The Pioneers
Second Generation:
In 1991 Ricardo Fernández and his wife, Teresita de Dianous (Gabriel’s daughter),
acquired Finca Gladys, where they founded Cafetalera Fernández. In 1993 they
bought a neighboring coffee plantation, Finca Gran Paraíso, located along the
Caldera River within the Bajo Mono canyon and boasting magnificent native
cenizo trees, towering to heights of 225 feet. Coffee produced on the plantation
has won recognition in Europe for its excellent taste and quality. In 1997 the
Fernández family built Panama’s first ecological coffee processing mill, utilizing
the latest technology. Workers hand-pick the ripe coffee cherries, taking them to
the hulling plant where the mucilage is separated from the pulp by centrifugation,
a process that requires far less water than the older fermentation method and
significantly reduces pollution of nearby streams.
In 1999 Cafetalera Fernández acquired yet another coffee plantation, Finca La
Fortuna, located on the slopes of the Baru Volcano at an altitude of 5,084 feet
(1550 meters). Here the traditional coffee plants can reach an extraordinary 12
feet in height. Grown in the shade of taller forest trees, they provide ideal habitat
for native wildlife and give visitors a perfect opportunity for bird watching and
exploring nature.
In 1880, Joseph De Dianous left his native France to
work as an engineer with the French company
attempting to be the first to build a canal across the
isthmus of Panama. After the project was abandoned
in 1887, Joseph decided to settle in Panama and in
1914 his son, Gabriel de Dianous, purchased land in
Bajo Mono, Boquete, where he founded “Finca
Gladys”, named after his beloved wife. The plantation
is located in Panama’s cool northern mountains at an
altitude of more than 4,265 feet (1,300 meters). It is a
region blessed with mist, rich volcanic soil, and
springs of clear water. The surrounding mountain
forests are home to many species of native trees and
experts regard the region as Panama’s prime coffee
growing area.
Gabriel De Dianous and his wife, Gladys
