The Art of Coffee: A farm to cup retreat

This immersive, multi-day retreat takes place at Finca Mālama, a working coffee farm and holistic retreat center nestled in the lush highlands of Costa Rica. Home to over 1,500 thriving coffee plants and surrounded by a region steeped in generational farming traditions, the land itself tells the story of coffee—from seed to cup.

Timed to align with the tail end of the harvest season, this retreat offers a rare opportunity to engage with coffee at its most vital stage. You’ll experience the full journey: handpicking ripe cherries, learning about early-stage processing, and participating in drying techniques—alongside daily explorations of brewing methods, global rituals, and mindful consumption.

This is not a wellness retreat in the conventional sense. It’s education-first, culture-rich, and rooted in hands-on work and daily ritual—with optional access to restorative offerings like massage, sauna, and climbing wall for those who wish to balance learning with rest.

Day 1: Arrival & Orientation

• Arrival and check-in
  
• Welcome circle & farm tour
• Group dialogue: What does coffee mean to us, personally and collectively?

Day 2: From Soil to Cherry

• Fieldwork — hands-on coffee harvesting and measuring
• Guided walk-through of coffee plants and ripeness cues
  
• Introduction to washing, sorting, and drying methods
  
• Coffee Ritual: Swedish Fika — a moment of pause, sweetness, and connection
  

Day 3: Processing & drying

• Sorting beans by quality, size, and threats to yield
• Visual guides + hands-on quality control practice
• Deep dive into drying methods and their effect on flavor
• Storytelling: Local coffee culture and intergenerational knowledge
• Coffee Ritual: Costa Rican-style brewing and sharing

Day 4: The effects of coffee on our bodies and our world

• Group classes:
  
  • Coffee & Hormones: Women’s health + adrenal balance
    
  • Decaf: Myths, methods, and mindful alternatives
    
  • Coffee & ADHD: Emerging research + personal experience
  • Big Ag vs. Small Farming: The Finca Mālama perspective
    
• Coffee ritual: Turkish-style brewing and tradition

Day 5: Sugarcane & brewing techniques

• Morning fieldwork: Sugarcane harvesting and juicing
  
• Hands-on brewing methods: French press, pour over, espresso machine, percolator
  
• Introduction to latte art as creative ritual
  

Day 6: Tasting lab & sensory exploration

• Comparative Tasting Lab: roast levels, grind size, water temperature, timing
  
• Flavor mapping and identifying tasting notes
  
• Sensory meditation: Attuning to aroma, texture, and memory
  
• Coffee Ritual: Ethiopian Jebena Buna and jazz celebration

Day 7: Reflection & Celebration

• Morning Reflection: personal takeaways
• Farewell breakfast

What’s Included

• 6 nights lodging at Finca Mālama
• Daily farm-to-table meals using local ingredients
• All coffee education, materials, tastings, and rituals
• Access to the farm’s amenities, including the bath house, climbing wall, and walking trails to the river & creek
• Optional add-ons: massage, herbal bath, or personal wellness sessions

Payment Plans Available

Reserve your spot with a $500 deposit (non-refundable)

The remaining balance is split monthly based on the number of months left until the retreat

Final payment is due 30 days before the retreat begins

Booking with a partner?  A special discount is applied at checkout when sharing a bed.