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ABOUT FILADELFIA COFFEE RESORT - in their own words:

The origins of Finca Filadelfia
By Roberto Dalton Matheu

My great great grandfather Manuel Matheu Sinibaldi, considered as the pioneer of coffee production in Guatemala started planting coffee in 1864 in his farm La Felicidad and in Finca Filadelfia; at the time owned by General José Martin Barrundia, but under my great grandfather´s management.  Upon the death of General Barrundia my great grandfather continued planting coffee in Finca Filadelfia as manager and legal representative of the General´s family who had moved to Mexico.  The Barrundia family sold the farm around 1905 to be later bought in 1930 by my grandfather Manuel Matheu Ariza and the farm has remained in the family ever since.  I inherited part of the farm from my mother Elisa Matheu de Dalton and in addition bought land from my cousins.  Today my share of Finca Filadelfia comprises 750 Acres from the valley at 5200 feet up to the highest mountain 8000 feet.  Of that land 250 Acres are planted with coffee and the balance is planted with forestry trees plus a natural ecological reserve at 8000 feet.  The farm processes coffee through what is known as the wet mill, dry mill and roasting and packing.   For tourists, the farm counts with a restaurant (Cafetenango), bird watching tours, mule rides, coffee tours and we are in the process of building a Canopy in the mountain.

The old plantation house was transformed and enlarged starting in the year 2004 to what it is today the hotel which opened in November 2006.  The hotel is practically completed with the exception of the tennis courts that are under construction and the fitness center which we will start building after Easter week that is temporarily housed in one of the meeting rooms.

DINING:

Pergaminos:
The elegance and international gourmet flavor accompanied with an excellent selection of wines and personalized service will provide an unforgetable experience.

Cafetenango:
On the outskirts of the ancient city of Antigua, the former capital of the Spanish Empire of Central America among the green coffee bushes lies the Filadelfia Coffee Estate owned for generations by the Dalton family.

La Cava de Don Agustin:
Our Bar with delightfull atmosphere will pamper your desires.

GIFT SHOP:
We offer you a gift shop with articles and handicrafts related to the coffee theme, packaged roasted ground coffee, coffee beans and much more surprises!!

ACTIVITITES:

Coffee Tour:
Like an artist the workers love their coffee and draw different shapes as they lay the coffee to dry on the large patio, paved with special terracotta tiles so that the humidity can be absorbed and the coffee dry at its best ….and the beans are ripe to be picked when they are bright red, some call it “red gold” some call it “green gold” or “oro verde”, it’s the livelihood of thousands in the heartland of Guatemala. For the next generation to enjoy the fruit of this beautiful plant new seedlings are being planted every year and improvements are being tested in order to get a better result at every harvest.

Mountain Tour:
Duration of  2 hours    
Horarios:    10:00 AM    and    02:00 PM

Enjoy nature, our plantation and the mountains within Filadelfia on our Texan Mules.   The tour takes you from the stables to a “mirador” were you will be able enjoy the view of La Antigua, San Juan del Obispo, San Felipe de Jesús, Ciudad Vieja and other “aldeas.”  You will also get a first hand look at the flora and fauna found at 6,000 feet.  The tour finishes tasting a cup of our select RDalton coffee.

Bird Watching:
Birdwatching, in the strict sense, is the activity of observing wild birds in its natural habitat. In fact, observing birds is a good way of understanding our own world. We, as human race, are but visitors of an incredibly beautiful and complex planet; we coexist with millions of other species and are just beginning to understand its fragility. Observing birds it’s a good way to understand those complex ecosystems and to get back to nature’s basics. In order to observe birds we must enter their world –this planet’s really- and see them in their own terms.

The art of high quality coffee production demands a profound respect and understanding of the coffee plants and the ecosystems where it thrives. In order to produce the best coffee in the world, we must create a special ecosystem termed “agroecosystem” where coffee can express its potential quality as well as preserve the environment. That special ecosystem also serves as nesting area for hundreds of birds.

The concern for the protection of the environment has motivated the founders and owners of Filadelfia Estate to dedicate one fourth of the farm to an ecological reserve area and another similar area to reforestations programs. As a result, 96% of all farm area -660 acres- is protected by trees and create a unique area in the Antigua valley.

In this special conditions over 130 bird species have been catalogued. Of that total, 30 species are endemic including exotic hummingbirds, jays, hawks, cuckoos and other beautiful species.

We wish to share with you this rare jewel of Birdwatching on any of our different trails that run in the midst of a valley planted with green coffee bushes or in the ecological reserve itself.