Café Britt

Midway between Heredia and Barva is the finca and beneficio of Café Britt (Apdo. 528-3000, Heredia, tel. 506/260-2748, fax 506/238-1846, info@cafebritt.com, www.coffeetour.com; in the U.S., tel. 800/462-7488), where you can learn the story of Costa Rican coffee. The company, which roasts, packs, and exports to specialty stores around the world, welcomes visitors to its coffee fields and garden, which draws butterflies.

Five tours are offered. The standard is the “Coffee Tour,” featuring a multimedia presentation including a live skit telling the history of coffee; daily at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m. mid-December through April, and 11 a.m. only May through mid-December ($25 pp three hours, or $50 seven hours with lunch). Other tours combine the “Coffee Tour” with visits to the Butterfly Farm, La Paz Waterfall Garden, and the Rainforest Aerial Tram; one is timed to coincide with the coffee harvest (mid-November through February). All include an educational tour of the finca and roasting plant. There’s a cinema for private events. You conclude in the tasting room, where you are shown how experts taste coffee. The factory store offers mail-order delivery to the United States. It has an elegant gourmet restaurant.