Costa Rica- Las Lajas

In Costa Rica’s Central Valley, the town of Sabana Redonda is home to Las Lajas, the acclaimed mill run by Oscar and Francisca Chacón. Across eight nearby farms—30 hectares at 1,300–1,550 meters and shaped by the Poás Volcano—they produce some of the country’s most celebrated microlots.

Las Lajas helped launch Costa Rica’s specialty movement in 2008, when an earthquake cut off their water and pushed Oscar to try honey and natural processing.

The results were exceptional, inspiring years of innovation, including their signature Perla Negra process: cherries first dry on raised beds under the sun, then undergo a second drying beneath dark netting that traps warmth and boosts sugar development.

Producing around 1,500 bags a year—mostly naturals and honeys—Las Lajas continues to reinvest in quality, expanding facilities and refining their craft.