Hacienda Carmona is an incredibly beautiful estate located on the fertile slopes of the Hunahpú Volcáno (also called Agua in Spanish), in the heart of the Antigua Valley. Coffee was first planted here in the 1800s, and many of the original Typica and Bourbon varieties originally planted remain today and contribute to the elegant and distinct flavour profile this special farm produces.
At 700 Hectares in size, Hacienda Carmona is quite a large estate. Some 150 hectares are dedicated to coffee, and around 500 to natural reserve. In addition to its stunning homestead (with gardens inspired by a trip the family took to France in the 1800s), the estate raises Holstein cattle, and now includes a restaurant and mountain biking track.
Hacienda Carmona is owned by the Zelaya family, who have been growing coffee for over 100 years. Walking around Carmona is like taking a trip through the Zelaya family’s history: this was the first estate purchased by patriarch Luis Pedro Aguirre, and is now managed by fourth-generation producer Ricardo Zelaya (of Santa Clara Estate).
Before Ricardo took over operations, Carmona was owned by his aunt, Maria Zelaya Aguirre who inherited the farm in 1959. For decades, Maria grew coffee following more conventional techniques, but in 2012, after a bout of leaf rust decimated the farm, Maria decided to completely overhaul the agricultural practices and focus on producing higher quality, specialty grade coffee.
With the help of her nephews Luis Pedro and Ricardo Zelaya, Maria began to upgrade Carmona, renewing and establishing new plots, and making changes to the agricultural practices in place. By focusing on improving plant nutrition, irrigation and pruning techniques Maria was able to get better quality and productivity from her crop. More organic farming practices were also introduced, like the use of cow manure from the estate’s Holstein dairy cows to fertilise the trees.
Over a decade on, these efforts have resulted in greater yields, healthier trees and an across-the-board improvement in the quality of the coffee produced! Having spent more than five decades at the helm of Carmona’s operations, Maria eventually decided to retire, choosing to hand the reigns over to Ricardo and Luis Pedro. Sadly, Maria passed away in early 2024, yet her passion for producing beautiful Antiguan coffees and celebrating the family’s heritage lives on through the work of her two nephews at the farm.
