The southernmost western department, Nariño’s farthest edge meets the northern border of Ecuador, and one of its main boundaries is the Pacific Ocean. The climate here is particularly unusual, even in a country so diverse that almost everything can be said to be unusual. The dry, rugged climate creates unique conditions that boost the special, sparkling quality of the coffees
Dramatic slopes and valleys have direct effect on the temperature modulation that creates these high-acidity, supersweet coffees: Warm, humid air collects in the lowlands during the day and creeps gently up the mountainsides at night, a combination that allows coffee to thrive at much higher altitudes than most of the rest of the country, as much as 2,100 meters above sea level.