About Los Suyates
Less than 5km from the border of Nicaragua and Honduras, Los Suyates is located in dense countryside beside El Volcán, a small village above the town of Dipilto Viejo. Like Mario Gonzalez’s other farms, Los Suyates began as a timber plantation. When the laws regarding timber production changed in 2006, Mario and his family began diverting their attention from forestry to coffee production.
Walking through Los Suyates, it is very clear that the health of the land is respected. Native shade trees grow tall, the ground coverage is bright and productive, and despite being a coffee farm, coffee trees are not seen around every corner. This is intentional, as Don Mario is deliberately keeping parts of his land as natural as possible, allowing the ecosystem to continue to thrive itself. The shade trees help to reduce the temperature for coffee cherry maturation, which, in an ever climbing global temperature, is crucial for maintaining quality coffee.
Currently, Don Mario with the help of his grandson, Mario Gonzalez, are cultivating catuai, catimor, paraneima, obata and more at this farm. Often, these trees are harvested relatively late in the season, and this is due to the farms altitude, but also thanks to the shade trees allowing a slow cherry maturation.
The coffee grown at Los Suyates are processed using several techniques, including experimental processing method carbonic maceration. This is done to provide a greater range of expressions of each varietal, as well as achieve consistency from each harvest. Mario has also benefitted from the guidance of Bridazul, who have worked to encourage connection, community and information sharing across coffee producers in the Dipilto region, increasing quality and overall providing more for the local communities.
Bridazul was founded by Claudia Lovo and Tim Willems, and has worked in partnership with Project Origin since 2016.
The collaboration between Bridazul and Project Origin is highly valued by both organisations and has developed strongly over the years, extending beyond professional cooperation into a close working relationship.
Through their combined efforts, the partnership has contributed to significant achievements in Cup of Excellence competitions, including multiple presidential awards.
Producers within the Bridazul network have consistently placed in the top 10 year after year, including securing first place on several occasions—highlighting the impact of long-term collaboration within the community.
Cup of Excellence Achievement
| Year
|
Award / Placement
|
Variety & Process Profile
|
Highlight
|
| 2026
|
3rd Place (Natural & Honey Category)
|
Parainema Natural
|
Achieved a remarkable score of 89.19 points, produced by Leticia Milagros González Morazán.
|
| 2024
|
2nd Place
|
Parainema Natural
|
Earned a presidential-tier score of 89.85 points and impressed judges with complex notes of blueberry, black cherry, and dark chocolate.
|
| 2022
|
10th Place
|
Parainema Natural
|
Entered the country's elite top-tier coffees with a solid score of 87.94 points.
|