Doka Estate - El Veradero Coffee Tour

The Doka Coffee Estate is an award-winning, internationally known coffee producer and farm that sits just outside of San Jose. If you are a coffee lover or an agricultural enthusiast, this tour is for you. You will learn all aspects of the coffee production process from bean to cup.

Your tour will begin when you are picked up from your hotel and driven to the Doka Estate in the beautiful Central Valley of Costa Rica. Coffee grows extremely well here because of the climate and growing conditions within the valley. Upon arrival, your bilingual guide will give you a brief history of this family-run business and show you around the farm while explaining the importance growing coffee has had in establishing Costa Rica’s role in the world economy.

The Vargas family, owners of the Doka Estate, has been growing coffee since the 1940s. It is interesting to hear how they first started and how their business began to boom with the development of the internet and the onset of tourism. They have won the World’s Best Coffee Award for two years in a row and continue to export their beans all over the world.

Do you know where your coffee comes from? Have you ever seen a coffee plant before? It can be hard to imagine for those who live outside the tropics, and it can be super interesting to discover what goes into crafting your morning “cup o’ joe”.

You’ll learn about three main aspects of coffee production - germination, harvesting, and roasting. It seems that Doka has their own “secret” recipe that is tailored to the particular climate and growing conditions of their farm. They also explain how roasting and harvesting play a big role in the way your coffee tastes.

Of course there are plenty of opportunities to sample the coffee throughout the tour to see if it is indeed the “world’s best coffee”. When the tour comes to an end you will have a chance to explore the gift shop, where they sell bags of coffee to take home and other souvenirs.

This tour includes a bilingual guide, entrance fee, and transportation from Alajuela, the Alajuela suburbs, Escazu, and San Jose. One way transportation usually takes between 1 and 2 hours depending on where you are picked up, however on occasion it can take longer due to unpredictable traffic conditions. The combined time for tour and round trip transportation typically takes from 4.5 to 6 hours. If you like coffee, this tour is sure to keep you awake!