Tour de la Finca Cafetera Las Brisas, Don Elias
Tour de la Finca Cafetera Las Brisas, Don Elias
Tour de la Finca Cafetera Las Brisas, Don Elias
4.5
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Full view
About
Salento, Colombia
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Tour de la Finca Cafetera Las Brisas, Don Elias
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
191 reviews
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Very good
34
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5
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4
Amelie B
London, UK45 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
Lovely tour of this small organic finca!
We did a tour of the finca, which explains the plantation process, shows you how the coffee is made and includes a coffee degustation.
Very nice tour which did not feel commercial at all, and we had a nice long chat with the owner. There’s the opportunity to buy coffee at the end if you want. We highly recommend!
Need to note that the tour is in spanish. We combined this tour with a horse riding experience (with the cabalgatas san pablo agency) which was a really nice way to get there (you need to pay for the horse riding and the finca tour separately). Otherwise you can just take one of the jeeps to get there.
We did a tour of the finca, which explains the plantation process, shows you how the coffee is made and includes a coffee degustation.
Very nice tour which did not feel commercial at all, and we had a nice long chat with the owner. There’s the opportunity to buy coffee at the end if you want. We highly recommend!
Need to note that the tour is in spanish. We combined this tour with a horse riding experience (with the cabalgatas san pablo agency) which was a really nice way to get there (you need to pay for the horse riding and the finca tour separately). Otherwise you can just take one of the jeeps to get there.
Written February 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin Benfield
1 contribution
Dec 2019
We really enjoyed our visit to Don Elias' coffee farm. It was recommended to us by our Hostel owners. We walked there from our hostel in Boquia and enjoyed the views along the way.
When we got there, we were greeted and given the details about the tour. We were asked to wait while our guide finished his lunch. In the mean time we were greeted by Don Elias. We talked to him for a while and learned about his philosophy about the finca and even his outlook on life. It was comparable to having an anecdotal conversation with my grandpa. At the end of our conversation, he told us to make sure that we leave no questions unasked during our tour.
We decided to take a tour in Spanish. While our Spanish is not perfect, Alejandro spoke very clearly and we were able to understand everything. We went through the coffee fields and learned about how the finca uses organic techniques to keep their coffee growing well. We then learned about the rest of the process, from harvesting to roasting. Alejandro was a great guide and was patient with our Spanish and our many questions.
Afterwards we enjoyed the coffee we ground on the tour. We were able to talk more with Don Elias and the rest of the staff. We were also given some tips for our stay in Salento and Armenia. It was very laid-back and relaxed.
We walked away feeling as if we had just visited friends but also with the knowledge about organic coffee-growing. We highly recommend visiting Don Elias and his family farm.
When we got there, we were greeted and given the details about the tour. We were asked to wait while our guide finished his lunch. In the mean time we were greeted by Don Elias. We talked to him for a while and learned about his philosophy about the finca and even his outlook on life. It was comparable to having an anecdotal conversation with my grandpa. At the end of our conversation, he told us to make sure that we leave no questions unasked during our tour.
We decided to take a tour in Spanish. While our Spanish is not perfect, Alejandro spoke very clearly and we were able to understand everything. We went through the coffee fields and learned about how the finca uses organic techniques to keep their coffee growing well. We then learned about the rest of the process, from harvesting to roasting. Alejandro was a great guide and was patient with our Spanish and our many questions.
Afterwards we enjoyed the coffee we ground on the tour. We were able to talk more with Don Elias and the rest of the staff. We were also given some tips for our stay in Salento and Armenia. It was very laid-back and relaxed.
We walked away feeling as if we had just visited friends but also with the knowledge about organic coffee-growing. We highly recommend visiting Don Elias and his family farm.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
miufv
Perth, Australia253 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Went to the farm on a jeep (bought the tickets on the plaza + entrance to the farm). The ride was a bit rough as it's an unpaved road (about 20 mins). On arrival the family gave us a warm welcome and a bit of time to enjoy the view (amazing) while we waited for more people to arrive. Camilo was a very funny guide and explained us the process begining to end. Was very interesting and didn't go for too long, then at the end we enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee and a chat with them about the history of the farm. Worth the visit if you are staying in Salento.
Written February 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ped_anip
Reykjavik, Iceland34 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Funny and interesting coffee tour with Camilo. This is a family coffee farm with 5 varieties of coffee. The tour is around 1h, short walk and good information from the guide. Camilo was a funny guy and good teacher. I still remember "fosforo, chapola, colino"! hahaha Keep in mind to bring long sleeves and repellent as there a lot of coffee mosquitos.
