What started as a coffee sourcing trip turned into something deeper
Don’t settle for another surface-level trip. Most travel feels disconnected. Coffee companies struggle to stand out. Coffee lovers crave more than a vacation—they want a story worth telling.
Without the right guide, you risk:
Missing the chance to truly connect with coffee at its source
Forgetting the details in stressful logistics
Coming home without meaningful memories or inspiration
Why Antigua?
Antigua isn’t just a place you visit, it’s a place that stays with you. Nestled between volcanoes and draped in cobblestone streets, it carries a magic that’s hard to put into words but impossible to forget.
For some, it’s the way the morning light hits the volcano peaks, reminding you how small and alive you are. For others, it’s the history, centuries-old ruins that stand as quiet storytellers of resilience. Coffee people feel it in the soil and in every cup: the richness of a region that has shaped some of the world’s most celebrated coffees.
But maybe the real reason we love Antigua is because it means something different to everyone. To live here is to be surrounded by color, tradition, and community. To visit here is to discover a part of yourself you didn’t know was waiting.
An Authentic Journey
What we offers isn’t just a tour, it’s an immersion. A backstage pass to a culture built on resilience, hospitality, and some of the finest coffee on the planet.
Picture yourself:
Walking a volcanic farm at sunrise with coffee farmers
Cupping fresh harvest lots at origin
Sharing Guatemalan meals with new friends
Returning home inspired, connected, and refreshed
Coming back with amazing authentic video and photo content for your business
Whether you’re a roaster sourcing green coffee, a company building team loyalty, or a traveler chasing adventure, your story begins here.
This is a place where every cup tells a story, the stories aren’t always pretty but they’re real.
So come. Let your guard down. See what happens when you stop just drinking coffee and start understanding it.
Our Passionate Team
At Coffee Culture Travel, we know what it means to want more.
With over 20 years of leadership in specialty coffee and deep relationships in Antigua, our team has hosted countless groups, coffee roasters, baristas, suppliers, corporate teams, and adventurous travelers.
Why put your trust in us?
Decades of industry expertise
Partnerships with leading Guatemalan farms and organizations
Local team on the ground in Antigua
Seamless logistics so you can focus on the experience
Founder / Experience Director
Matt Milletto
Matt Milletto has spent the past 15 years traveling to Antigua, Guatemala, where coffee is not just an export but a way of life. As a seasoned coffee educator and industry leader, he has built deep relationships with farmers, explored hidden backroads, and immersed himself in the cultural rhythms that shape one of the world’s most celebrated coffee regions. Matt has guided countless groups through origin experiences—connecting professionals and enthusiasts alike to the people, landscapes, and traditions behind the cup. His approach blends education with exploration, fostering authentic connections that go beyond coffee and into the heart of Guatemalan culture.
Program Coordinator
Estefani Lopez Menendez
Estefani López Menéndez has spent over a decade immersed in the world of coffee while calling Antigua, Guatemala home. During her years with Los Volcanes Coffee, she has guided countless tours, connecting visitors to the region’s farms, producers, and traditions. A corporate lawyer by training and a passionate coffee advocate at heart, Estefani brings a rare combination of professionalism and warmth. Known as a logistics magician, she ensures every guest feels supported while experiencing the very best of Antigua’s coffee culture and vibrant local life.
Culinary Director
Lucia Barrios
Lucia Barrios is a visionary entrepreneur and co-founder of Mr. Menu, a print magazine and groundbreaking digital platform that has revolutionized the culinary landscape in Guatemala.
Lucia also serves as the Central American Chairman for the prestigious British restaurant list called “50 Best Restaurants”. Her achievements in this role have further solidified her position as a leading figure in the culinary world in all of Latin America. Lucia's expertise and leadership have elevated her status as an advocate for the region's culinary treasures.
Furthermore, Lucia has been an instrumental force in promoting sustainable origin tourism in Guatemala, notably through her work directing La Cosecha Guatemala. This platform, which she co-created, is dedicated to showcasing the vibrant culture and sustainable practices surrounding local coffee production and positioning her home town Antigua as the “Napa Valley of Coffee”.
Coffee Farm Owner / Marketing Director
Julio Barrios
Born in Guatemala, Julio’s path to coffee began not in the fields but through environmental research as a young political science graduate. That work revealed the deep connections between human history and the plant world, sparking a lifelong fascination with how plants shape our lives and landscapes. Later, through hands-on agricultural work, he came to see plants as living, expressive beings—teaching him rhythms, moods, and lessons in resilience.
His connection to coffee deepened when he acquired land near Lake Atitlán, a region once filled with coffee but later abandoned due to volatile markets. There, he witnessed how the decline of coffee led to deforestation, as communities turned to firewood to survive. Yet he also saw the promise of specialty coffee: when grown in agroforestry systems, it could restore forests, sustain biodiversity, and provide income for rural communities.
Today Julio is the founder of Café Caracol, a project dedicated to exploring whether humans can live in balance with nature. Through cultivating coffee among native trees and companion plants, and sharing the experience through agro-tourism, Café Caracol seeks to conserve the magical biodiversity of the Atitlán valley while reimagining coffee as a bridge between people, plants, and place.
Guest Experience Director
Sarah Szalai
Sarah is an experienced facilitator of luxury travel experiences across the globe, with a gift for fostering connection and shaping meaningful shared journeys. With a background in education, social justice organizing, and trip leading, she brings both depth and heart to every experience. She has spent two years teaching in the U.S. and Spain, three years working in racial justice and DEI, and two years leading trips both domestically and abroad.
Her work is rooted in authenticity and a deep respect for the complexity of the narratives that shape our world. Fluent in Spanish and having lived and worked in Spanish-speaking countries, Sarah has spent extensive time in Guatemala immersed in communities and homestays, learning from former coffee workers and engaging with indigenous practices.
Whether curating experiences or guiding conversations, Sarah ensures every traveler feels both welcomed and challenged to connect more deeply, with themselves, each other, and the communities they visit. When she’s not leading trips, she enjoys spending time in Michigan with her family, waterskiing, wakeboarding, hiking, and exploring new places with the same curiosity she brings to her work.
Role
Name
RESPONSIBLE IMPACT TRAVEL
Niños De Guatemala
We are so thrilled to work with Niños de Guatemala, donating a portion of all experience revenue to their organization.
Niños de Guatemala operates three schools outside Antigua, serving over 500 low-income children each year. We focus on quality education and holistic support through Family Support and Nutrition and Health Programs, ensuring children’s mental and physical well-being.
Despite education being technically free in Guatemala, hidden costs often make it inaccessible. Less than 45% of Guatemalan children continue beyond elementary school, but over 90% of our students advance to middle school. Our success is driven by partnerships in the Netherlands, the United States, France, and dedicated volunteers.
Our journey is deeply connected with the local community. Our teachers, principals, and country director are all Guatemalan, demonstrating our commitment to grassroots collaboration. Niños de Guatemala stands as a beacon of hope and transformation, proving that small acts of kindness can change the world, one child at a time.
RESPONSIBLE IMPACT TRAVEL
EcoFiltro
Ecofiltro was established in 2009 as a commercial enterprise, with the goal of bringing purified water to Guatemalan families, especially those living in rural areas where access to drinking water is limited. In the words of Philip Wilson, "it begins a social enterprise, with the goal of providing access to purified water to all Guatemalans."
Today, Ecofiltro has become a social impact company. Its distribution model, through retail chains, rural distributors, and partnership with microfinance organizations, has made Ecofiltro accessible to all Guatemalans and beyond. Ecofiltro is currently present in 22 countries around the world, serving as a global benchmark for purified water quality.
Our Travel Partners
