s history, visit Comuna 8, ride the cable car, and handpick your own cup of coffee ☕️ Plus you will support the community with the tour fee!

🧑‍🌾 Be a farmer for 1 day with Urban Coffee Tours Medellin

Before we dive into all the tour details and why we picked Urban Coffee Tours Medellin over other tour operators (there are many!) we need to clarify one important question …

Why is Colombian Coffee so good?

The reason Colombian coffee is so good is that it has the perfect geography and climate. To grow high-quality coffee with complex flavors and aromas you need the right…

1. Temperature ☀️ Coffee grows best between 15-24°C (59-75F) 2. Altitude ⛰️ The highest quality coffee grows above 1400m (4500ft) 3. Soil 🪴 Volcanic soil has the right nutrients for flavorful coffee 4. Rain 🌧️ Coffee needs 150 -250 cm (60-100 in) of rainfall per year

Colombia is blessed with beautiful mountains and year-round warm temperatures. To grow high-quality coffee beans temperatures need to be between 15-24°C (59-75F) and the altitude needs to be above 1400m (4500ft).

Because Colombia is located near the equator temperatures at high altitudes remain warm . At similar altitudes in Europe or North America, the temperature would be cold year-round.

The reason high altitude creates a higher quality bean is that the beans take longer to grow at this altitude. This creates a harder bean with more complex flavors. If the beans are grown at lower temperatures the beans will be softer and lack flavor.

At these altitudes in Colombia, there is plenty of rainfall for the beans to grow. This also makes it a beautiful country to explore as there are green hills everywhere! And what is better than a delicious cup of coffee with a view? 🌳

The last factor that makes Colombia a great place to grow coffee is the soil. Volcanic soil has all the nutrients needed to create complex flavors and Colombia has a lot of Volcanic soil.

All these factors together mean that Colombia is a great place to grow coffee. Including the green hills around the 4 million people metropolis Medellin which surprises most people 🌱

Where is the best coffee grown in Colombia?

The best coffee beans in Colombia are grown in “La Zona Cafetera” south of Medellin which literally translates to Coffee Zone.

It’s a lush, green and mountainous region which is – besides its great coffee culture – worth a visit on its own. We spent 3 weeks there and loved it!

🌳 Read also: Our Zona Cafetera tips from Jardin and Salento – the best towns to stay and explore Colombian’s coffee region (Coming soon!)

Artisanal Coffee in Colombia

Although Colombia is the 3rd largest producer of coffee worldwide and grows one of the best beans, up until recently you could not find much good coffee in Colombia.

Most of the good coffee in Colombia was exported overseas and Colombians drank the poor quality coffee. But about 15 years ago there was a movement to start using local beans to make good coffee in Colombia. Yeah!

☕️ Drink Medellin’s best coffee in these cafes in Laureles

Medellin Coffee Tours

There are many coffee tours in Medellin and operators to choose from. You will find many on GetYourGuide , Viator , Airbnb Experiences and advertised on posters in cafes.

Many cafes in Laureles ( see here a list of our favorites! ) actually serve coffee with beans from the nearby farms and sell the bags too, so keep an eye out.

Urban Coffee Tour (Our favorite Medellin Coffee Tour!)

We chose to do a tour with Urban Coffee Tour Medellin because:

• It’s locally run by a woman Rosa who lives in Comuna 8 (where the farm is) and will be present during the whole tour in addition to the tour guide
• The tour fee goes to the community , not to an operator and is very affordable
• It has excellent reviews (5 stars on Google Reviews)
• You will get to ride the cable car (included) and have beautiful views
• You will handpick your own beans and learn everything about coffee
• Plus you will learn about Comuna 8 and Medellin coffee history
• You will walk through a peaceful part of Medellin you would never visit otherwise
• You will get to drink artisanal coffee with a delicious pastry fresh from the oven
• Tours are in English (your guide will translate all the farm owners say)
• Small group sizes : 8 people maximum

After doing my research and experience I think they offer the best Medellin Coffee Tour. But if you can recommend others, please share them in the comments at the end!

🫘 Learn how real coffee is made at Urban Coffee Tours Medellin

Who runs Urban Coffee Tour Medellin

Urban Coffee Tour was started by a local guide who wanted to share with tourists that high-quality coffee can be grown right in the city.

On the tour, you will be taken to a working coffee farm that is run with a strong emphasis on ethical practices. Rosa is the local lady whose father started the farm and she runs the farm today.

Rosa’s father was one of the first local farmers who started to sell his beans locally and started the artisanal coffee trend.

Rosa joins the tours and is very involved in several projects to improve the community. So it is good to know that money from the tours will help.

The tour also felt very personal because Rosa came to meet us at the pickup point. So you do not feel like you are being pushed through a tourist trap.

La Sierra Neighborhood (Comuna 8 Medellin)

The tour takes place in La Sierra or Comuna 8 which used to be one of the most dangerous places in Medellin. It is an area with a very similar story to Comuna 13 on the other side of the valley.

During the early 2000s, there were frequent shootouts between youth gangs who fought for control of territory in La Sierra. This resulted in the residents living in a mini-war zone.

Read also: Comuna 13’s transformation ✨

Sometimes residents were blocked from leaving the area by police so that troublemakers could not leave either. Life was miserable for residents but luckily today it is a much safer area. Although there are still improvements to be made it is now safe to visit on a tour.

Arturo, the tour guide who created Urban Coffee Tour Medellin teamed up with Rosa who took over the farm from her father when he passed away. He started to grow coffee as a way to generate income when it was very hard to get work due to the intense situation in La Sierra.

