Costa Rica's Doka Estate: A Must-Visit for Coffee Lovers
Costa Rica is a coffee lover's paradise, and Doka Estate is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. If you're looking for a fantastic coffee-related experience, then be sure to add Doka Estate to your itinerary! This plantation offers tours and tastings that are sure to please everyone, from novice coffee drinkers to experts.
What is Doka Estate?
Doka Estate is a working coffee plantation that offers tours and tastings to visitors. The estate is located in the province of Heredia, about an hour's drive from San Jose.
Second photo by Photo by Haggerty Photography
What to Expect on a Tour
The tour of Doka Estate takes visitors through the coffee-processing facilities, where they can see how the beans are sorted and roasted. The estate also has a botanical garden that features more than 500 plant species, including coffee plants from all over the world. Finally, visitors can enjoy tastings of different coffees in the estate's cafe.
What I loved about the tour was the opportunity to try out each of the steps that the workers do daily. From picking the beans off the bushes, to raking them up!
Tastings at Doka Estate
Doka Estate offers several types of tastings, each of which is designed to highlight a different aspect of Costa Rican coffee culture. The Standard Tasting includes four samples of coffee from different regions of the country. The Deluxe Tasting includes eight samples, as well as chocolate and rum made with coffee beans. And the Reserve Tasting features rare and expensive coffees from all over the world.
My favorite was the cup of iced coffee I got after trying my hand at raking the drying beans. Its way harder than it looks!
Getting There
Doka Estate is located about an hour's drive from San Jose. You can reach it by car or by bus. If you're driving, take Route 209 north from San Jose and follow the signs to Heredia. If you're taking the bus, catch route 252 at Calle Central and Avenida Segunda in San Jose. The trip takes about an hour.
Other Things to Do Nearby
Doka Estate is located in the town of San Pedro, which is home to a few other coffee plantations as well. Visitors can also explore the area's charming villages, go hiking or rafting on the nearby rivers, or visit one of Costa Rica's famous volcanoes.