Written April 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pillow Popper Travel
Austin, TX470 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
We walked out to Don Elias Coffee Farm for the tour and found it super cool! The walk out there was beautiful, and the tour guide was awesome. It’s 10,000 a tour with some coffee after the tour included. You can take a jeep back if you want, but if you can walk you should. We got rained on afterwards but it was so nice we didn’t even care!
Written November 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JCarollo1966
Atlanta, GA289 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
Very informative tour offered in both Spanish and English. Takes about an hour and is wrapped up with a cup of hot freshly ground coffee. The tour is given by the young grandson (Jubert) of Don Elias. This guy is quite the character and, watch out, he knows some German and French as well. We enjoyed this tour. Honestly we weren't sure whose tour was the best so it was tough to decide where to go, but I can't imagine another finca having any additional information if all you are seeking is a brief introduction to a typical coffee finca operation in Colombia. Tour price is $6,000 COP$ and you can also buy a bag of coffee for 11,000 COP$. You do not need a reservation - just show up.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE? (there are 3 ways)
1) Take a Willy Jeep from the central plaza. (see photos) Cost is 24,000 COP$, but if you ride to the finca with others who are going then you can share the cost accordingly.
2) Walk there (45-60 minutes). Ask someone where the big yellow bridge is*. Cross the bridge and stay on that road (do not turn off anywhere). There are "Don Elias" signs all along the way. Toward the end of the walk, when you get to the big sign that says "El Ocaso" you keep walking about 200 meters and you will then arrive at your destination. The views along the way are really nice. You will likely see horses, cows, goats, roosters, etc. This is a downhill route all the way so it is easy to do.
3) Rent bicycles. You can rent these for 35,000 COP$ for the day or for $6,000 COP$ per hour. If you just want them to go to the finca then you will need them for like 3 hours. Hourly rental is what I would recommend. You would take the same route as the walking route.
WHERE IS THE BIKE PLACE? Cross the big yellow bridge* on foot and once you get across the bridge, grab a cup of fresh tinto from "On the Way Coffee Shop" (Un Cafe en El Camino). It will be on your left. Ask the lady there where the bike rental place is. By the way, the bike people will tell you a way back to them that is not uphill.
*The big yellow bridge is like 2 or 3 blocks from the central plaza when your backside is facing the plaza itself. You will be walking down a hill 2 or 3 blocks to get to the bridge.
HAVE FUN.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE? (there are 3 ways)
1) Take a Willy Jeep from the central plaza. (see photos) Cost is 24,000 COP$, but if you ride to the finca with others who are going then you can share the cost accordingly.
2) Walk there (45-60 minutes). Ask someone where the big yellow bridge is*. Cross the bridge and stay on that road (do not turn off anywhere). There are "Don Elias" signs all along the way. Toward the end of the walk, when you get to the big sign that says "El Ocaso" you keep walking about 200 meters and you will then arrive at your destination. The views along the way are really nice. You will likely see horses, cows, goats, roosters, etc. This is a downhill route all the way so it is easy to do.
3) Rent bicycles. You can rent these for 35,000 COP$ for the day or for $6,000 COP$ per hour. If you just want them to go to the finca then you will need them for like 3 hours. Hourly rental is what I would recommend. You would take the same route as the walking route.
WHERE IS THE BIKE PLACE? Cross the big yellow bridge* on foot and once you get across the bridge, grab a cup of fresh tinto from "On the Way Coffee Shop" (Un Cafe en El Camino). It will be on your left. Ask the lady there where the bike rental place is. By the way, the bike people will tell you a way back to them that is not uphill.
*The big yellow bridge is like 2 or 3 blocks from the central plaza when your backside is facing the plaza itself. You will be walking down a hill 2 or 3 blocks to get to the bridge.
HAVE FUN.
Written December 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shoeaddict2014
Montreal, Canada48 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
I went there with a group of friends, in the group three of us spoke absolutely no spanish. The young guide told us that his english was not good (even though it was pretty good) and that there were other people not speaking english so he would do the tour only in spanish. There is no point doing this tour is you don't understand a word of it. So basically we saw coffee plantations and coffee drying in the sun, I did not learn a thing about the process of it, because the guide did not bother translating in english. Worst thing is they advertise it everywhere as a bilingual tour, which it is not. Having known that I would have been to another coffee farm.
Written June 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vanelic
Zagreb, Croatia384 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
I did 3 coffee tours in Colombia - one was in a huge finca, one in a medium size one, and then there was Finca Don Elias, the smallest of the three and the only organic one. It was great to compare the three.
The coffee tour here costs 8,000 pesos for approx. 1 hour and it was the cheapest of the three. The tour was conducted by Don Elias' grandson. He was laidback and knowledgeble. I got a lot of information on the other two tours so I was more interested in the organic component of this tour. Lots of info there.
