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FINCA ARGOVIA RESORT
Accommodations in
a green jewel, coffee and tropical flowers plantation,
located in Tapachula, Chiapas.
In the heart
of a lush tropical environment in the Sierra Madre of
Chiapas, Southern Mexico lays a unique and heavenly place, a
beautiful and prestigious old coffee-plantation called Finca
Argovia.
The resort, which comprises a “gastronomy” hotel and the
growing of coffee in a jungle setting, offers picture
perfect landscapes, rivers, a special architecture and a
mixture of European culture and Mesoamerican Indian
tradition. The Argovia Finca Resort provides visitors and
overnight guests a taste of the unique style that is
characteristic of this region of the Soconusco.
The hotel:
The Resort seduces by
its extraordinary nature, its flora and its fauna and by the
spectacular views of mountains towards the sea. So that you
enjoy a comfortable lodging in this tropic, there are to
your disposition four categories of accommodation. Reserve
the category that you wish and discover the luxury of the
sunset in the jungle:
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Three
Casitas: The three small houses on the hill at the
end of a coffee plantation have ample space and verandas
with a spectacular view to the rivers and mountains of
the region. The luxury of a night of enchantment in the
jungle is at hand. Each house comes with two individual
beds (possibility of an extra bed), fan, minibar,
coffeemaker and bath with shower (Jacuzzi - projected in
2008.)
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Three
Cabañas: The cabins at the start of the coffee
plantation hill each offer comfort for two people. The
style of the cabins is that of the traditional wooden
houses in the region and they all have a special “Living
Room” in the green of the forest; a wide open air
terrace. Each cabin comes with a king size bed, fan,
minibar, coffeemaker and bath with shower.
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One
fully equipped house with two rooms
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One
room by the main house (Casa Grande)
Facilities:
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Tienda
Ceiba: A gift shop with natural products from the
property and handicrafts from the region
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Swimming pool: Projected for 2008
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Temazcal: A traditional Mesoamerican sauna
The Resort advices guests to bring with them:
Languages
spoken: Spanish, English and German
Argovia gastronomy:
Gourmets choose
the Resort for its excellent kitchen. The chef has many
years of experience from working in South America and
Northern Mexico
Meals
being offered:
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Breakfast, lunch, and supper a la carte
-
Special
menus for anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, or other
events
-
Half and
Full Board for lodging guests
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Room
service for lodging guests, and of course the
plantation’s own Argovia Coffee
Restaurant
“Tierra de Café”:
The restaurant has an innovative menu based on fusion
cuisine, with a European touch and international
specialties; “Tierra de Café” offers a delighting and
refreshing gastronomic experience in a casual atmosphere.
The food is prepared with a variety of natural ingredients,
including fruits and spices cultivated on the property.
Bar and
Cafeteria “Bamboo”:
This is a Bar & Coffee Shop with a floating terrace in the
middle of the forest.
Argovia congresses:
This new area will provide facilities for conferences and
meetings, illuminated by natural light, having a terrace,
being equipped with standard technology and providing space
for festivities and social functions.
The Argovia experience:
Here and in a fresh approach, one can get in touch with
nature, learn, and experience authentic adventures,
following a great number of nature paths. You have the
opportunity to observe the flora and fauna, and the
cultivation of coffee and tropical flowers. Guests will be
familiarized with the history and tradition of a coffee
plantation and today’s modern differentiation into becoming
a sustainable, diversified and ecological agricultural
concept.
Agro-Argovia tour:
Within this tour you get to know the agrarian parts of the
property and will see its diversification. The tour takes
approximately four hours with guide: Two hours in the
morning by vehicle and two hours in the evening walking.
In the
morning - Parts of the flower and the coffee plantation:
The fabulous tropical climate, the radiating sun during the
365 days of the year and a favorable humidity, turn Finca
Argovia into a perfect paradise for the cultivation of
tropical plants and flowers. In a riot of colors, you will
take a ride within an ocean of vegetation and will discover
the diversity of flowers and tropical plants that are
cultivated here: Bird of Paradise, gingers, bananas,
torches, heliconias, anthuriums, palms, bamboos and many
more. You will also discover all the secrets that exist in
order to prepare a good cup of coffee, from the selection of
the plant, its care and its protection until the harvest of
the mature cherry: a fascinating and delicate cycle.
