The Cauca region in the south-western part of the country faces the Pacific Ocean where daily temperatures range from close to 11 degrees centigrade (51 F) by night and 18 degrees centigrade (64 F) by day. These temperature variations alter the rhythm of ripening, giving the coffee the higher acidity levels, distinctive sweet notes, and particular caramelized fragrance for which the region is known.
Here the great Andes mountains split into Cordilleras (parallel mountain ranges): Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Centro – Oriental, and 70% of Colombia’s safe water springs from the high, cold mountains and brutally rugged terrain. One of these rivers, the Cauca, lends its name to the region.
The people here--descendents of Guambiana(Misak), Páez (Nasa), Yanacona, Coconucos and other first-nation peoples as well as Europeans, are resilient and hard working, and it is their efforts that have made Cauca the rich agricultural region that it is today.