Sendero Real is the Cortes family’s business. It started in 2015 when they saw the opportunity to start a new chapter in their family’s story, aiming to move from the city of Bogota out to the countryside. There, they not only found a place to live in, but a land that turned out to be perfect for growing coffee. Over the years the family has learned about the coffee production business and integrated the local community into their endeavor.

LA ESMERALDA is located in El Colegio, Cundinamarca at 1,500 meters above sea level on a hilly terrain, which is very suitable for coffee growth. The Cortes family has implemented agroforestry enhancement to the land by planting native, timber, and fruit trees that form the particular environment where Sendero Real coffee grows. The region where La Esmeralda is located has proper infrastructure that facilitates the transportation and access to all products involved in the coffee production chain.

This coffee is named after the so-called royal paths (Senderos Reales). Remains of these paths can be found through the farm, and were used for centuries by pre-Hispanic, colonial, and republican civilizations. Even today, these royal paths are used by the locals for some of their daily activities.