Coffee Hunting in Naranjo: Discovering Finca Buena Vista and the Art of the Roast
March 25, 2026
In our journey searching for high-altitude, quality coffee, we have come across two processing mills (beneficios) in the hands of incredible Costaricans: one in the Naranjo area (West Valley) and another in the Los Santos region (which we will talk about in detail in a future post).
The mill we found in Naranjo is called Buena Vista. We found it through Google Maps while looking for a place near our cantón to continue practicing our roasting. We discovered a 12-hectare farm with a vast array of varieties and, without knowing exactly what to expect, we contacted the owner via WhatsApp. From the very beginning, he was an extremely kind person.
Upon visiting them, we were met with our first surprise: the place was on a route we traveled all the time, but in the daily hustle and bustle, one doesn't always notice what's right nearby. Once we started paying attention to the details, we saw a sign indicating coffee for sale. Upon arrival, Don Carlos Arrieta and Doña María Barboza welcomed us with exceptional warmth; like true ticos, they made us feel as if we had known each other a lifetime.
We began with a walk through the beneficio alongside Don Carlos, who provided detailed explanations of his processes, shared stories of his past, and spoke of the courage it took to become independent from the local cooperative to create his own mill. Don Carlos cultivates everything from traditional varieties like Villa Sarchí, Obatá, Caturra, and Catuai, to more exclusive ones like the famous Geisha and SL28. He told us about the meticulous care at every stage, showing us the control necessary to determine the exact point of removal during sun-drying. Currently, he mainly works with Natural, Washed, and Honey processes, as he considers that more complex specialty processes—such as anaerobics—are not always well-compensated internationally in relation to the additional effort they demand.
To top off our surprises, the Arrieta Barboza family also roasts and packs their own product: Café Arbar (@cafe_arbar). The roasting is led by Doña María, who has over 12 years of experience processing all the varieties they grow. She showed us how, with perseverance and passion, high-quality roasting is achieved; we were impressed to see that she didn't stop roasting from the moment we arrived, and every batch came out impeccable and uniform.
Doña María allowed us to use our colorimeter to measure several of her batches; they all fell within the exact Agtron range she had indicated to us. This proved to us that, beyond technology, a human being is capable of achieving precise results through constant practice. In the same way, Don Carlos allowed us to measure the bean moisture and, to our surprise, he also hit the exact percentage. For those of us who weren't born among coffee plantations, perceiving these details still feels like magic, but we hope that in a few years, we can reach the mastery of Doña María and Don Carlos.
The fact that they dedicated their time to sharing their knowledge with us, without even knowing us, made us reflect on how we sometimes ignore our country's potential and the privilege of producing and consuming a coffee that, in many cases, far surpasses the international average.
Because of this, we are very happy to announce that, in the coming days, we will present the first products from our journey. These are top-tier quality beans, sourced from farms that prioritize excellence in every process. These coffees, which we will roast ourselves, are designed for those who wish to start their journey into the world of specialty coffee. We will focus on finding the ideal roast for Coffee Maker, French Press, and Moka Pot (similarly, they can be enjoyed with even greater detail in V60, Origami, Vandola, and Chemex), because we are convinced that complex methods aren't necessary to enjoy an excellent cup and share it with someone else.
We want to highlight that the success and quality of this beneficio are no coincidence; they are the result of extraordinary teamwork between Don Carlos, Doña María, their children, siblings, and friends from the area, who put their hearts into every harvest.
P.S. If you wish to contact the producers or learn more about this origin, we are here to help. On this journey, we continue to learn, and our goal is to show you—from our own learning curve—how we can all develop a taste for superior quality coffee.
