Speciality Coffee Circuit of Minas Gerais Holiday

What does the term “speciality coffee” actually mean? Speciality coffee is coffee that has been treated with the utmost care from planting all the way through to the moment it hits your cup! A speciality coffee will score 87+ on the Speciality Coffee Association official coffee grading.

What better way is there to find out more, than to hit a coffee-packed adventure to Brazil’s biggest and best coffee growing region! You’ll be calling the stunning Brazilian countryside “home” for 12 days as you explore speciality coffee at its very roots.

You’ll get to tour, and sample at, totally sustainable coffee farms that are family run and produce sensational gourmet coffee for their guests. You even have the chance to pick coffee cherries in the harvesting months of May to September!

Day 1 (Wine and Olive Oil) – On the first day, you’ll drive north of Sao Paulo to the Vinicola Guaspari winery. This winery used to be a coffee farm, but now creates and serves amazing Brazilian wines. You will have the chance to try a range of wines with a tasting guide. From here you will travel to Fazenda Irarema, which also used to be a coffee plantation and now is an olive farm! Walk through the fields with your tour and taste the amazing local olive-made products. This evening you’ll call the spa town of Pocos de Caldas home, where you can make the most of hot springs in bathhouses and stay the night at the Palace Hotel.

Day 2 (Fazenda Recanto) –  Following your delicious breakfast, you’ll visit the Cachoeira Veu das Noivas waterfall in all its glory, then continue on to the Fazenda Recanto in Machada! Visit a coffee farm which is now in its 5th generation of the family who own it. Here you’ll learn masses about the processing and drying stages of coffee farming – crucial knowledge for a coffee fan. You’ll also see how beans are roasted for different lengths of time to create different flavours. Embark on a tasting adventure with the farm’s amazing coffees, learning all about the extraction process. After lunch you’ll head south to Santa do Sapucai, and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing. Stay the night in Pousada do Barao. 

Day 3 (Santa Rita do Sapucai) – First up, you’ll visit some coffee farms around the local area where you will have a presentation on what speciality coffee is vs regular and lower-grade coffees. Sample the incredible smells and tastes of Brazilian speciality coffee in its natural surroundings. View the breathtaking plantation fields, and enjoy an organic lunch served there. Spend your evening in Santa Rita and again stay in Pousada do Barao.

Day 4 (Cristina & Carmo de Minas) – Visit the scenic mountains and valleys of Serra da Mantiqeira. Here you’ll understand the kinds of altitude at which speciality coffee is grown. The farms here in the towns of Cristina and Carmo de Minas are high-up, and you’ll get to see and taste their incredible their products, widely regarded as Brazil’s finest! Following a Barista-led coffee preparation and tasting, spend the night in Pousada Casarao Dos Noronha Kauage. 

Day 5 (Balloon Ride and Trem des Aguas) – You will be transported to a high-altitude farm to fly in a hot air balloon over the stunning green valleys. You will take off from a coffee drying grounds, at approximately 1100 metres above sea level! Drink in the amazing views of endless coffee plantations and farms from your balloon vantage point. Next up you will be tasting local speciality coffees, said to be “energising”. If you’re visiting on the weekend, you can board the Trem das Aguas (train) from Sao Lourenco to Soledad de Minas, a historic and beautiful town. You will spend the night at Refugio Eco Boutique Tuiuva.

Day 6 (Sao Lourenco and Caxambu) – The town of Sao Lourenco awaits! The town is part of the Brazilian Royal Road – Estrada Real. Historically, this route had been used to transport riches like gold and diamonds between Diamantina to the far-away ports of Rio! Here you can visit the thermal waters in Parque das Aguas, known for their medicinal properties. This afternoon is one for leisure and relaxation, and afterwards see the amazing sights of Caxambu. Caxambu is a town also known for springs and their healing qualities. Stay at JS Park Hotel.

Day 7 (Baependi) – The day will start with your travel to Baependi. You’ll visit Cafe Mantiqueira de Minas. These growing conditions are ideal, with the high altitudes and climates. But the proof is in the coffee! Experience the crop, harvest and process parts of coffee farming in the immersion tour of the farm. After guiding you through their amazing farm, the owners will demonstrate extraction and coffee flavours. Lunch will be served in the main house and it’ll be followed by a speciality coffee workshop including tasting. End the day with coffee and cheese pairings with a sunset view. Spend the night at the Fazenda da Roseta.

Day 8 (Fazenda Santo Antonio II) – Following a delicious locally sourced breakfast, you’ll begin your journey to the Fazenda Santo Antonio II coffee plantation where you’ll be shown plant varieties and tasting to go with your learnings! Next up is a traditional Minar Gerais lunch. Back at the plantation, you can take a horse ride along through the countryside at sunset. Overnight at the Fazenda da Roseta.

Day 9 (Sao Bento do Sapucai) – Today is dedicated to seeing the truly stunning scenic surroundings of the area, Serra da Mantiqueira. The views are said to be some of the best in the whole of Brazil! You’ll hike to Mirante da Pedra do Bauzinho, Pedra do Bauzinha, Pedra do Bau, and Pedra Ana Chata which takes a few hours. A well-earned evening of either romance or relaxation with your tranquil time eating a gourmet picnic with delicious local wines. These unique and private experiences might just be the thing you look back on with most fondness. Stay overnight at Pousada Caminho da Mata.

Day 10 (Araucaria & Milky Way) – The deep green forests of Araucaria will be your haven for  the first part of today as you explore the beautiful scenic setting south of Goncalves. You’ll have stunning views of the Mantiqueira Mountain ranges. Afterwards, you’ll return to the town for some traditional Minar Gerais lunch dishes. In the afternoon, you’ll be heading to Pedra de Sao Domingos to see incredible sunset views. After this trip, you’ll be heading away from the lights and sounds of the urban setting, for a once in a liftetime nsky viewing experience. You’ll feel closer to the stars than ever before, seeing constellations and planets in our Milky Way! Stay the night in Colina das Andorinhas.

Day 11 (Monte Verde) – It’ll feel like you have been transported to the magnificent Swiss Alps this morning, Monte Verde in particular. You will hike the Pedra Redonda and Pedra Partida trails with amazing views all around. A lunch of cheeses and chocolates awaits, with the option of a meat fondue. You will have the option to enjoy the beautiful local spa facilities this afternoon – work hard, rest hard! This evening you’ll enjoy a sunset picnic with products from Serra da Mantiqueira with views of local wildlife. Stay the night in Mirante da Colyana.

Day 12 (Return to Sao Paulo) – A slow morning is needed, and that’s what you’ve got. Soak in some last views of the stunning mountainous countryside. You’ll then either head back to one of the airports in Sao Paulo or you can continue your trip around Brazil’s biggest and best coffee region – Trips are customisable to suit your preferences!