Nariño

Close to the equator and very high, which is an unusual combination.

Altitude

1,500–2,300 m

Harvest

May–August

Species

Arabica

Processing

Washed

About the region

Nariño is close to the equator and very high — a combination that should not work and does. Farms sit up to 2,300 m, an altitude that at most latitudes would be too cold to ripen coffee; this close to the equator the days stay warm enough while the nights slow ripening right down.

The result is unusually dense beans and a harvest that runs later than the rest of the country.

In the cup

The brightest Colombian profile: sharp citrus and green apple acidity, dense sweetness, and a clarity that reads closer to a high-grown Central American than to Huila.

Terrain

Extremely high Andean slopes on the Ecuadorian border, equatorial but cold at night.

Varieties

Caturra Castillo Colombia

Other regions in Colombia

Huila The largest producing department, and the one most often named on a bag. Antioquia Northern, historically the heart of the industry. Tolima Central, smallholder-dominated, increasingly sold as single-origin.

Sources

World Coffee Research — Arabica Coffee Varieties (read August 24, 2026) Cited for Varieties

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