Weather

Our climate is subtropical even though we are in the tropics. Our altitude cools us a bit at 410-550 meters or 1350-1800 ft. above sea level.

Summers (December through March) are usually hot and it's the rainy season here. Thundershowers are the rule and the frequent afternoon rains cool us off for evenings and keep everything at it's greenest and most lush. Dramatic skys are frequent as the storms come by.

Winter (June to August) is not really winter. We rarely have any frosts and lows in the 50's (10-15 Celsius) are considered cold for us. The days are usually warm and sunny and it is the dry season. Rain is rare, the skys are clear, the southern sky is full of stars visible in the clear night air.

After the drought of winter, the Spring (September through November) brings rain that wakens the mostly dormant trees. Coffee blooms in Setember after the first rains. The forest drops it's old leaves and a week or so later new bright green leaves emerge. Many trees flower in late spring and it becomes very festive here.

Autumn comes in April. Warm days prevail but the nights are cooler. Regular rain is still the rule but the amount has decreased from the abundance of summer.

Topography of the ranch

We have a varied topography. The lower areas near the river are at about 1300 feet. A row of hills rises to a hilly plateau at about 1650 feet. Most of the farm buildings and our coffee plantation and hay fields  are located on this plateau. We have a great view of the surrounding countryside in all directions and can see several towns from the farm. We really enjoy going up to the hay fields to see the clouds march across the sky and spot storms from a distance. It is our very own weather channel!