Montecarlos Farm occupies an entire long-dormant volcano. An arc of volcanoes spreads eastwards; The tallest of the peaks, reaching the clouds, is Santa Ana. It last erupted in 2005, covering Montecarlos in places with a foot of ash and destroying the coffee crop of 2006. The Montecarlos crater retains the original forest vegetation, with a meadow at the base. One can see the home of Carlos and Julie Batres on the rim. They are the third-generation owners of Montecarlos. On the forefront are fields of coffee trees surrounded by tall wind-breaker trees in square patterns. Violent winds capable of destroying the crop can come hurling south from Mexico

The Montecarlos home on the rim of the volcano, made of volcanic stone.

The meadow inside the crater.

The view from the house on a very clear day. In the far distance the volcanoes of Antigua, Guatemala can be seen, rising like pyramids. The Pacific Ocean is barely visible in the haze to the left.

Montecarlos volcano belongs to the short but majestic Ilamatepec mountain range. The largest peak, seen here, is the still-live Santa Ana. Fields of coffee can be seen below – on the slopes and in the lower valley at 3,000 feet altitude.

Carlos, Jenny, and I set out to explore the farm – a place full of natural wonders….

A necessary stop at Montecarlos is at the geysers, which spew burning hot sulfuric steam.