What to expect on the coffee tour

💰 Tour cost: 150,000 pesos (38 USD) p.p. 🕚 Duration: 4 hours 🚠 Ride the cable car (included) 🧑‍🌾 Handpick coffee beans 🫘 Learn all about how coffee is made ☕️ Enjoy artisanal coffee and a fresh pastry 🤝 Support the local community of La Sierra 🙋‍♀️ Book at least 1 day in advance here

To start the tour you will meet with your guide Arturo or Claudia at the San Antonio metro station . From there you will travel by tram to the cable car station together, then catch a cable car up to La Sierra (both included in the tour price).

Traveling in the cable car is a really great part of the tour. There is an awesome view and it is really interesting traveling above the communities below.

📸 Tip: If you arrive early at the meeting point check out San Antonio Park. There is some cool street art and a Botero statue that was blown up by the FARC many years ago. It is an interesting spot to visit for a few minutes.

At the top of the cable car, there is a 15 to 20-minute walk to the coffee house in La Sierra. It is up steep roads and some stairs but you will get rewarded with great views over the valley.

When you arrive at the Rosas house in La Sierra you will be told all about the history of Rosas father’s farm. It is a really interesting story.

La Sierra History Insights

You will also be taken to a room where there will be a talk about the La Sierra neighborhood. It is super interesting and this is what makes it so much more than a coffee tour.

Although La Sierra is much safer than it was in the early 2000’s it is still an area where gangs control a lot of the neighborhood. Our guide told us that one day she was taking a tour and a motorbike drove really fast close to the group on purpose.

Usually, you would go to the police for dangerous behavior but in this case, Rosa talked to the local gangs. They then found the offender and made sure he didn’t do it again. A little worrying! But apparently, the gangs are doing a good job of keeping the peace and we felt safe the whole time.

Part of the story was told by Mathias, a young kid, who lives in La Sierra and gets involved by Rosa in the tour as part of the community and to pick up some English.

The Coffee-Making Process

After the history of the farm and La Sierra, you will be guided through the artisanal coffee-making process. Plus you will also get to sample some of the coffee from the farm! ☕️

Once you learn about all the work that goes into an artisanal cup of coffee you will appreciate it so much more. It is a very complex process with a lot of effort needed to make a good cup of coffee.

1. Harvesting the beans by hand

The first step is to harvest high-quality beans . When you buy mass-produced coffee such as Nescafe the coffee is very bitter. This is because their beans are not high quality so they over roast them to hide the flavor.

Sounds familiar? Read about how the best chocolate is made! 🍫

To harvest high-quality beans you need to harvest by hand to ensure that only the ripe beans are picked. Mass-produced coffee beans are usually picked by machines and non-ripe beans get mixed up with ripe ones.

During the tour, you will be taken into the coffee fields to harvest some beans. You will also get to dress up like a traditional Colombian farmer. I thought this was a bit cheesy when I saw tour pictures. But it actually ended up being a lot of fun!

🧑‍🌾 To make 1 cup of coffee it takes around 70 beans . I didn’t get close to picking that many but it was fun learning how to pick beans and seeing what they look like in their raw form.

Together our group of 8 picked about 2 kg of beans in about 20 minutes. But apparantly a good picker can pick 400kg of beans in one day! It is hard work so after the tour you will appreciate the work that goes into picking your coffee beans!

2. Selecting the best beans

After the beans are harvested the good beans need to be sorted from the bad ones. It is very hard to tell a good bean from a bad bean just by looking at it.

A bean may have gone rotten on the inside or have insects inside. The only way to sort them out is to put all the beans in a container full of water.

The good beans will sink to the bottom but the bad ones will float to the top. We were told on the tour that if you buy commercial coffees such as Nescafe they also use the coffee beans that float to the top! Yucks 🤢

3. Removing the bean skin

Once the beans have been selected the skin is removed from the beans. At Rosa’s farm, this is done with a small grinder that is powered by hand.

This process would be done by huge machinery by most coffee producers. So it is interesting to so it done on such a small scale. And it works!

4. Fermenting the beans

After the skins have been removed the beans must be fermented. To do this the beans are placed inside plastic bins. This is an important step to develop flavor in the beans.

5. Drying the beans

Once the beans are sufficiently fermented they must be dried. The speed at which they are dried is also an important step in creating flavor.

The beans at Rosa’s farm are dried under the shade. Another option is to dry them in direct sunlight which creates a different flavor.

6. Roasting

The final step in creating flavor is the roasting process.

❌ Many people think that dark roast coffee is high quality. Wrong! In reality, large manufacturers overroast their coffee to mask the poor quality of their beans and ensure that every cup tastes the same.

Artisan producers such as Rosa will only medium roast their beans. This will allow you to taste the subtle flavors in the coffee.

It also means that every year the coffee may taste a bit different depending on the weather and other conditions that affect the flavor.

The roasting is once again done in a homemade device . It was invented by Rosas’s father and is once again so interesting to learn about and see.

7. Grinding

The last step is to grind the beans. This is important depending on whether you want to make your coffee as an expresso, filter or aeropress. All methods require different sizes of coffee grounds.

Once you have been through the whole process you get to sample another cup of coffee while talking about different brewing methods ☕️

Plus you get a chocolate pastry fresh from the oven which was delicious! I usually try and avoid gluten but this pastry was too good not to eat.

