Specialty Coffee 101 in Boquete: Farm to Cup

Walk a working coffee farm and learn how the beans become what roasters buy

Specialty Coffee 101 is a hands-on class at Bonita Springs farm in Boquete where you hike through the plantations, tour the processing station, and practice professional cupping techniques to evaluate and score specialty coffee. Groups stay small at ten people maximum so the guide can answer questions throughout. Hotel pickup is included, and the experience runs 2.5 to 3 hours starting at 9:30 am, with flexible start times available.

Step-by-step itinerary

Specialty coffee farm tour and tasting

• Pick up from hotel or tea lounge
• Drive past coffee cultivation landmark
• Short hike through coffee plantations
• Visit coffee processing station
• Drive to coffee tasting session
• Participate in professional coffee cupping

The experience

The farm sits in Boquete's coffee country, and this is not a museum or a display. You're on a real working plantation that supplies specialty beans to international roasters. The morning starts with a short hike through the plantations where your guide walks you through the origins, varieties and structure of the coffee fruit, then moves to the processing station to see how the harvest gets dried and prepared. Wear closed hiking shoes, long pants and a rain jacket. The terrain is manageable for all fitness levels.

The cupping session is where the learning sharpens. You'll enter the tasting room with proper instruments and follow the steps specialty professionals use to evaluate and score coffee: the same techniques roasters and baristas apply when they're buying. This is hands-on work, not a lecture, and the small group size means your guide can walk you through each step and answer what you want to know.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included if you're staying at one of the partner hotels. Otherwise you meet at Mastranto Tea Lounge. Bottled water and coffee or tea are provided. The guide speaks English or Spanish depending on the group.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels).
• bottled water.
• coffee and tea.
• live guide in English or Spanish.
• access to the working farm, processing station and cupping room.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 Feb 2027

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEN · ES

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.Operator's directions: “Go to the Main Square of Boquete and wait for our guide wearing a black hat to pick you up”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by BQT Tours Shuttles

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so book this if you're comfortable following instruction in one of those languages. Groups stay under ten people, which means the guide can slow down, repeat, and answer questions as you move through each station: useful if you want to really understand the process rather than just see it.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 5 years).

What exactly happens during the cupping session?

The cupping session teaches you the professional method for evaluating specialty coffee. You'll use proper instruments and techniques to score and profile the beans, following the same process that roasters and baristas use when they're sourcing coffee.

Do I need experience with coffee to join this class?

No experience is required. The guide covers the history, origins and varieties from the start, so you build knowledge as you move through the farm and into the tasting room.

What should I wear and bring?

Wear closed hiking shoes, long pants and a rain jacket. The hike through the plantations is short but the terrain is uneven, and Boquete weather can shift quickly. Bring comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dusty.

Is hotel pickup really included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included if you're staying at one of the partner hotels in Boquete. If you're elsewhere, you can meet the group at Mastranto Tea Lounge instead.