Europeans weren’t cognizant of the coffee's actual provenance, however, because it arrived via Chile. In fact, it was sold in England under the name Café Chileno de Valparaíso (Coffee from Valparaíso, Chile).

During this period several Costa Rican planters began to cultivate coffee on a large-scale. One such planter was tobacco farmer don Mariano Montealegre Bustamante. Possessing the land, knowledge and wherewithal, don Mariano soon became one of the most prosperous coffee planters in Costa Rica. His coffee plantations were located in the vicinity of what is today the Parque La Sabana, at the west end of San José.

Puerto Puntarenas, Pacific Coast, Costa Rica