Meet Aracelly Robles

The lush and foggy town of Frailes, nestled in the hills of central Costa Rica, is full of friendly faces. Doña Aracelly’s softly-weathered face stands out as one of the brightest.

As she walks down the street, locals honk, run, and slam on their brakes just to say good morning. It’s clear why she is such a trusted soul in her community - from volunteering her time to kick-starting fundraisers in Frailes, she gives back to her neighbors generously.

The youngest of six siblings (all of whom are still local) Doña Ara’s childhood memories revolve around coffee. She fondly recalls the way her beloved late mother drank coffee throughout the entire 24-hour day and still keeps her father’s hand-crafted burlap coffee sacks as keepsakes in her kitchen. She also takes great pride in her share of her mother’s coffee farm, which was divided into plots between Doña Ara and her siblings after their mother passed away. It was Doña Ara that adopted her mother’s matriarchal role, however. Today, she cooks every meal for her elder brother and treats the rest of her very large family to endless homemade empanadas and agua dulce. Her tiny house overflows with love for her family, young and old. 

Doña Aracelly sees working in coffee as a way to continue her mother’s legacy in the industry. She is always one to jot down detailed notes about how to improve her coffee during training sessions and has excitedly adopted new techniques, such as vermicomposting, to benefit the quality of her product.

She wants deeply for her grandchildren to be passionate about the industry as well someday.  Although she understands the many uncertainties that come with working in the industry–especially as a female.

More than anything, Doña Ara wants for future generations to reap the same benefits the coffee industry has given her. She entrusts this hope into the hands of Bean Voyage where she knows that through the educational experience provided to the women of Frailes, each of her strong female colleagues who work within this industry will see a brighter day just as she has.

Written by Lindsay Coe.

More about Aracelly’s Coffee:

Name of the mill: Centro Agricola Cantonal de Frailes
Region/Country: Frailes, Costa Rica
Altitude: 1,000 m above sea level
Coffee Variety: Caturra, Catuai
Process: Semi-washed (mechanically pulped)
Notable Flavor note: Vanilla, ripe strawberry, rum, tropical fruit and chocolate.