The coffee at the end was the best I had on any finca.
The coffee tour here costs 8,000 pesos for approx. 1 hour and it was the cheapest of the three. The tour was conducted by Don Elias' grandson. He was laidback and knowledgeble. I got a lot of information on the other two tours so I was more interested in the organic component of this tour. Lots of info there.
The coffee at the end was the best I had on any finca.
Written March 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rmeskill
Budapest, Hungary11 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
For starters, I should mention we were planning on going to Ocasa Finca, which is about 100 meters before Don Elias' finca. You can't miss that one-there are a about a hundred signs along the way advertising its 'authenticity' and 'rusticness', which, again having not seen it, takes away a bit of both. We actually got to town a bit late for the Ocasa tour at 1 so we rushed to the main square to look for a 'Jeep Willy' to take us out to the finca so we didn't miss it. Our Jeep Willy driver explained (in our brokenly understood Spanish) essentially what we would have suspected after the bumpy ride down the road: Ocasa was fine, but Don Elias was far more authentic, rustic, and just plain lovely. We were worried we were being taken to a scam place, but I'd heard of this one on Tripadvisor, so we agreed and boy were we glad we did!
Don Elias himself is an absolute gem. He says he's been making coffee there for 24 years and running tours for 8. He only speaks Spanish, but he made such an effort to speak slowly and deliberately that we understood him plenty well. There were 5 other people there when we arrived in various stages of the tour/coffee drinking/leaving, so we were invited to sit on comfy couches and just chatted with Don Elias for 10 minutes or so until our English-speaking guide was ready for us. For $6000 COP they walked us through their farm, showed us their compost piles, explained how banana trees growing around the coffee helps prevent disease and further contributes to the compost, and shown the difference between the two types of coffee they grow. We were shown what beans are ready to be picked and picked a few of our own. Then we were shown the places where they de-husk, dry, and roast the coffee and finally ground some ourselves and waited while he brewed it for us. It was relatively quick at about 30-40 minutes, but quite informative and, realistically, I don't know what else you'd do on some of the 1.5-3hr longer tours besides stand around in a field or get coerced into helping them pick coffee beans all day. All in all, a wonderful tour, well worth the 6000 COP, and 11,000 COP for 250g of their own bagged, roasted coffee at the end if you fancy (we bought a full kilo we liked it so much). Really it's worth it just to be welcomed into Don Elias' authentic Colombian farmer's home-the coffee tour/tasting is just an excellent added bonus!
Now, for some important procedural pieces that we struggled with when getting there:
-If you take the bus from Pereira, get off *as soon* as it gets to Salento (I can't speak for other cities like Armenia/Manizales, but I'm pretty sure they all come in on the same road) We were very unclear where the bus finally stopped and it just ended up making a loop around. Alternatively, though, you can stay on until the end just so you know where to pick it up when coming back (pretty sure the final stop was around the intersection of Carrera 3 and Calle 4)
-If you want to walk, it's a hike-4.4km once you leave town, to be exact. It's mostly downhill, but also on a dirt/rock road that Jeeps and motorbikes race down, so just be prepared and bring some water/snacks.
-If you're walking, just pass Ocasa Finca (you'll see scores of signs with convenient distance markers) and go another ~100m and turn right at the big-ish restaurant and walk down the hill through the banana trees.
-If you don't want to walk, head from the bus up to the main square (up the massive hill) in Salento and catch a Jeep Willy (ancient Jeeps). There's a white tourist booth right behind them that'll set you up with a driver and it should cost 24,000 COP each way for the whole Jeep, which will hold 8 or even 10 if you ride Colombian-style on the back. The driver will wait for you or just come back in an hour or so to pick you up and won't charge you until he gets you back to the main square.
-I've heard some people walked down to the finca and caught rides in Jeeps back to town, but we didn't do this-perhaps Don Elias can call one for you. It'll still be 24,000 COP one-way, I'd imagine, though.
Don Elias himself is an absolute gem. He says he's been making coffee there for 24 years and running tours for 8. He only speaks Spanish, but he made such an effort to speak slowly and deliberately that we understood him plenty well. There were 5 other people there when we arrived in various stages of the tour/coffee drinking/leaving, so we were invited to sit on comfy couches and just chatted with Don Elias for 10 minutes or so until our English-speaking guide was ready for us. For $6000 COP they walked us through their farm, showed us their compost piles, explained how banana trees growing around the coffee helps prevent disease and further contributes to the compost, and shown the difference between the two types of coffee they grow. We were shown what beans are ready to be picked and picked a few of our own. Then we were shown the places where they de-husk, dry, and roast the coffee and finally ground some ourselves and waited while he brewed it for us. It was relatively quick at about 30-40 minutes, but quite informative and, realistically, I don't know what else you'd do on some of the 1.5-3hr longer tours besides stand around in a field or get coerced into helping them pick coffee beans all day. All in all, a wonderful tour, well worth the 6000 COP, and 11,000 COP for 250g of their own bagged, roasted coffee at the end if you fancy (we bought a full kilo we liked it so much). Really it's worth it just to be welcomed into Don Elias' authentic Colombian farmer's home-the coffee tour/tasting is just an excellent added bonus!
