In 1963, when the Irazú volcano began its eruptions covering the farms of San José with ash, many families looked for new lands in areas that had not been affected. In order to continue growing coffee, an activity that our great-grandfather started more than 100 years ago, our parents searched for land in the Turrialba area. In December 1963, they bought what is now Hacienda Sitio de Mata. During the following years the hacienda shifted from coffee and sugarcane crops to also having macadamia crops. Over the years this changed again, and the estate became exclusively of sugar cane plantations, which led our parents to start harvesting sugar cane and producing brown sugar. The sugar activity grew in the 80s and 90s with the purchase of other farms and with a lot of work and commitment to develop the product that today is known in the national market as Dulce-T, the granulated sweet derived from the dehydrated sugarcane juice. In 2000, following the example of our parents, the children decided to share the natural beauty of the hacienda and the history of our country, thus starting the tourist activity that we offer today. The guests who visit us have the opportunity to learn how coffee and sugar cane was cultivated and processed over a hundred years ago. In addition, they can learn about the cultivation of macadamia nuts, which, although not native to Costa Rica, are cultivated with great success in the country. In the hacienda's gardens you can not only appreciate a great diversity of fauna and flora native to the area, but also some of the history of Costa Rica. Our guests can visit a church dating from the end of the 19th century, a wooden house from the colonial era and contemplate a wonderful view of the Turrialba valley. To the north of the valley they see the Turrialba volcano and to the west the peaks of Chirripó, the highest mountain in the country. Our church was moved piece by piece from the neighboring town of Turrialba, since it had been abandoned, and our parents in an effort to preserve it, moved it and placed it where it currently is. She also has two magnificent stained-glass windows that were rescued from the Turrialba church when it was demolished. The colonial little house, built without a single nail, was also moved to the gardens from the slopes of the Irazú volcano for preservation purposes. Today the hacienda is a unique place full of Costa Rican history. Our commitment is that our clients enjoy not only the natural beauty of the place, but also the events and activities that we offer.