Coatepec

The air is cool and refreshing in Coatepec. Residents call their town the capital mundial del café (coffee capital of the world), as the climate is perfect for growing the sought-after altura pluma (mountain-grown) coffee. You'll see bushes with bright red berries on every available scrap of land. The heady scent of roasting beans wafts across the main square. Locals are so immersed in coffee culture that many swear they can distinguish a cup made with beans from Coatepac from one made with beans grown in nearby Xico.