La Isabel

At the helm of the Caballero Estate is Marysabel Caballero and her husband Moises Herrera. Marysabel is a third generation coffee farmer, who took on the family estate from her father, Don Fabio Caballero. Don Fabio had inherited this land from his father before him, who was a pioneer in coffee cultivation in Honduras. The estate is located in Marcala, South East Honduras - an area widely regarded as the best in the country for growing coffee due to its high altitudes and excellent soil quality. Caballero now spans almost 200 hectares amongst 100 hectares of forest, and is separated into 17 farms.

This coffee was grown in the lush, high-altitude landscapes of Banko Gotiti, in the Gedeb woreda on the southern edge of Yirgacheffe. Cultivated by smallholders who typically tend plots of 1 to 2 hectares at 1950-2100 masl, these farmers maintain traditional ‘coffee gardens’ where landrace varieties are intercropped with false bananas and indigenous shade trees. This district is celebrated for producing some of the best Ethiopian coffees, with high elevations and agroforestry systems contributing to an elegant, expressive cup profile.

Translating as “land between rivers”, the Aquiares Estate and Community is found by the Aquiares and Turrialba rivers, high on the slopes of the active Turrialba volcano. Environmental stewardship and a commitment to innovation have been cornerstones of the estate since Alfonso Robelo took over in the late 1980s, and today his son Diego continues that legacy.

The Aquiares estate continues to push the boundaries of Costa Rican coffee under the leadership of Diego Robelo, through careful experimentation with processing while maintaining the exceptional quality the farm has become known for. The estate spans over 900 hectares, with around 200 hectares protected as native forest, reflecting a long-standing commitment to biodiversity and sustainability.