It is super interesting watching the whole process . Especially considering that Rosas farm makes such high-quality coffee with such basic machinery.

🛍️ You can buy 250g ground coffee bags at Rosa’s farm for 30,000 pesos (7 USD) in cash

My Medellin Coffee Tour takeaways

Going on a coffee tour makes you realize that you don’t need to buy coffee from major manufacturers . All that they have is the ability to produce coffee on a mass scale.

But in doing so they sacrifice quality and pay farmers worldwide terrible prices for their coffee beans.

So whenever possible try and buy high-quality coffee that is ethically sourced and from smaller farms such as Rosa’s. Your taste buds will say thanks too!

Did you enjoy this blog post?  Say thanks with a coffee here!  💛

Enjoy your Medellin Coffee Tour

The tour with Urban Coffee Tours Medellin is one of the best tours I have ever done. It is so much more than a coffee tour. You will learn about the neighborhood and what it takes to make good quality coffee.

I also enjoyed that you are exploring an area of Medellin where no other tourists come. So it really feels like an authentic neighborhood and very different to Communa 13 which is packed with tourists.

So if you are in Medellin and love coffee then I highly recommend doing a tour with Urban Coffee Tours! You will not regret it.

• 12 Best Cafes in Laureles, Medellin
• 25 Free Things to do in Medellin
• Why visit Comuna 13 in Medellin
• 12 Unique Things to do in Guatapé

Hey there! Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us to generate income and keep creating content for you. So we greatly appreciate your support! Thanks!

Hi, I am Allan, a travel, health and fitness fanatic from New Zealand. I'm a former lawyer who turned into a full-time nomad in 2020. For the last 4+ years I've been traveling the world. I'm always on a hunt for good food, activities on a budget and workouts on the go. I hope you find my tips helpful and get inspired to travel more!

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Urban Coffee Tour

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URBAN COFFEE TOUR (Medellin) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Expedition Colombia

Colombia Adventure Travel

Coffee Tour Medellín

Summary 1 day medellín cultural.

Visiting a coffee farm in Colombia is an authentic, cultural experience not to be missed.

Just 45 minutes from the city of Medellín, this half day tour on a coffee farm is interactive and hands-on. Go on walks through the farm’s beautiful creek-side hill. Harvest coffee, and learn the folkloric history of the coffee process from the farmer’s passionate and eccentric coffee grower. Discover why this farm’s coffee holds Colombia’s highest coffee certificate.

This trip is a relaxing break in fresh air. At midday, lunch is served at the hacienda and it’s also possible to extend with an amazing horse back ride, on the hills behind the farm!

• Interact with locals on a walking tour of one of Colombia’s highest certified coffee farms
• Learn about the coffee making process from planting to roasting
• Enjoy a delicious tasting of the farm’s coffee
• Walk through beautiful hillsides and harvest coffee beans

BOOK THE TRIP

Meet your driver at  9 AM at our offices in Hotel Masaya Medellin (calle 8 #43a-89, Medellín).

Drives 45 minutes to the hillsides of Medellin and discover the farm!

Let your guide explain the process from the seed to the cup and t ake a walking tour of the farm’s plantation and traditional processing facilities .

Harvest the coffee beans and weigh your pickings. Enjoy another coffee at the estate house. 

Taste the soft and balanced 100% Colombian coffee of the finca to discover notes of fruits and cherries. Learn how to differentiate it with many other beans and decide the one you love the most! 

After a pleasant morning at the farm, enjoy some food at the hacienda and discover the culinary delicacies of the region.

Drive 45 minutes from the farm to return to Medellín by 3 p.m. Arrival time varies

Extend your trip with a 1 hour horse back riding trip, allowing you to enjoy more views and reach deeper into the country side! 

Our horses are safe and you will be in company of our specialized guide. 

• Private transport with a professional, bilingual driver
• Bilingual cultural guides for the estate’s walking tours
• Coffee tasting
• A small sample to take home
• Extra for horseback riding 
• Appropriate clothing (long pants and shirt)
• Walking shoes
• Sunscreen, sunhat, repellent
• Water bottle

PRICE & RESERVATION

Daily group departure, including horse back riding.

100% deposit must be made before the trip, for last minute payment and reservation request contact Expedition Colombia. All payment must be done through our booking platform, or via a deposit in our Bancolombia bank account.

*All our prices above do not include IVA.

• According to the Colombia tax system, foreigners are exempted for the IVA.
• For Colombian residents, citizens and foreigners living in Colombia for more than 6 months, 50 % of the total IVA will be charged and the other half will be covered by the company.
• For companies or agencies, the total IVA will be charged.

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The Best Medellin Coffee Tours to Try in 2023

• Visiting Medellin

TLDR? The best Medellin coffee tour is the Coffee Experience at the Marquee Hotel. 

The flowers, the innovation, the charismatic people, the food, the festivals, the nightlife , the climate, and much more are characteristics of Medellin. In fact, all of these pretty awesome features have made Medellin the third-best destination to visit in the world, according to Time Out magazine.

Now, while all these are certainly great features of the City of Eternal Spring, if there’s one other reason tourists are racing to visit, it’s because of the great coffee. Medellin is a great place to explore the origin of the coffee trade in Colombia, thanks to its high altitudes and mild climates. 

So, if you’re ready to taste some authentic Colombian coffee for yourself, keep reading. I’ve broken down the top six coffee tours to check out around the City of Eternal Spring!

