The city of Popayán is the capital of the state of Cauca, in the southern half of Colombia. The surrounding coffee region is on the plateau where the Andes mountain range reaches southern Colombia from Ecuador. From there, the Andes breaks into the three separate mountain ranges (or, cordilleras) that cross the country from south to north.
The Cauca and Popayan plateau is at an average of 1,600 meters above sea level and includes the neighboring Purace volcano, which has over time has produced the region’s rich soil.
Coffee farms in the region are usually smaller than 5 hectares. The region is also home to several indigenous groups that have been growing coffee for decades.