El Ahuaca

EL AHUACA name refers to Cerro El Ahuaca located in the province of Loja, an isolated granite mountain covered by trees, mosses and lichens that captures the humidity in the air and condensing it into water, essential for the life in this environment during the dry season. The ecosystem also works as a lung for all the surrounding areas and is the home for much unique wildlife.

Puyango and Calvas are cantons in the Province of Loja in Ecuador, located in the west and south of the province respectively. Puyango covers an area of 638 km† at an average altitude of 1500 MASL with a population of around 16,000 people in the entire region. Calvas covers an area of 841 km† at an average altitude of 1600 MASL with a population of around 28,000 people in the entire region. Both cantones are characterized by the longevity of their coee growers, around 80% are +50 years old. Given the unique locations and altitudes, there are two well defined seasons per year, December-April (Rainy) and May-November (Dry). There is just one harvest (No Fly Crop) in Puyango and Calvas that happens between September-December. Planted areas are close to 400Ha in Calvas and 200Ha in Puyango. Although yields are low, a strong culture of coee cultivation with traditional varieties (Caturra, Typica, Bourbon and Pacas) and focus on high end quality has been maintained throughout generations.