SANTA ELENA
Location: Ciudad Bolivar, Antioquia
Altitude: 1600-1800 meters
Size of the farm: 20 Hectares
Varieties produced at the farm: Chiroso, caturra, pacamara, laurina, sl28, Pink Bourbon, Tabi, Red Bourbon,
Products: Paula 20 Brix and seasonal limited edition nano lots.
Leaders: Samuel and Paula
Nano lots: Geisha Honey, Pacamara Natural, Bourbon Honey and more…
Explore the coffees available at Santa Elena:
Previous nano lots we’ve released have included coffees such as Pacamara Natural, Geisha Honey, and other experimental micro lots.
These coffees are offered exclusively to current clients and Paula 20 Brix buyers. If you’re interested, feel free to send us an email to melany@thosecoffeepeople.com to check current availability and upcoming releases.
Colombian Specialty Coffee from Ciudad Bolivar, Antioquia
Finca Santa Elena, owned by the passionate duo Samuel and Paula, is a testament to blending heritage with innovation.
Named after Saint Elena Santilopa, the patron saint of lost and forgotten things, the farm’s mission is to “rediscover” Colombia’s rich coffee heritage. This is reflected in their revival of traditional varieties like Caturra and Bourbon, alongside rare and exotic coffees such as SL28, Chiroso, Laurina, and Geisha, offering a unique and diverse flavor profile.
Although best known for their “Paula 20 Brix Natural,” Santa Elena regularly develops experimental micro lots using its exotic varieties, exploring new processes and pushing for unique cup profiles. Some of these trials result in exceptional coffees, produced in very limited volumes ranging from 70kg to 200kg.
Access to these lots is reserved primarily for recurring buyers of Paula 20 Brix, as well as participants of our origin trips. This creates a more direct connection between the people closest to the project and its most exclusive releases.
Tradition and innovation
Finca Santa Elena combines traditional harvesting practices with advanced technology to produce highly controlled and consistent specialty coffees. One example of this is their use of Brix measurements to identify the ideal cherry ripeness for harvest. Once the perfect cherry is selected, its exact color tone becomes the visual reference for pickers, allowing the team to hand-pick only cherries at the optimal maturity stage. This precision helps create sweeter, cleaner, and more structured cup profiles.
The farm has also invested in solar-powered drying infrastructure, reducing the need for fossil fuels commonly used in coffee drying. This system allows for more stable and controlled drying conditions while supporting a more sustainable and energy-efficient production process.
A Triple Impact Approach: Sustainability at Every Level
By choosing Paula 20 Brix, you directly support Finca Santa Elena’s triple sustainability approach, where quality and impact go hand in hand:
Environmental Sustainability
Finca Santa Elena approaches sustainability as part of everyday coffee production. While the farm is not officially certified organic, it operates with practices that are close to 100% organic, focusing on natural alternatives instead of relying heavily on chemical inputs.
For pest control, the farm uses water traps and organic foliar products developed through on-site biorefinery projects. At the same time, organic waste such as coffee pulp and animal manure is repurposed through a bioreactor system that converts these materials into biogas, reducing waste while creating renewable energy.
Together, these practices help preserve soil health, biodiversity, and the long-term sustainability of the farm.
Social Sustainability
Finca Santa Elena is committed to creating working conditions that go far beyond the standards commonly seen during coffee harvest seasons. Workers receive competitive wages, quality housing next to the farm, and healthy daily meals, creating a more stable, respectful, and supportive work environment.
The farm also actively promotes opportunities for women to take on important roles within the operation, supporting greater participation and leadership in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
Economic Sustainability
Producers and workers receive competitive compensation, especially for the additional care required to cultivate low yield, high value coffees.
Finca Santa Elena dedicates the majority of its harvest to the production of Paula 20 Brix, its flagship coffee. Alongside this core offering, the farm produces a curated selection of micro and nano lots released throughout the year, featuring exceptional varieties such as Geisha Honey, Pacamara Natural, and SL28 Honey, among others.
This is one of the farms we visit during our annual origin trips. If you’re interested in experiencing the farm firsthand and connecting directly with producers at origin, you can learn more about the trip here.
