Today we got to visit Costa Rica’s Café Britt, and we got a super cool coffee tour. It was really interesting learning all about the origins, of coffee, how it eventually made its way to Costa Rica, and how it is grown, cultivated, and used in a wide variety of ways. We got to learn all about the coffee from all different regions in Costa Rica, the typical harvesting methods, and even the process of a proper coffee tasting. We also got to sample lots of coffee and other yummy sweets (the dark chocolate covered coffee beans are amazing!). I drink a decent amount of coffee, so it was really cool getting to broaden my knowledge of it, and I really appreciated the care and pride that Costa Rica has for its coffee and producing it in the best and most sustainable way.

Even though certain parts of the tour felt a little tourist-oriented, it still came across as genuine and authentic to me. The guide was super passionate and proud of the Costa Rican coffee and culture, which made the experience feel less like a sales pitch and more like sharing Costa Rica’s culture and history. At the same time, they definitely understand how to market the experience in a way that makes you want to buy the products. By the end of the tour, I genuinely wanted to buy some authentic Costa Rican coffee to bring home with me, as the experience made the coffee feel directly tied to Costa Rica. I think Café Britt does help lift up the Costa Rican economy and culture rather than water it down. They take products, traditions, and experiences that are authentic and genuine to Costa Rica and create international interest around them, which helps support local businesses and the economy as a whole. While the experience is definitely polished for tourists, it still felt rooted in real pride for Costa Rican culture instead of feeling fake.