Now, for some important procedural pieces that we struggled with when getting there:
-If you take the bus from Pereira, get off *as soon* as it gets to Salento (I can't speak for other cities like Armenia/Manizales, but I'm pretty sure they all come in on the same road) We were very unclear where the bus finally stopped and it just ended up making a loop around. Alternatively, though, you can stay on until the end just so you know where to pick it up when coming back (pretty sure the final stop was around the intersection of Carrera 3 and Calle 4)
-If you want to walk, it's a hike-4.4km once you leave town, to be exact. It's mostly downhill, but also on a dirt/rock road that Jeeps and motorbikes race down, so just be prepared and bring some water/snacks.
-If you're walking, just pass Ocasa Finca (you'll see scores of signs with convenient distance markers) and go another ~100m and turn right at the big-ish restaurant and walk down the hill through the banana trees.
-If you don't want to walk, head from the bus up to the main square (up the massive hill) in Salento and catch a Jeep Willy (ancient Jeeps). There's a white tourist booth right behind them that'll set you up with a driver and it should cost 24,000 COP each way for the whole Jeep, which will hold 8 or even 10 if you ride Colombian-style on the back. The driver will wait for you or just come back in an hour or so to pick you up and won't charge you until he gets you back to the main square.
-I've heard some people walked down to the finca and caught rides in Jeeps back to town, but we didn't do this-perhaps Don Elias can call one for you. It'll still be 24,000 COP one-way, I'd imagine, though.
Written February 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emilchireno
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic92 contributions
Aug 2015
The most authentic coffee experience you can have in Salento. The farm is beautiful and people, including the legend Don Elias, very nice. They run an organic coffee plant and explain in detail how coffee is grown and processed. This is a must in the Area.
I'd personally recommend getting a horse, a bike or a ride to this place. From the town center to la Finca is a 4km walk on a very dusty and hot road. After the tour I'd strongly recommend a visit to Boquia and the Santa Rita Waterfall .
I'd personally recommend getting a horse, a bike or a ride to this place. From the town center to la Finca is a 4km walk on a very dusty and hot road. After the tour I'd strongly recommend a visit to Boquia and the Santa Rita Waterfall .
Written August 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ciao, vorrei chiederti se per la degustazione e la visita hai dovuto prenotare o se ci sono degli orari fissi. Che prezzo ha la visita?
grazie,
Diletta
cramac
Sarnico, Italy1,641 contributions
Non ho prenotato. Ci sono arrivato a piedi e dopo poco ho iniziato la visita. Penso non sia necessario prenotare. Al massimo puoi aspettare 20/30 minuti. Il costo non me lo ricordo ma è molto basso (tipo 5/6 Euro).
Antonella D
Pianura, Italy8 contributions
Ciao mi potreste dire se avete prenotato in anticipo la visita e come avete fatto?
Grazie
father22
edmonton7 contributions
Do you need a reservation and what time are your English tours por favor
Alvaro P
9 contributions
Buenas tardes. Me podrían ayudar con alguna forma de contacto con ustedes?
Gracias
Amanda O
Bogota, Colombia8 contributions
Hi. I’m interested in learning about the coffee farm. However I have trouble walking so can’t do the normal tour. Are you able to offer something that does not walk a lot of walking. I know thus means missing walking around the plantation.
Thanks. Amanda
kkohkae
Toronto, Canada26 contributions
I think they can still explain the process but you would miss out on a lot because as they explained the process they showed us how things were done and we got to see exactly what tools or fruits/ trees were used.
Buenas.. en que horario el Tour es en castellano..?? Gracias
JaviPera
15 contributions
Hacen el tour según va llegando la gente. El idioma depende del grupo, pero son muy flexibles
mysuite21
Milan, Italy257 contributions
Hello, do you know how to contact the FINCA to organize the coffee tour ? thx a lot
mysuite21
Milan, Italy257 contributions
Hello Nosotros somos in Salento the 16th and 17th of August,
Se puede visitar la tu finca
Necessitan de reservation ?
muchas gracia
Tour de la Finca Cafetera Las Brisas, Don Elias - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
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