All the Coffee You Can Drink at This Remote Colombian B&B

The main house and the pool. (Photo: Hacienda Venecia)

With its bamboo architecture, hammocks facing the countryside, and peacocks roaming the lawn, Hacienda Venecia has the look and feel of a place stuck in time. But it’s also part of a major trend in Colombia: a coffee farm in the country’s famous coffee-growing region for 100 years, only in the last seven years has it opened itself as a B&B to visitors.

“I was receiving lots of coffee traders from all over the world and they fell in love with the place,” said Juan Pablo Echeverri, whose family has owned the farm for 50 years and who has been running it for the past 12. “I started seeing in that time as well, because of the security that Colombia regained, backpackers coming by.

“I knew all the travelers would start to come sooner or later. If you manage to convince backpackers, you can convince anyone. Because backpackers are looking for an authentic experience.”

There’s lots of coffee and hammocks here. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

Having recently stayed at Hacienda Venecia, located in Manizales about 30 minutes from the city center, I can say the experience is authentic indeed. From the postcard-perfect mountain setting to the education on coffee production to the rustic-chic Main House, this place demands a visit if you’re touring the coffee region.

Best of all, guests can have all the farm-grown coffee they can drink.

Related: Big Dreams Brewing: Inspiring Coffee Farmers in Colombia

Peering into one of the rooms in the main house. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

The setup: Hacienda Venecia is broken up into three kinds of accommodations with breakfast included for all: the hostel, guest house, and main house – or as Echeverri calls the choices, “Backpack, Samsonite, and Louis Vuitton.”

The hostel ($9 per night) has three shared dorms that used to house the farm’s coffee pickers. The guest house (around $30 with breakfast) has seven rooms, and the elegant main house ($100 to $130) has another six rooms, three of which have private bathrooms.

Related: Unbelievable Drone Footage of Colombia’s Cocora Valley

The courtyard at the hostel. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

The vibe: Classic rural Colombia, and with the remote location here, you couldn’t ask for a more tranquil setting. The country’s coffee region has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011, meaning you can expect to see the traditional Bahareque elements here preserved, including bamboo and clay walls.

The hostel has a picturesque patio, kitchen, and store for supplies. The guest house is by far the most plain-looking accommodation, with a pool in front. The main house is a stunner, with a large lawn, pool, pond, peacocks, iguanas in the trees, balconies on all sides with hammocks, and red doors and red shutter windows for the rooms. After my breakfast I saw that the resident white cat was cat-napping and was camouflaged in a white pillow. It’s the kind of sight that’s guaranteed to make your friends jealous when you Instagram it.

Say hi to some of the peacocks on site. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

The farm: The entire property comprises over 200 acres in the Cordillera de los Andes, and the farm produces 50 million cups of single origin coffee per year – a small amount of Colombia’s production. Only in the last 10 years has Hacienda Venecia been exporting its coffee, and the farm is UTZ certified for sustainability practices.

The coffee experience: You can learn about Colombian coffee from seed to drink here, and the experiences are open to guests and non-guests.

Juan Pablo Echeverri, who runs the B&B and the family coffee farm. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

The coffee production area is just a short walk away from the main house. You can get up close to see where the Arabica beans are picked, washed, dried, and stored in giant sacks.

I attended a cupping workshop presided by Echeverri and one of his assistants, where I learned about Colombia’s coffee trade (for instance, virtually all the best coffee is exported), tried sorting the best beans, got a test on how well I could recognize the beans’ smell, and even learned the proper way to sip coffee.

Your third option is to take a barista class, where you can learn about the different ways to brew your own cup, from French press to Chemex, then learn how to make a floral cappuccino design. The instructor must have been good, because even my design wasn’t a complete mess.

Learn to create designs like these at the in-house barista classes. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

The activities: If lazing on a hammock or by the pool isn’t your thing, you can also go hiking in the surrounding area, look for the 120 species of birds here, or go horseback riding. Hostel guests have access to the pool and Wi-Fi at the guest house.

The food: All of my meals were traditionally Colombian, and they did not disappoint. My favorite was probably the ajiaco, a chicken-and-potato soup.

What I loved: The word “authentic” gets thrown around a lot in the travel world, but this truly fits the definition. The farm doesn’t feel touristy at all, and the relaxing surroundings here could calm down even the biggest caffeine high. The coffee here is mighty good too, and you can buy some bags to take home with you.

Take a cat nap next to the resident cat at Hacienda Venecia. (Photo: Greg Keraghosian)

What you might not love: When I stopped by the guest house, the common indoor area was uncomfortably hot despite a fan blowing. Your best bet will be to either go extra-budget and book a hostel room, or splurge for the main house. If you’re truly looking for a five-star hotel experience, the main house’s older furnishings and shared bathrooms won’t remind you of the Ritz-Carlton.

Also, the B&B’s delightful remoteness creates one problem: getting there. You could take a public bus from Manizales, though we have recently covered the dangers of public buses in Colombia. Your more expensive, but safer, bet is to take a taxi or drive there yourself.

The bottom line: If you love coffee, you’ll want to reserve a hammock here.

WATCH: Unbelievable Drone Footage of Colombia’s Cocora Valley

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