El Laboratorio de Cafe

This isn’t just a place to go for a cup of coffee. El Laboratorio de Cafe is a company dedicated to roasting and marketing coffee, which also has the aim of creating a culture of special coffees, as well as creating experiences around this caffeinated drink, specifically coffee that originates from Colombia.

This place seeks to make coffee growing sustainable and friendly to the environment under the concept of ‘micro-roasters,’ achieving synergy between technology and the art of coffee. That’s a pretty cool mix if you ask me. 

Now, as its name suggests, this coffee lab is an ideal place to practice, test, and get the best out of each bean and each roast for a perfect final product—all using select beans processed in small batches.

Besides enjoying coffee tastings at El Laboratorio, you can also enjoy a classic tour to the roasting plant, where you’ll get an in-depth understanding of Colombian coffee .

The tasting tour consists of a two-hour visit to the roasting plant in which people will have the opportunity to experience:

• The processes that grains go through
• How high-quality Colombian coffee is marketed
• How the selection processes are carried out by coffee growers
• How the storage, threshing, roasting, and distribution processes work
• The different flavors of coffee that they offer and their particularities are

After you’ve meandered your way through the coffee lab, you’ll get a chance to learn how to prepare your own cup of coffee using different brewing methods. All the coffees used in the tasting have scores above 87 , according to the Specialty Coffee Association.

Once your tour is over, you can pick up products to take as a souvenir, such as bags of at-home coffee , craft beers with notes of coffee, and even books to teach you more about coffee!

This tour can be scheduled at any time, from Monday to Saturday just by reaching out to the company via phone. 

Address: Cl 10 #35 17, El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia

La Fabrica de Cafe

La Fabrica de Cafe is a place that operates as a roastery, a coworking space, and a coffee shop. It even has a mobile bar if you want to hire them for your private event!

This place is located in the El Perpetuo Socorro neighborhood , in the heart of Medellin, and seeks to work as a collective of local coffee brands. It’s a place where, in addition to brewing great drinks, ideas about coffee arise, businesses are closed, and partnerships are created. 

Because of this ambiance, La Fabrica de Cafe has more than 30 allied companies in the sector, and brings together professionals from threshing, roasting, profiling, packaging, and developing coffee with the latest technology developed in the City of Eternal Spring. 

Now, enough about business. 

If you’re heading to this place to take a coffee tour, you’re in luck. La Fabrica de Cafe offers coffee tours, tasting experiences, and barista workshops. Here are two of their most popular coffee tours: 

• ‘Tostemos cafe’ (Let’s roast coffee): A workshop that consists of roasting your own coffee, brewing the beans, and finally conducting a tasting. 
• ‘Los sabores del cafe’ (The flavors of coffee): A 1.5 hour tour where you roast your own bag of coffee, go through a sensory experience in the lab, and finally get a personalized bag of coffee to take home.

To attend these experiences, you’ll need a prior reservation. Each reservation requires at least 5 people to operate, so it’s best to go in a group if you can. Then, when you’re done, you can enjoy the city attractions nearby which are located in the center!

Address: Cra. 50 # 34 62, La Candelaria, Medellín, Colombia

Website: https://www.instagram.com/lafabrica.cafe/?hl=es

Tostadora Cielo Tostado

Cielo Tostado is a place located in the San Joaquin neighborhood in Laureles and dedicated exclusively to the roasting and production of specialty coffee. As a result, this shop works exclusively with beans grown at Villa Sofia Farm, located in the town of Jardin, Antioquia . 

Jardin is one of the coffee-growing municipalities of this region and is only a hop, skip, and a jump away from Medellin!

At this place, you can purchase freshly roasted coffee or buy cups of coffee to go or enjoy in-house. However, you can also take mini-courses that teach you more about our favorite caffeinated drink. 

The tours and courses offered at Tostadora Cielo Tostado include:

• Basic roasting course
• Espresso barista course
• Barista methods course
• Cupping course
• “Tostadora Cielo Tostado” Tour

Each of the courses lasts three hours, during which you’ll learn specificities of coffee processes such as roasting high-quality specialty coffees, working an espresso machine, conducting different pour-over methods, and enjoying an analysis of sensory and physical profiles of the coffee.

In contrast, if you’re just there for the tour, this is a little shorter. The tours last between 45 and 60 minutes, during which you’ll learn what makes Colombian coffee one of the best in the world . You’ll also learn about the roasting process, and get to know secrets about how and why coffee gets packaged the way it does. 

At the end of this tour, you get a filtered brew and locally made chocolate as well as a half pound bag of freshly roasted coffee to take home! Another point in this tour’s favor is that it’s conducted in Spanish, English, and French.

To take this tour, you can book by giving the company a call. Just remember that tours need at least three people to operate but not more than five people. 

Address: Circular, Cra. 66B #177 3ra, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Website: http://www.cafecielotostado.com/

Cafe Noir is a coffee bar located in El Poblado , one of the most touristy neighborhoods in Medellin. It also happens to be where most Casacol properties are located, so that will make this tour an easy one to take for any hotel guests!

Cafe Noir offers luxury coffee experiences in a sophisticated environment with a lot of style. It’s also filled with plants, which makes you feel like you’re on the coffee farm itself while you’re on the tour!

In this place, they work with coffee which is grown in the mountains of southwestern Antioquia or in zones like the La Sierra neighborhood, so you are going to try only local products. That makes this tour an even better pick if you’re wanting to get to know coffee from Medellin specifically.

