Hacienda San Pedro

Two weekends ago, a group of us went to Jayuya, a mountain town known for its numerous coffee plantations. From San Juan, the trip took nearly two hours, since it was full of hairpin turns. For those who suffer from car sickness, please take a motion-sickness pill. Although it wasn't an easy journey, it was absolutely worth the effort. The countryside was very lush and green, and the air was very crisp. We even came across several horses in the middle of the road when we reached the center of Jayuya. It felt great to get out of San Juan.

The purpose of our trip was to visit Hacienda San Pedro, which offers tours on Sundays at 10AM and 3PM. Unfortunately, we missed the morning tour but we were able to enjoy our cappuccinos, which were excellent! The cafe, which has a great menu, had a very cozy and inviting ambiance. You can purchase their coffee at the shop. There's also a small exhibition on the second-level providing visitors information about the plantation's history. To our pleasant surprise, we were given a brief tour of the facilities by a gentleman named Roberto, who turned out to be the proprietor of Hacienda San Pedro.

For coffee-lovers and those who are interested in learning more about Puerto Rican coffee, I would definitely recommend visiting this lovely plantation. If going from San Juan, I suggest going through Ponce, since the roads are much easier to navigate. Do call in advance if you're planning on visiting. We also came across several other coffee plantations, such as Hacienda Patricia and Hacienda Ana, along the way. Since my camera's batteries died, I couldn't take any pictures. I'm definitely planning on going back to Hacienda San Pedro though! In the meantime, I did find a photostream on Flickr with some great shots.