Nicaragua Service Trip 2025
A unique and meaningful coffee experience
Experience the ultimate eco-volunteer travel trip for coffee lovers! Immerse yourself in the world of coffee as you harvest coffee trees, taste the sweet husk of coffee cherries, and witness the bean-to-cup process at a local farm.
This one-of-a-kind immersive tour combines volunteer work, authentic cultural experiences, breathtaking landscapes, delicious local cuisine, and ample leisure time to explore Nicaragua’s vibrant culture.
The first trip of its kind from Nossa Familia, we’ll spend 3 days at Finca San Jose de los Nubes, helping improve the on-site school that serves the children of farmworkers. Your hands-on service includes painting the school, donating supplies, and preparing the space for the upcoming school year. For those passionate about giving back, making a positive impact, and exploring specialty coffee at its roots, this eco-conscious trip is for you!
Join us for an unforgettable journey into the heart of coffee farming and sustainable travel.
Please contact us if you have questions about the trip!
Accommodation details:
Best for the traveler that likes adventure and enjoys venturing off the beaten path. Lodging is simple and comfortable. We will stay at a mix of hotels, eco lodges and do a 2 night farm stay. Meals provided will vary from family style at the farm to mid range traditional Nicaraguan restaurants.
Not Included in trip cost:
• Flights to/from Managua
• Travel insurance (required)
• 1-2 Meals on free days
• Adult beverages
• Personal expenses
Trip Highlights
- So much good coffee! And drinking it with the farmers who grew it. How cool is that?!
- Farm stay and volunteer project to make improvements to the Finca San Jose de los Nubes school house
- Exclusive guided coffee farm tour to learn about coffee harvesting and processing
- Sightseeing in the beautiful city of Granada
- Nature hikes, delicious local food and unique cultural experiences
Jess, Grand Central BakeryI now have first-hand experience of how the coffee is impacted by who is growing it – how the plants and the land are cared for, and how it's processed. It really struck me how much every person we met was invested in the quality of the coffee and what impact that has at our end in our mission to serve delicious and high-quality products! This trip was truly life–changing!
Eric, Belmont Coffee ServiceI have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to many countries in my life. I can say unequivocally that this trip was the most profound and life-altering experience that you can only capture when you are immersed completely in another culture and country.
Day to Day
01 Arrive in Managua
Your tour guide, Julie Hudak, will meet you in Managua at the Best Western Las Mercedes (directly across from the airport) after you arrive. As a group, we will head out for dinner and have an early night as we get ready for the week ahead!
Lodging: Managua Best Western Las Mercedes
02 Travel to Matagalpa
After breakfast in Managua we will have a leisurely travel day to the Matagalpa area. We will have lunch in the colonial city of Matagalpa. After lunch and an afternoon coffee, we'll settle into our accommodations at the Selva Negra Ecolodge.
For dinner we will go out to Casa Don Facundo and enjoy an outdoor feast overlooking the mountains. Following dinner there will be an optional, guided Night Walk in the Cloud Forest
Breakfast: Best Western in Managua
Lunch: Matagalpa
Dinner: Casa Don Facundo in Matagalpa
Lodging: Matagalpa Selva Negra Ecolodge
03 Coffee Farm Tour at Finca San Jose de las Nubes
Following a delicious Farm to Table breakfast at Selva Negra, we will travel to Finca San Jose de las Nubes, Nossa Familia's long time coffee farming partner.
Throughout the afternoon we will learn about all aspects of coffee farming from how to harvest coffee cherries to how coffee is processed and prepared for export. Our guide will be farm owner, Bayardo Reyes, who we have worked with since 2012. For more info about the long term direct-trade relationship with Bayardo, check out this article on our website.
After touring the farm we will do an orientation to prepare for the volunteer project of making improvements to the school house.
Breakfast: Selva Negra
Lunch: Finca San Jose de las Nubes
Dinner: Finca San Jose de las Nubes
Lodging: Finca San Jose de las Nubes
04 Volunteer project at the farm schoolhouse
Get ready for a full day of fun and meaningful work! We will spend the day helping to prepare the school house for the upcoming session. Projects include painting the interior walls, painting the floor, cleaning and organizing the schoolhouse and if we have time, painting the exterior of the building. We will be sure drink lots of delicious coffee from the farm, take breaks while paint dries and have lots of fun!
All meals and lodging: Finca San Jose de las Nubes
05 Coffee mill and road trip to Granada
After breakfast, we’ll say goodbye to our new friends on the farm and make our way to visit the coffee processing mill in Matagalpa where there also happens to be a chocolate factory!
We'll have lunch in Matagalpa and then travel to the colonial city of Granada where we'll stay at the Hotel con Corazon for the next 3 nights.
Breakfast: At the farm
Lunch: Matagalpa
Dinner: Granada
Lodging: Hotel con Corazon
06 Tour of Granada
Today we'll have a day of full of adventures, relaxation or a little bit of both depending on what you chose! Options will include a cooking class, historical walking tour of Granada and lounging around by the hotel pool.
Breakfast: Hotel con Corazon
Lunch: The Garden Cafe in Granada
Dinner: NM Culinary in Granada
Lodging: Hotel con Corazon
07 Granada Isleta Boat Tour and Masaya Volcano Sunset
On our final day of the trip we'll pack in a few more fun experiences before we head home! We'll do a guided boat tour of some of the 365 islands ("isletas" in Spanish) outside of Granada. The focus will be wildlife viewing.
After returning and taking a siesta, we'll have dinner as a group and then head up to Masaya Volcano for sunset and the chance to look into the crater to see the flowing lava!
Breakfast: Hotel Con Corazon
Lunch: Boat trip
Dinner: Granada
Lodging: Hotel Con Corazon
Travel Insurance
Trip protection style travel insurance that includes travel medical coverage is required for this trip with Nossa Familia Coffee. The coverage must have a minimum of $150,000 for Travel Medical coverage and a $250,000 minimum for Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation coverage. We want to make sure you are covered in case of an emergency or non-emergency illness or injury while abroad.
We partner with Wanderwell, a Certified B-Corp travel insurance agency who can offer both Trip Protection style travel insurance coverage and advising. You are not required to purchase your travel insurance through Wanderwell as there are other travel insurance companies you can choose to work with.
If you choose to purchase through Wanderwell, you can buy the trip from our Nossa Familia Coffee partner page by clicking HERE, and at least 1% of your purchase premium price will be donated to the Planet Impact Fund through 1% for the Planet network.
Once insurance is obtained, a copy must be sent to us.