Now, in addition to being a site with a huge menu of champagnes, bakery items, gourmet meals, wines, and more, there is a small space for pairings and tastings where people can enjoy the following experiences:

• Food pairing for two people
• Wine and cheese pairing for Two
• Coffee tasting

The coffee tours are taught by Noir’s professional baristas, so you’ve got a pro on your side to teach you how things work! 

This tasting, which can be taken in Spanish or English, can be taken without prior reservation, and although there is only one type of coffee bean, the experience is all about tasting a wide variety of brewing methods. 

The tour is designed for a maximum of six people and lasts about an hour. The good news is, if your tour runs overtime, you can stay and grab dinner at the Cafe!

Address: Cl. 8 #37a41, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Colombia

Website: http://www.cafenoircolombia.com/

La Casa Grande Coffee Hacienda

In the surroundings and outskirts of the city, there are dozens of coffee farms where you can see how coffee growers live and work. Towns like Jardin, Andes and Jericó are well known for this type of agriculture in Antioquia, too.

However, the surrounding hills in Medellin are quite suitable for growing coffee, so you can take a Medellin coffee tour without having to go far.

La Casa Grande is a farm located in Santa Elena , just 25 minutes from Medellin, and offers a tour where you will learn about all processes related to coffee: 

• Processing the coffee beans
• Aromas and properties

It’s a fully interactive tour that allows you to explore, touch, and smell coffee of paisa origin. But that’s not all! 

The experience is complemented by a homemade lunch, a nature walk, and even bird watching . Don’t forget to take home your La Casa Grande coffee bag at the end of the tour, either!

Address: Vía Medellín – Santa Elena km 6, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Website: http://www.lacasagrandecoffeehacienda.com/

The Marquee Coffee Experience

The Marquee Hotel is one of the most recognized luxury hotels in Medellin and is located in the heart of Parque Lleras in El Poblado.

In addition to being a place that offers a stay with all the comforts, luxuries, and an elegant and classy contemporary design, it’s a place that offers one of the best coffee tours in town. This tour, called the Marquee Coffee Experience , is a tasting experience that can be taken in both English and Spanish.

The experience is dictated by a professional barista and lasts about an hour and a half. During the experience, you’ll get:

• An introduction to the standards of high-quality coffee
• A personalized and professional coffee tasting 
• How to identify the aroma, body, and taste of coffee
• Comparison between coffees of different qualities.

A great fact about this coffee tasting is that you don’t have to travel to a coffee shop in the city if you are staying at this hotel. Just head downstairs, and you’re ready to start tasting!

Address: ​​ Cra. 38 #9A-13, El Poblado, Medellín, El Poblado, Antioquia, Colombia

Website: https://www.marqueemedellin.com/

Visit Medellin and Try Out a Coffee Tour

There are different ways to explore coffee in the City of Eternal Spring. Immersion tours in coffee farms, tastings in coffee bars, factory tours, and tastings with professionals and experts in the field are all options available to you. 

Choose your favorite, there are options all over the city, and recharge with local coffee, one of the most recognized in the world!

Looking for more fun things to do in the City of Eternal Spring? Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any upcoming activities or things to do!

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• Half-day Coffee Tour – 4.5 hours
• Coffee Farm & Guatape Tour – 9.5 hours
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• Just Horseback Riding – 4 hours
• Horse Riding & Coffee Tour – 8 hours
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• Horse Riding & ATVs – 7 hours
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• Graffiti & Cable Car & Fruit Tasting – 5 hours
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What Our Customers Say on TripAdvisor

After 5 great days in medellin, this was the best.

This was absolutely the best tour my 28-year old son and I had while in Medellín. The beauty of the view from the plantation run by Antonio and his wife blew us away. They were also incredibly kind and genuinely happy and proud to show us (and let us participate in) the whole coffee process, end to end. They served us coffee on their balcony (prepared in different ways) while explaining their operation. The 1/2 day tour was perfect, allowing plenty of time to to enjoy the coffee plantation and still leave time for 2 other activities in the day. Andres was super helpful with translation and our short-notice arrangements, even setting us up with a driver for our eventual departure 3 days later. He was entertaining and provided interesting insight about local culture and history while driving us through 30 minutes of phenomenally beautiful countryside. Medellin Day Trips is very flexible too; they’ll combine tours to suit to your interests, and they have multi-tour discounts. Can’t wait to come back with my wife next time.

Read more “After 5 great days in Medellin, this was the best!”

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Fantastic Experience!

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Such a good experience

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THIS IS THE ONLY REVIEW YOU NEED TO READ

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Coffee Tour with Andres

Wow! Not only was Andres a communicative and helpful guide about much more than coffee, but he welcomed us into the homes of two local coffee farmers like we were family. If you travel to Medellin, I highly recommend taking this tour with Andres!

Read more “Coffee Tour with Andres”

Wonderful coffee farm tour near Medellin

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Wonderful day trip!

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Home > Colombia > Colombian Food & Drink > Best Coffee in Medellin

Crowning The Best Coffee in Medellin with "The Coffee Hunter"

Getting Serious About Coffee

Coffee is serious business here in Colombia. It's the third largest coffee producer in the world (after Brazil and Vietnam) and coffee makes up over 30% of the country's total agricultural exports. So when we decided to do a blind taste test to find the best coffee in Medellin, we needed to get serious too.

No amateur tastings in someone's apartment this time.

For this taste test we brought in an expert.

With his help, we discovered and crowned a surprising winner of the best coffee in Medellin.

