Before proceeding to the main subject of this post, below is a bit of background information on Puerto Rico and the history of coffee plantations on the island.
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico is a beautiful island that is part of the United States. It is located in the Caribbean, between Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) to the west and the Virgin Islands to the east.
Originally a Spanish territory, it became a US Territory after the Spanish-American War (1898). Coffee has been grown in Puerto Rico since the 1700s.
Puerto Rico may not be known throughout the world to gourmet coffee lovers, in my opinion mainly because it’s not in one of the three regions known best for growing gourmet coffee beans. However, I have tried many gourmet quality coffees from Puerto Rico as well as from other places. No one would question single origin Arabica beans grown at high altitudes in the three main regions. Conditions in Puerto Rico mirror those in the three main regions pretty closely.
PUERTO RICAN COFFEE PLANTATIONS
In Puerto Rico, the coffee plantations are known as haciendas. Since records started being kept in the 1800s, over 800 haciendas have been registered.
The official tourism website of Puerto Rico features eight of these haciendas, though they do not provide the details that someone planning to visit might need in terms of tours and contact information. I have provided a bit of background information on where the haciendas are located and on the haciendas themselves.
I have provided some details about the tours offered by the haciendas, such as hours of operation and contact information for scheduling appointments or obtaining additional information.
Puerto Rico Coffee Plantation Tours
TOURS AT THE HACIENDAS
There are quite a few haciendas that offer tours for those who are able to get there on their own. Below I will be focusing on the eight that are featured on the Puerto Rico tourism site. They are grouped according to the towns where they are located.
Adjuntas
Adjuntas is a town in the central mountain range known as “la cordillera central.” Elevation is a key factor when choosing the most ideal locations to grow coffee. Adjuntas is over 3,000 feet above sea level, which makes it a great place to grow Arabica coffee beans.
Hacienda Tres Angeles
This hacienda has been recognized by local and international tourism associations. They only offer tours on Saturdays, and an appointment has to be made prior to being able to go on a tour.
Sandra Farms
Similar to Hacienda Tres Angeles, appointments are required prior to being able to tour the facilities.
Jayuya
Jayuya is another town in Puerto Rico’s central region with relatively high elevation above sea level (over 1,000 feet). It is located to the east of Adjuntas.
Hacienda San Pedro
It doesn’t appear that this hacienda currently requires an appointment prior to going on a tour there. I provided a link to their contact page for those who want to check with them to be sure that their policies haven’t changed.
contact Hacienda San Pedro
Hacienda Tres Picachos
Tours are available all seven days of the week, but appointments are required. Please note that what used to be their website is no longer online. The other methods to contact them are currently available.
contact Hacienda Tres Picachos
Lares
Lares is the next town to the west of Adjuntas. At close to 4,000 feet above sea level, Lares offers some spectacular views in addition to terrains that are great for growing some excellent coffee beans
Hacienda Lealtad
They’re open Monday through Friday, though they don’t mention any information in the pages I checked regarding tours. I was not able to find an email address for them. It appears that the ways to reach them are limited to a phone call or through social media (Facebook, Instagram, or twitter). Scroll to the bottom of the page to access the contact information.
Ponce
Ponce is the second largest city in terms of square kilometers. It has a diverse landscape that includes coastal areas, a large metropolitan area, very arid regions, and even parts of the central mountain range of Puerto Rico. Two of the highest peaks in Puerto Rico are located in Ponce, both with elevations over 4,000 feet above sea level (Cerro de Punta and Mount Jayuya).
Hacienda Buena Vista
This hacienda dates back to the 1800s and is a historic landmark.
Unlike most of the others featured here, it is no longer an active
hacienda. In addition to being a popular tourist attraction for it’s
prominent place in the history of coffee in Puerto Rico, it also has a
lot to offer in terms of its fauna and flora.
Tour appointments can be made by phone during business hours Monday
through Friday. They are open for visitors Wednesday through Sunday.
Hacienda La Mocha
This one is unique in that there is also a guesthouse that is owned by the hacienda. According to their Facebook page, the guesthouse is open 24 hours, all 7 days of the week. What used to be their website is no longer online. Appointments are required to visit the hacienda (no information is available on available days or times, but since appointments are required it’s just a matter of the additional step of inquiring about their business hours for tours).
contact Hacienda La Mocha
San Lorenzo
Like Ponce, the elevation varies quite a bit in San Lorenzo. The highest elevation is close to 3,000 feet above sea level. San Lorenzo is located in eastern Puerto Rico.
Hacienda Muñoz
This hacienda operates a bit differently compared to the others. They offer 1 hour tours Wednesday through Sunday, starting at three different times. At 10 AM they offer a tour in English, then later in the day (at noon and 2 PM) they offer tours in Spanish. No reservations are required. However, because they don’t mention how many people are permitted per tour, it might still be a good idea to call when planning on visiting them.
PRIVATE TOURS
There are various companies that offer tours to coffee plantations. Immediately below is a company that currently offers the best selection of tour options.
They have three tours that leave from San Juan, one from Ponce, and another from Mayaguez. There is an additional tour in the east region of the island, but no specific location is provided by AdvenTours on their website.
I have provided the information below according to the towns from where the tours depart.
Mayaguez (West)
The trip begins with a scenic uphill drive to the neighboring town of Las Marias, which is close to 1,000 above sea level. Once there, the first stop is an hacienda where the guide will cover the cultivation process from beginning to end. The trip continues south to Maricao before ending back in Mayaguez.
Ponce (South)
Information available for this tour is not detailed. It includes an hacienda tour similar to the Mayaguez tour, but there is no information on the town where the tour takes place.
San Juan (North)
Three different tours depart from San Juan. There are two half-day tours (one to a coffee museum and the other that is only described as a coffee tour) and a full-day tour to Las Marias.
East
The available information is a bit more detailed than for the Ponce tour, but not as detailed as the information that’s offered for the Mayaguez and San Juan tours. In contrast to the other tours, this one visits one of the more contemporary coffee operations. It also presents the history of coffee in this particular region. However, no specific haciendas or town are mentioned.
Central
At this time, no information is available for this region on the AdvenTours website.
Below is a link where more detailed information on the tours offered by AdvenTours can be obtained
The following three are offered for future reference. Currently, some have ceased operations and others have limited availability (due to the Covid pandemic).
Viator coffee plantation tour information
VIP Tours coffee plantation tour information