Knowledge · geography
Cauca, Colombia
Colombia growing region
Key facts
- Location
- Southwestern Colombia around Popayán and Inzá
- Altitude
- 1,700 to 2,100 metres
- Primary varieties
- Caturra, Castillo, Colombia
- Processing method
- Predominantly washed
- Flavor profile
- Citric acidity, red-fruit, floral, clean sweetness
- Soil type
- Volcanic ash around Puracé range
- Beans we stock
- 418 from Colombia
Cauca, in southwestern Colombia around Popayán and Inzá, grows coffee on high Andean plateaus mostly between 1,700 and 2,100 metres, with a strong presence of Indigenous and campesino smallholder communities organised into cooperatives. The combination of high altitude, equatorial sun, and cool nights produces crisp, structured coffees with pronounced citric and red-fruit acidity, floral notes, and clean sweetness. Predominantly washed Caturra, Castillo, and Colombia, Cauca lots are sought after by roasters who want a brighter, more delineated Colombian profile. The department's stable volcanic geography around the Puracé range underpins its consistent cup quality.
At a glance
- Altitude: 1500–2100 masl
- Typical varieties: Caturra, Castillo, Colombia
- Common processes: Washed
- Harvest: 4, 5, 6
Climate
High equatorial Andean climate with strong diurnal temperature range.
Soil & terroir
Volcanic ash soils around the Puracé volcanic complex.
See also