About Finca San Rafael

Finca San Rafael, named in honor of the patron saint of doctors, is so much more than just a coffee farm--it represents the story of a woman who is a medic by trade, but a coffee grower at heart. Hilda, the current owner of Finca San Rafael, is the fourth generation of her family in the coffee growing industry, with some of her earliest memories being from her family’s farm. She still remembers when she was just a little girl walking with her brothers through the coffee trees on the farm, surrounded by mist, the dew wetting her face, and enjoying her favorite smell--the smell of blooming coffee plants.

After 32 years of being the only daughter of a coffee farmer and despite the numerous difficulties they have faced in the world of coffee, Hilda and her husband decided to take a leap of faith into a new adventure and purchased a 25-acre farm in 2016. The farm is located in a secluded portion of the Apenaca--Ilamatepec region of El Salvador, 1450 meters above sea level, and right in front of the El Chingo volcano, creating excellent conditions for coffee growing.

San Rafael is tucked away in the Salvadorian hills, making it difficult to access. The community the farm is nestled in does not have access to drinking water or electricity, and because of these challenges, Hilda and her family are committed to improving the lives of her neighbors through the power of coffee. When Hilda is not busy leading San Rafael to success, she works hard to provide medical care to her community by distributing vitamins, parasite treatments, and first aid kits, making her even more valuable to the Apenaca region.

The mission of the farm is to continue to produce high quality coffee, specializing in bourbon, pacas, and pacamara coffees, with the dream of expanding exportation to European and Asian markets. Hilda is the mother of two beautiful children, who she is already introducing to the fascinating world of coffee with the hope of passing on her family’s history and passion for the trade for generations to come.