Peru · Coffee Growing Region
San Martín (Alto Mayo) Coffee
San Martín's Alto Mayo valley, on the Andes' Amazon-facing slopes, transformed within a generation from coca-conflict territory to one of Peru's great cooperative coffee landscapes — alternative-development programs planted the trees, and farmer-owned cooperatives built the mills and export relationships.
The region's warm high-jungle climate yields generous, sweet-natured cups, with certified organic and fair-trade production at scale; its cooperatives are among Peru's largest exporters and most consistent quality performers.
San Martín (Alto Mayo) at a glance
| Country | Peru |
|---|---|
| Growing altitude | 1,100–1,800 m |
| Harvest season | April – August |
| Known for | High-jungle cooperatives that turned Peru's north into an organic powerhouse |
| Cup profile | Milk chocolate, orange, and panela; friendly, sweet, dependable — with highland lots adding floral lift. |
Varieties grown in San Martín (Alto Mayo)
Processing in San Martín (Alto Mayo)
San Martín (Alto Mayo) — frequently asked questions
What changed San Martín's economy?
Coffee-led alternative development from the 1990s onward replaced coca cultivation, with cooperatives providing the market access that made the transition durable — one of the crop's clearest social-impact stories.
What does Alto Mayo coffee taste like?
Approachable sweetness — chocolate, orange, panela — with clean structure; higher plots toward 1,800 m add floral notes and brighter acidity.
Volcana Coffee grows and exports specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta from our own region — the Bolaven Plateau in Laos — with SGS-inspected quality and full export documentation. Taste how our volcanic terroir compares.
Request a SampleMore Peru coffee regions
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Amazonas (Rodríguez de Mendoza)
Cloud-forest valleys producing florally, honeyed cooperative lots.