In the evening - The part of the processing:
Learn the process of cultivating coffee that is used today
by the 4th generation of proprietors in the wet and the dry
mills. Explanations of the process of the coffee bean
transformation, from harvesting and receiving the fruit, the
pulping, fermentation and washing in the wet mill, to the
drying, storing, shelling and classification of the green
bean in the dry mill. The opportunity of roasting your own
coffee is being offered.
Walks through the coffee forest:
Two alternative routes are being offered, around the finca
and towards the river, or to the observation tower. Bring
binoculars, since besides the impressive flora there is
always a good chance to watch many kinds of tropical birds.
Visits to the Finca Violeta:
This is journey back in time, to the 19th Century. You will
visit one of the oldest houses on the property, still
representing the charm and beauty of their era. On the same
finca, one also finds the first house in the region built
from cement: the White House of the Soconusco.
Tours offered
upon request:
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Alternative biking tours
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Walking
trips through the different areas of vegetation: From
coffee-level, cloud forest and secondary forest up to an
altitude of 2400m above sea level
-
Visits to
other fincas
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How did
the German immigrants live at the time and how did they
fight homesickness? How did they maintain their culture
and traditions in a foreign land, whose language they
did not originally speak? Experience the history during
a trip offered by experienced guides.
How to get to the Finca Argovia from Tapachula:
The ride to Argovia is a 45 minutes drive (40 km.) The road
called “Nueva Alemania” connects the finca with the center
of Tapachula. Just follow the signboards “Ruta del Café.”
Driving through several villages, the road later leads to
Argovia, passing by the Finca Eduviges. From there on, it
only takes five more minutes. It is an interesting route and
you notice the immediate change of nature driving from 160m
up to 650m above sea-level. The smell of coffee is
everywhere.
History of Argovia:
The founding of Finca Argovia took place in 1880, when a
Swiss family immigrated from Switzerland’s Canton “Argau” to
Mexico and gave the finca the equivalent name in Spanish; “Argovia.”
At the end of the 19th Century, the Swiss sold the property
to the German immigrant Adolf Giesemann. And, up till today
the finca has been in the hands of the same family, now the
4th generation.
From the beginning, the coffee growing families of the
Soconusco region had to live totally independent and
somewhat isolated lives, due to the difficulties of
transportation to Tapachula, which was three days away in
travel time.
The objective of the property has always been to focus on
high quality of the product, and using technical support
that will preserve the sensitive ecosystem. From the start
to present days, the Finca has utilized a humid and a dry
mill in addition to a plant of residual water treatment, the
first of its kind in Mexico. The treatment plant recycles
all the residues and generates an excellent organic
fertilizer.
The proprietor, Mr. Bruno Giesemann Eversbusch, acknowledges
that due to the decline in international prices of coffee,
the future of the property lies in the diversification of
its products. This acknowledgement has made him transform
parts of the Finca into a gigantic cultivation area for over
125 species of tropical plants. For the same reason, parts
of the Finca are dedicated to the development of tourism,
for day time activities and for lodging. In this manner, one
can protect and maintain the ancestral heritage and history,
the toil and the struggle of one’s family will not be
forgotten.
Ecological point of view:
In order to protect the environment, Finca Argovia employs
processes such as:
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Treatment
of residual waters
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Recycling
of residues and by-products of the coffee through worms
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Organic
handling of the coffee plantation
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Strictly
limited use of chemical products
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All the
electricity of the property is generated by a
hydroelectric plant being more than one hundred years
old. For this reason, so much water runs in different
channels on the land of the finca.
The finca
also manages several programs of protection of grounds,
protection of water sources and of reforestation techniques.
For that reason, the Finca has gained the recognition of
The Rainforest Alliance, an American organization
spearheading the protection of the environment. Visitors are
being asked to respect nature as much as possible. The
rivers, forests and animals are our future; water is health,
beauty and life and the forests are the lungs of our earth.
For prices, reservations, availability and bookings, please
contact us at:
visit@luxuriousmexico.com
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