• How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro
• Ranking the Best (and Worst) Coffees Medellin

Meet The Coffee Hunter

From his mocha-colored skin, to his rich accent and caffeine-like enthusiasm for the industry, Juan Cano IS Colombian coffee.

His job title is literally "Coffee Hunter"!

Juan runs the Medellin office for Mercanta , a global coffee supplier. In his spare time, he has a coffee farm of his own Fredonia, leads tastings experiences with Toucan , and makes himself home in the cafés of Medellin.

You couldn't find a more perfect person to help us find the best coffee in Medellin.

The Competitors

With Juan's help, we came up with a plan to find the best coffee in Medellin.

It involved inviting a group of nine amateur coffee addicts to his tasting facility in El Poblado to test the medium roast beans (medium is best for tasting according to Juan) from ten of the most popular cafés in Medellin.

The beans we tested were:

• 100% Colombian Medium Roast from Starbucks
• Betania from Café de los Andes
• Bourbon Rojo from Rituales Café 
• Café Aguila Roja from Exito supermarket
• Caicedo from Café Pergamino
• Calima – Valle del Cauca from  Urbania Café
• La Peña from Café Velvet
• Ocaso Salento from Café Revolución
• Premium Blend from  Al Alma Coffee Roasters
• Premium Selection from Juan Valdez

Getting Schooled

Before allowing us proceed with the taste test, Juan insisted he give us a lesson on coffee.

In a whirlwind master class, Juan gave us an overview of the industry, explaining the differences between the world's coffee growing areas, how climate change is affecting the industry and bringing new competitors into the market, the various ways coffee beans are prepared, and how roasting is a sophisticated art but similar to popping popcorn.

Our heads were buzzing and we hadn't even had a sip of coffee yet.

Stopwatches, Scales, Sensors, and Slurpers

With the theory finished, it was time for practice. Time find the best coffee in Medellin.

We measured out two cups of exactly 12.6 grams of each of the coffee beans. Two cups is apparently necessary to cover for the possibility that one might have tainted or irregular beans. Juan then individually ground them in the exact same manner to get the exact same consistency.

He then instructed us on how to test the fragrance of the beans by sticking our noses deep into the cups, sniffing hard, and noting how fruity, grainy, "roasty", "veg-y", and "caramely" they were.

Interestingly, Juan advised us to go fast and not think too hard. Doing so would allow us to better compare and contrast the odors.

After sniffing, Juan started his stopwatch, and methodically filled the 230 mL cups with water heated to the precisely correct temperature. He gave us precisely four minutes to smell and take notes on the essences of this freshly brewing coffee, then he "broke" the coffees—scraping off the foam and grains from the top.

Juan then passed out custom coffee-tasting spoons to each of us, showed us how to slurp coffee to best assess its taste, and set us free.

At last it was time to taste.

Taste Test Time!

The nine of us chaotically slurped and jotted down opinons, sometimes spitting into plastic when the caffeine rush became too much or the taste too gross.

While there was the odd reflexive, "Ughh!" or "Mmmm!" we tried to keep our thoughts to ourselves so as not to affect others' opinions.

About 25 minutes and many, many slurps later, each of us had ranked the coffees from first to worst. It was time to share our results, consolidate them, and crown the best coffee in Medellin.

The Winners (and Losers) of Best Coffee in Medellin

Scoring was done by each of the nine tasters awarding 10 points to their favorite coffee, 9 for the second best, and so on down to 1 point for the worst. We then added up all the points to come to a final score with an absolute maximum is 90 (if everyone ranked it as best), and minimum is 9 (if everyone thought it was the worst).

What became abundantly clear was that the coffees fell into four tiers:

Not Even For Free

• Solid but Unspectacular
• Undeniably Delicious

The Best Coffee in Medellin

Last place (10 points):  aguila roja.

The top selling coffee in Colombia ended up in the bottom of the rankings, and it wasn't even close. Eight of nine tasters judged it to be the worst and the ninth taster ranked it second worst.

The only thing Aguila Roja has going for it is its price, costing only 4,180 pesos per 250 grams. That said, you would have had to pay our tasters to drink more of it.

Compared to the other coffees in this taste test it was disgusting.

9th Place (17 Points): Starbucks

Starbucks' was unanimously despised by our blind taste test panel. Not a single person ranked it better than 3rd worst out of ten. It tasted as burnt as your money would be if you bought these beans. (It was the 4th most expensive coffee we tested.)

Feel free to go to Starbucks to get work done. It's an underrated in that regard because it has reliable internet and you can loiter there all day without feeling bad. Just don't get their coffee. Maybe get a pastry or tea instead.

8th Place (40 Points): Juan Valdez Premium Selection

Juan Valdez is sometimes referred to as "the Colombian Starbucks". Based on the results of our blind taste test, that appears to be true. And that's not a good thing.

The only thing saving Juan Valdez from having as horrible score as Starbucks was a renegade taster who ranked it as his #1 favorite. Everyone else ranked it way towards the bottom of their rankings.

I can't fathom how that taster ranked Juan Valdez as the best coffee. But therein lies the beauty of blind taste tests: To each their own.

Solid But Unspectacular Coffees

7th place (44 points): al alma coffee roasters' premium blend.

Café al Alma 's medium roast was neither disliked nor loved by any of our tasters. It received slightly below average scores across the board.

This subpar result came as somewhat of a surprise. Based on all the positive word of mouth we'd heard about Al Alma, we expected more. Supposedly their brunch is really good, so maybe people who go there like their coffee through osmosis.

