The steep slopes of Matalapa face the Pacific Ocean, to the south, which provides afternoon mists helpful in maintaining moisture for the coffee trees.
Matalapa, whose name means 'place where rivers are born', is a fourth generation 174 acre farm averaging 4,100 feet above sea level. It was founded in the late 1800's by Fidelia Lima, great grandmother of the current owner, Vickie Ann Dalton de Diaz. Vickie maintains 14 acres of virgin tropical forest and keeps her coffee plants shaded with over forty varieties of shades trees.
Since winning in the 2003 El Salvador Cup of Excellence Matalapa has only gotten better.
Matalapa's coffee trees were severely attacked by the 10 days torrential rains of October 2011 and by the "Rust" fungus that has been ravaging the Americas in the past three years. Its 2012 crop was reduced by 90%, as all the trees were radically pruned or replaced in an effort to regain control.
See George's farm visit to
Matalapa