Aponte West | Colombia

The Inca Community of Aponte are descendants of the Inca Empire, who originally lived high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. The Inca influence spread northward, and groups like the Inca travelled into southern Colombia. During the Spanish conquest, the Inca fled to remote mountain refuges, preserving their culture in isolation. They only reappeared in historical records in the late 19th century, entering trade industries such as rubber and quina (cinchona bark).

In the modern era, after enduring civil conflict, displacement, and struggles with illegal crops, the Inca of Aponte have turned to coffee cultivation as a path toward prosperity and cultural resurgence. Their lands, enriched by volcanic soils from Volcán Galeras, offer a unique terroir that contributes to the exceptional quality of their coffee. 

The Inca’s return to coffee cultivation not only represents economic stability, but also a cultural revival for the community. Supported by government land grants under protected territories programmes, they have shifted from a history touched by conflict to one focused on sustainable coffee farming. This coffee embodies both their resilience and their dedication to quality farming at some of the highest elevations in Colombia.