6th Place (52 Points): Café Revolución's Ocaso Salento Coffee

Cafe Revolución is perhaps the most popular café in Laureles for hanging out and getting some work done. Unfortunately, it's medium roast coffee wasn't quite as popular in our taste test.

It did have some big fans though, ranking second on two tasters' scorecards. The others all ranked it between 5th and 7th.

On the odd chance you've got similar tastebuds to those who loved it, the coffee's worth a try. And even if you don't like the coffee much, at least you might like Café Revolución's ambiance.

5th Place (53 Points): Urbania Café's Calima – Valle del Cauca Coffee

A much-praised café in Poblado's Astorga neighborhood, Urbania Café also happens to be one of Juan's favorite spots. Alas this wasn't close to Juan's favorite coffee, nor any of ours.

All tasters were remarkably consistent in their indifference to Urbania's coffee, ranking it 4th, 5th, or 6th on every scorecard.

Juan was particularly surprised by this result. He suspects we might not have got their best batch. Visit Urbania Café yourself to decide.

Undeniably Delicious Coffees

4th place (59 points): café de los andes' betania.

Café de los Andes was Kim and my favorite place to hang out in Jardín ( an amazing Medellin getaway ), but I'm not sure we ever ordered plain black coffee. If we had we might have liked the place even more!

The consensus on De Los Andes' beans was that it was a straight-up good coffee. Nothing crazy or exotic, just something you could give to anyone and be sure they'd enjoy it.

Don't worry if you can't make it to their café in Jardín. They've got a couple of branches here in Medellin too. But do try to go to Jardín. It's worth it.

3rd Place (63 Points): Café Velvet's Café Con Acento Belga

Tasters' notes for Café Velvet's coffee were all over the map, including "floral," "dry vanilla," and "cacao."

Their scores were equally varied, ranging from being the favorite of one taster down to the third worst of another. Juan had it as his third favorite.

Finishing in third place overall should be considered a great success for Velvet, but they probably won't think so. That's because it was beat out for second place by the narrowest of margins—a single point!—by its archrival from across the street…

2nd Place (64 Points): Pergamino Café's Caicedo

An El Poblado institution that's frequently praised for having the best coffee in Medellin, Pergamino didn't disappoint. Tasters roundly admired its fruity, flowery, caramel taste. Juan even wrote it "sparkles."

But it didn't win.

Pergamino may have earned it's title as having best coffee in El Poblado, but it wasn't even close to winning the best coffee in Medellin.

There's a new sheriff in town…

1st Place (88 Points): Rituales Café's Paraiso – Bourbon Rojo

In my extensive experience with blind taste tests, never before have I seen such a runaway winner as Rituales' coffee.

Seven of the nine tasters ranked Rituales' coffee as their absolute favorite and the other two had it second. These results leave zero doubt as to which is the best coffee in Medellin.

Even better? Rituales' beans are actually grown right here in Medellin, on the hillsides of La Sierra neighborhood.

In Medellin? Try The Coffees Yourself!

Use this downloadable map to find all the cafés listed above and decide for yourself which is the best coffee in Medellin. To save it to Google Maps on your phone, follow the simple instructions we covered here .

We wish we could have included more cafés including:

• Hija Mia and El Laboratorio del Café , which Juan specifically mentioned as being other favorites of his
• Algarabia and Zeppelin from  Ryan of Desktop to Dirtbag's list of his favorite cafés in Medellin
• Cariñito and Algarabia (again!) from Hats off World's favorite coffee shops

We'll have to include them all in a mega round two!

Want Your Own Medellin Coffee Experience?

If you're interested in having Juan take you on you own coffee experience, he's available! A two-hour tasting session with The Coffee Hunter himself is only 60,000 COP per person.

Or for an even more immersive experience, join Juan at his coffee farm! During this 4-5 hour tour you'll discover the entire coffee production process from fruit to cup. You'll also be able to drink unlimited coffee, enjoy a snack, and take home a souvenir. It costs 180,000 COP per person (minimum 4 people) not including transportation.

Contact Juan via email,  [email protected] , or phone  +57 301 694 8678 (call or Whatsapp), and follow him on Instagram  @juancan0 and  @_coffeeiq .

In Laureles and don't have much time? Try the Urban Coffee Tour through Kory Cafe in Laureles. They have a 3 hour coffee tour (10am-1pm) where you'll learn about the history of coffee, how locals and baristas drink coffee and be able to head home with half a pound of top quality Colombian coffee. 

More Blind Taste Tests

In addition to finding the best coffee in Medellin, we've already tested the best Colombian beer and the best (or least bad) Colombian cheeses  and aguardiente .

And How to Have a Blast Conducting a Blind Taste Test to do your own!

Read This Next:

Everything You Need to Know for Visiting Medellin

Things to Do in Medellin: 10 Best, 5 Worst, and More

How to Conduct a Blind Taste Test (Plus Fun Ideas and Tips)

Disclosure: Whenever possible, we use links that earn us a cut if you pay for stuff we recommend. It costs you nothing, so we'd be crazy not to. Read our affiliate policy .

10 thoughts on “Crowning The Best Coffee in Medellin with "The Coffee Hunter"”

Great articile! Really I have known Juan for a long time and the best coffee i had was from his personal farm, and sure part of the reason was Juan did a fresh roasting in his office, and i had never drank coffee which was roasted a few minutes before i drank it. Amazing. Juan Cano is passionate about coffee!

