Costa Rican coffee is today considered among the finest and highest quality in the world. Its Central Valley is the ideal place to grow coffee thanks to its altitude and mineral-rich volcanic soil. The coffee planting cycle begins in May.
Coffee has long been called the “Grain of Gold” for the economic prosperity it has brought to Costa Rica. Over the last 100 years, coffee has transformed the country into a relatively modern and cosmopolitan republic. The founding families owned the largest plantations, creating a powerful coffee oligarchy. Drawn by work opportunities on the plantations, hundreds of families from Europe and the Americas came to Costa Rica between the late 1800s and early 1900s, often receiving land in exchange for their labor. These families laid the foundation for the most democratic middle class in all of Central America.
The first coffee export took place in 1820, destined for Colombia. By 1842, Costa Rican coffee growers made their first direct shipment to England. European coffee connoisseurs soon recognized Costa Rican coffee as one of the best in the world. More importantly, Costa Rica now had access to Europe’s wealth. The face of this once “sleepy rich coast” began to change.
This new economic prosperity allowed the country to build one of its most significant landmarks: the National Theater. In 1897, the people of San José attended its inauguration, funded by coffee and banana growers who wished to bring renowned European opera singers to the country. That same year, access to the Atlantic coast was achieved with the construction of a new railroad.
