The story of Finca Himalaya begins in the 1870s, when Mauricio's great-great-grandfather planted coffee in Apaneca during El Salvador's export boom. Located in Apaneca, Finca Himalaya is a 24-hectare **farm** belonging to the Salaverria family. Recognized as El Salvador's first specialty coffee **farm**, it benefits from excellent **terroir**, with clay and volcanic soils that contribute to the production of remarkable coffees.
Today, Mauricio manages five **farms**, including Himalaya, as well as the El Divisadero project — his ideas lab, centered around a **dry mill** at Finca Villa Galicia where he experiments with dozens of **lots**, varietals, and processing methods each harvest.
Mauricio has an instantly recognizable signature style across his entire portfolio: tropical, fruity, and expressive profiles, anchored by a sweetness that balances and supports the whole. He was among the first **producers** in El Salvador to sell single-estate coffee, to implement natural processing on a large scale, and to develop fermentation techniques that have since become his hallmark.
Belco has worked with Mauricio for over ten years — a relationship built on mutual trust, constant feedback, and a shared goal: to improve year after year. Among the highlights of this collaboration is the Pineapple, a signature coffee for Belco born from his fermentation techniques and one of the most appreciated in our catalog.
After more than ten years, the relationship continues to evolve around shared values: consistency, continuous improvement, honest long-term trade relationships, genuine feedback, and common goals. This approach also integrates **agroforestry** under **shade** and an authentic commitment to local communities, with 100 workers mobilized each harvest, including 20 permanent staff.
