Mercara Gold Estate Coffee Plantation — Attraction in Karnataka

Mercara Gold Estate Coffee Plantation, just 8 km from Madikeri in Coorg, Karnataka, is a lush 12-acre paradise that’s a must-visit for coffee lovers and nature buffs alike! ☕ Nestled in the Western Ghats, this 25-year-old estate grows premium Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica beans alongside spices like cardamom, pepper, and cinnamon, all woven into a vibrant, green tapestry. The estate’s been rocking it since 1998, roasting and processing on-site for that fresh-from-the-farm vibe. A local guide named Ravi, who’s a total rockstar, told a group, “This isn’t just coffee—it’s Coorg’s heartbeat!” 😄

The scene’s a blast—an hour-long guided tour (₹300/adult) takes you through coffee groves, spice patches, and a roasting unit where beans get their magic. The World Coffee Museum, opened in 2023, is a game-changer, tracing coffee’s journey from Ethiopia to your cup with cool exhibits. A family on the tour was stoked, with a kid shouting, “I didn’t know coffee had so much drama!” ☕ You wrap up with a free cup of filter coffee that’s pure heaven—smooth and aromatic. The café’s got killer kadambuttu and lunch options, though a tourist griped, “Cash only? In 2025? Come on!” 😕 You can snag estate-fresh coffee, spices, or even civet coffee for souvenirs.

Open 9 AM to 5:30 PM, it’s a 15-minute cab (₹300) or auto (₹150) from Madikeri Bus Stand—follow the Madikeri-Mangalore highway and turn left at Katekeri Junction. Downsides? The uphill walk’s a bit of a huff, and a guy puffed, “Need better signs for the museum!” October-March is prime; monsoons are lush but muddy. Your love for spots like Raja’s Seat makes me think you’d dig this mix of nature and culture. Pair it with Abbey Falls or Omkareshwara Temple nearby. This is the real deal—Coorg’s coffee soul, spicy charm, and a caffeinated adventure! Let’s sip and...

We really enjoyed the tour of the plantation. Ramesh was an excellent guide and was very patient in answering questions and was superbly considerate and engaging with the group. It was a lovely walk around the place where we were explained what the process to make coffee and chocolate was along with other information. We ended the one hour tour with a look at the coffee museum and even got to sample some of their coffee and chocolate. I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes as that would be safer when waking up or down steeper paths.

We bought the tickets with the meal included and got one chicken and one pork thali (veg options available) and honestly it wasn't that great. The thali had a great variety but really didn't enjoy the taste of the food. I would recommend a la carte (though we did not try it) as that may have been better. Anything bought apart from the thali is charged (just a heads-up if you're paying for the meal to be included with the tickets for the tour).

The shop was well stocked and quite affordable! We ended up spending about ₹1600 and were rather happy with our various purchases. It was honestly more fun to make choices regarding which coffee to buy after the tour as we knew what the difference between the types were. They even have coffee filters and french presses available (all quite affordable). They have their own blends and you can buy single variety ones as well.

The staff in general and especially the manager were quite friendly, attentive, and hospitable. Really great service from all of them. We also overhead that there would be more menu items soon so you can look forward to that in a few months time from...

As a team of 3 students and a faculty member, we visited Mercara Gold Estate in the month of February to perform field testing and study for a research project. The cooperation received from Mercara Gold estate staff members, right from planning the visit to the completion of the visit, is commendable. Mercara is a lush green plantation filled with coffee trees and Indian heritage spices trees. Our tour guide Mr.Ravi, turned out to be an extremely knowledgeable person in the domain and explained to us in detail about the coffee cultivation/harvesting process and spice farming with great passion. He kindly permitted us to conduct an interview with him regarding coffee cultivation and harvesting and answered all our questions in great detail. After the tour of the plantation, we were demonstrated the machinery for coffee roasting, coffee grinding, chicory mixer, chocolate making, etc. Later, we visited the world coffee museum in the estate which is a place of delight and a must-visit place for coffee lovers. They also offered complimentary coffee (South Indian filter coffee), which was delicious. Mercara Gold Estate has a mini restaurant and spice market. We also took the opportunity to have lunch in the Estate, and all the staff members were very cooperative and caring. The food was really amazing, and all the spices and multiple varieties of coffee were available for a reasonable price. We sincerely thank the Mercara Estate, and the staff members especially Mr. Ravi for allowing us to conduct the test and data collection in the field and also for making this a...