La Bandera | Costa Rica

La Bandera sits high on a verdant mountainside in Tarrazú, one of Costa Rica’s most celebrated coffee regions, close to Cerro de la Muerte, one of the country’s highest peaks. Cool winds rolling down from the mountain create a unique microclimate that’s ideal for growing exceptional coffee, and the rich, sweet smell of it drying in the sun is said to hit you before anything else.

Diego Hidalgo’s story is a good one. After completing his studies, he spent over 14 years living in the USA before he and his family made a bold decision — to invest their savings and buy this small mountain estate. It’s the kind of bet that takes real conviction, and the farm reflects that commitment at every level. 

La Bandera covers more than 100,000 square metres, and across the estate Diego cultivates a wide range of varietals — Geisha, Typica, Catuai among them — each finding its own character in the mountain air. He prides himself on careful processing and drying, producing an exciting array of flavours across his microlots.