Thanks James! For round two we'll have to get Juan to include his coffee in the taste test. And maybe invite you too, if you're still around.

I love the taste tests. Keep them coming!

Thanks John. If you have any ideas for future taste tests, please share!

I've enjoyed pour-overs & espresso at 339 coffee places in North America, 17 in Europe, and over 20 in Colombia. I'd dwap out Pergamino for #1 using their Lomaverde. I'd also question why there are 2 extremely mass produced coffees here? This is analogous to comparing a McDonalds Burger to fresh CAB. I would have gotten Labratorio de Cafe & another smaller producer involved. It's also all about taste. A good SOE to me moves 3 times on the pallet, semi-spur to moderated, finnishing sweet. A great question Juan could inform on is more important; THE BARISTA. Coffee is like a Ferrari. 2 Ferarris, 1 driven by Juan Pablo Montoya, the other by my 86 year old mother. Both cars identical yet why is Montoyas faster. Its 100% the Barista. I'd had some horrible Gesha due to a novice Barista. As far as that goes, Pergamino & Velvet are by far the most consistent, dialed in staffs in Antioquia.

What a precise count you have, William! How do you keep track? That's pretty cool that you have such a detailed record. Or are you a Rain Man? Also was Rituales one of the 20 you tried in Colombia? The barsita effect's a good point. In our case, we had Juan do all the prep. And we tossed in a couple mass-produced to see if people would tell the difference. In some other blind taste tests, people don't. Our ice cream taste test , for example. Not this one, though.

Curious as ti why you left Amor Perfecto or Lad de Café out of the mix, yet used Exito & Juan Valdez. That analogous to inviting the Bahamian Womens Soccer team to the Mens World Cup. Beyobd that, as a Gringo whos wnjoyed pour overs & espresso at 342 places in North America, over 20 in Europe, and every place on this list, I'm curious as to Pergaminos Lomaverde not represented. The notes lijed here were better delivered by Lomaverde. Beyond that, it's NOT the coffee as much as the Barista. There's alot of horrible Gesha "en Medallo" cone December….due to poorly trained Baristas. In that category it's Pergamino, Velvet, Amor Perfecto, Urania, then others. To another point; That "cool hangout" in Laurels is like most places in LA…. great to be seen buuuuut the coffee is, well…. For those wanting a tip on the best pour over in any major US City, I've probably been there three times. Hit me up, I'll give you the skinny. By the way, my farm in Corcorna is going to yield a few pounds of Gesha this year. I'll ne in Pq. Lleras letting some Baristas dial it in for a rediculous V60. You're invited (probably 3rd wk in December [email protected]

Ha, I like the analogy, William. We always include cheap mass-market brands in our blind taste tests as a control. And sometimes they do surprisingly well. Your point on the barista's a good one, too. Wouldn't the way the coffee's prepared also potentially impact how it ranks? Or do you think the best beans will always be the best regardless of how it's prepared? And thanks for sharing your contact and offering to share your recommendations. You should start a blog. (You're at the cafés anyway, so you're halfway there!)

Wonderful review article. very informative and helpful to understand about coffee maker. Such an informative post that increased my knowledge about coffee maker. Thanks, Author, for sharing such an informative article. Hopefully, waiting for your more article in the future.

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Express Coffee Tour Medellín

The most informative medellín half-day coffee tour.

For those who have limited time but would still like to visit a  Colombian  coffee farm  and learn about the different processes involved,  LandVenture Travel  offers an express coffee tour right on the city outskirts and is proud to be the first tour operator to offer this tour in Medellín.

This half-day excursion will take you into the hills overlooking Medellin where you will learn about the entire coffee cultivation process from planting to germination, picking, de-pulping, washing, and drying. However, depending on the time of the year and time of the day, not all processes will be available to see while we’re there since they have strict schedules to follow to ensure the highest possible quality.

At the end of this coffee tour, we will enjoy a cup of the world´s finest coffee straight from its source and then travel to a beautiful overlook to take in the views of the city below us.

Express Coffee Tour Includes:

• Pick-up at your hotel in Medellín.
• Private round-trip transportation Medellín. – Coffee farm – Medellín.
• English-speaking guide/driver.
• Coffee farm visit coffee picking (harvesting) with detailed explanation and demonstration of the growing and harvesting processes.
• Visit a nearby overlook with incredible panoramic views of the entire Medellin valley.

Approximate duration:

Fitness level:, usual pick-up time:.

9:15 am (may change according to the coffee tour host/owner)

What to bring:

Wearing shorts and flip-flops for this tour is not recommended. Please bring a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent, and wear comfortable shoes even though it requires minimal walking.

• - 1 person (All Ages): $189 USD

Price per person

As of April 2024, 1$ USD = $3,855 COP approx.

Airport Transfer

• Additional Cost: $150,000 COP if no more than 4 pax in your group.

More Tours by LandVenture Travel

Río claro tour, jardín coffee region tour, guatapé and rock of el peñol, coffee farm adventure tour, medellín city tour + comuna 13 tour.

*Please note that while the entire coffee harvesting process will be described in detail, the coffee farm itself does not mill and roast the coffee on-site. The de-pulping, washing, and drying processes take place on-site depending on the season and availability of the coffee crop.

For last minute requests to this Express Coffee Tour Medellín,  more ways to customize and combine this experience with other tours out of Medellín, please send us a text message through WhatsApp or email us and let us know which dates would work for you, how many more people are traveling with you and where would you like to be picked up.

We will try to answer you within 24 hours of receiving your message.

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