Colombia Nariño - Camino Real

Caramel, strawberry, guava, apple juice, pineapple

TOP LOT

Bag Weight	70 KG BAG
Harvest Season	2026/27
Status	Spot
Lot Number	P615597-2

Carteret, NJ: 50 Bag(s)

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About This Coffee

Camino Real is a regional blend sourced from four municipalities (La Unión, Cartago, San Lorenzo and Arboleda) located along the historic Camino Real route connecting Popayán and Pasto in northern Nariño. For many years, this route symbolized connection, cultural exchange, and the meeting of Andean communities, leaving a profound mark on the identity of the region. Produced by smallholders growing mainly on family farms, at harvest time cherries are pulped, fermented for 65 to 75 hours in concrete tanks, washed three times, and shade dried on raised beds for 28 to 32 days. The producers focus on continuous quality improvement, experimenting with diverse coffee varieties while maintaining traditional processing methods and a strong sense of origin.

Country of Origin	Colombia
Region	Nariño
Producer Type	Small Holder Farmers
Farm Name	Various producers
Processing	Washed
Processing Description	65-75hr fermentation, sun-dried on patios
Growing Altitude	1800m - 2200m

Harvest Season	2026/27
Bag Weight	70 KG BAG
Bag Type	Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species	Arabica
Variety	Caturra, Colombia

History of Colombian Coffee

As with many coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, arriving, perhaps, within a decade or two after coffee first came to the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely a garden crop grown for local consumption and barter for decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee cultivation in Colombia. The folkloric tale goes that in the early 1800’s, Father Francisco, hearing confessions in the north eastern town of Salazar de la Palmas, assigned planting coffee to his parishioners as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the practice. Commercial production of coffee expanded quickly, moving into regions where the growing conditions were ideal.

Growing Coffee in Colombia

Even though it’s been 4,000 years, the soil resulting from the last major eruption of Tolima is still considered “young soil,” filled with nutrients that are no longer found at the same levels in old soil. There is a long list of elements on offer in volcanic soil that are fading or absent in other soils, such as high levels of potassium and nitrogen. Also present is something called “Boron,” which arrived from outer space a long time ago, and is important to cell walls, the creation of enzymes, and the production of flowers and fruit, meaning Boron contributes to yield. Beyond the nutrients, the structure of volcanic soil is also beneficial to coffee growing. It can soak up and hold moisture while, at the same time, facilitate good drainage so water doesn’t pool, which is not good for coffee plant roots. Coffee plants like to take a drink, then take a break. Also, volcanic soils are usually found on an incline, which also helps with drainage.