gt-alta-verapaz

Alta Verapaz

Guatemala · Alta Verapaz (Lachuá / Cobán area)  reviewed

admixture

Alta Verapaz in northern Guatemala, including the Lachuá area near Laguna Lachuá National Park, is a humid lowland-to-foothill zone farmed by Q'eqchi' Maya families. Cacao production was rebuilt through projects from 2005 onward and is among the country's leading cacao departments.

EquatorTropic of CancerTropic of CapricornFar North Queensland — AustraliaStann Creek — BelizeToledo (Maya Mountain) — BelizeAlto Beni — BoliviaBaures / Iténez — BoliviaEl Ceibo (Alto Beni) — BoliviaWild Bolivian Amazon Cacao (Beni) — BoliviaBahia (Ilhéus) — BrazilLinhares (Espírito Santo) — BrazilMedicilândia (Transamazônica) — BrazilRondônia — BrazilTomé-Açu (Pará) — BrazilCameroon (bulk cacao) — CameroonAntioquia — ColombiaArauca — ColombiaHuila — ColombiaSantander — ColombiaSierra Nevada de Santa Marta — ColombiaTolima — ColombiaTumaco — ColombiaTalamanca — Costa RicaUpala — Costa RicaCôte d'Ivoire (bulk cacao) — Côte d'IvoireBaracoa — CubaNorth Kivu / Beni — Democratic Republic of the CongoTshopo (Bengamisa) — Democratic Republic of the CongoCONACADO — Dominican RepublicHato Mayor — Dominican RepublicHispaniola (San Francisco de Macorís) — Dominican RepublicÖko Caribe — Dominican RepublicArriba Nacional — EcuadorCamino Verde (Balao) — EcuadorEl Oro — EcuadorEsmeraldas — EcuadorGuayas — EcuadorLos Ríos — EcuadorManabí — EcuadorNapo (Kallari) — EcuadorSucumbíos — EcuadorVinces — EcuadorVanua Levu — FijiABOCFA (Suhum) — GhanaGhana (West African Amelonado) — GhanaGrenada — GrenadaAlta Verapaz — GuatemalaCahabón — GuatemalaIzabal — GuatemalaSuchitepéquez — GuatemalaGuinea (bulk cacao) — GuineaGrand'Anse — HaitiNord (FECCANO) — HaitiAtlántida (Pico Bonito) — HondurasCopán — HondurasWampusirpi — HondurasKerala — IndiaWest Godavari — IndiaAceh — IndonesiaBali — IndonesiaFlores — IndonesiaJava — IndonesiaSulawesi — IndonesiaJamaica — JamaicaLiberia (bulk cacao) — LiberiaÅkesson's Ambolikapiky — MadagascarMillot Estate (Bejofo) — MadagascarSambirano Valley — MadagascarSabah (Tawau) — MalaysiaOaxaca (Chinantla) — MexicoSoconusco — MexicoTabasco — MexicoMatagalpa — NicaraguaNueva Guinea — NicaraguaRío San Juan — NicaraguaWaslala — NicaraguaNigeria (bulk cacao) — NigeriaBocas del Toro — PanamaComarca Ngäbe-Buglé — PanamaBougainville — Papua New GuineaKarkar Island — Papua New GuineaNew Britain — Papua New GuineaAmazonas (Bagua) — PeruChuncho — PeruHuánuco (Tingo María) — PeruMadre de Dios — PeruMarañón Canyon — PeruPiura Blanco — PeruSan Martín — PeruSatipo — PeruUcayali — PeruDavao — PhilippinesSamoa — SamoaCECAB (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipeCECAQ-11 (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipePríncipe (Terreiro Velho) — São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé (roça cacao) — São Tomé and PríncipeSierra Leone (bulk cacao) — Sierra LeoneSolomon Islands — Solomon IslandsMatale — Sri LankaRabot Estate (Soufrière) — St. LuciaKokoa Kamili (Kilombero Valley) — TanzaniaKyela (Mababu) — TanzaniaMbeya (Southern Highlands) — TanzaniaChumphon — ThailandTogo (bulk cacao) — TogoTobago (Roxborough) — Trinidad and TobagoTrinitario Heartland — Trinidad and TobagoBundibugyo / Semuliki — UgandaHawai'i Island — United StatesO'ahu (Waialua) — United StatesMalekula — VanuatuCanoabo — VenezuelaCarenero (Barlovento) — VenezuelaChoroní — VenezuelaChuao — VenezuelaCuyagua — VenezuelaHacienda San José (Paria) — VenezuelaOcumare de la Costa — VenezuelaPorcelana — VenezuelaRío Caribe — VenezuelaSur del Lago — VenezuelaBà Rịa–Vũng Tàu — VietnamBến Tre — VietnamĐắk Lắk — VietnamLâm Đồng — Vietnam
CountryGuatemala
RegionAlta Verapaz (Lachuá / Cobán area)
Growing regionAmericas
Coordinates15.93°, -90.65° (approx.)
Elevation100-600 m
Producermultiple
Genetic groupsadmixture
Traditional classmixed
Also known asLachuá, Cobán
Bean notesMixed smallholder populations grown in agroforestry alongside cardamom, coffee and plantain; some farms cultivate Criollo-leaning material.
Harvest seasonmain Oct-Feb
FermentationSmallholder and cooperative box fermentation.
DryingSun-dried on patios and raised platforms.
Flavourfruity · nutty · mild acidity · cocoa
Certificationsorganic
Updated2026-05-22

Sources

  • Uncommon Cacao — Lachua: https://www.uncommoncacao.com/pages/lachua
  • USDA FAS 2019 — Advances and Opportunities of Cacao Production in Guatemala: https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Advances+and+Opportunities+of+Cacao+Production+in+Guatemala_Guatemala_Guatemala_8-9-2019.pdf