According to Einstein, “If a bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four more years of live left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”
Whilst this statement may not be entirely true, studies show that millions of human beings would not survive and thousands of plant species would die out without them; there is no doubt that these fascinating creatures play a vital role in nature.
If you’d like to learn more about these vital little creatures, we highly recommend a visit to the Honey Museum located in Colmenar, a small town in the Axarquia area in the Hills of Malaga.
Open to the public since 2010, this small – but very interesting – museum is situated in the old centre of town (just look for the post office, it’s right opposite) and receives around 3,000 visitors each year.
Built on two levels and with 400 square metres of exhibition space, the Honey Museum has various rooms and exhibits where you’ll learn all there is to know about bees and the art of beekeeping, including interesting facts about their important contribution to nature (pollination) and the delicious and healthy products they help produce.
With a Rural Tourism award under its belt, the museum is popular amongst tourists eager to learn about the art of beekeeping in the Malaga region. Its’ well distributed exhibits provide a wealth of knowledge; here are some of our favourites:
- The Beekeeping exhibit and projection room where you’ll watch a video which introduces you to the ancient art of beekeeping (8000 years old) as well as information about pollination, the main benefit of beekeeping.
- A collection of beekeeping tools and equipment used in the last 50 years.
- Special workshops where you’ll have the chance to make candles out of bees wax.
- Reproductions of cave paintings depicting hives and other interesting facts about the origins of beekeeping.
- Examples of beehives used today as well as the equipment used to extract the honey from the hives.
- Special touch screens which allow you to navigate through 8 different types of honey produced under the ‘Malaga Honey’ seal. You’ll find descriptions of each type, their origin, times of year they are collected, the predominant pollens, health benefits and lots more.
- A beehive exhibit with large panels recreating the inside of a hive allowing you to observe the different phases of a bee’s life as well as the pollen and honey reserves used to feed the larvae.
- The Honey Shop! Your chance to buy samples of the 8 different types of Malaga Honey, pollen, candles made from bee’s wax, honey soap, honey wine and lots of other bee-related products.
Museum opening times and prices
Opening times: Monday to Friday – 10am to 2pm and 3pm to 6pm
Entrance price is just 2€ per person!
The ‘Ruta de la Miel’ (Honey Route)
If you’d like to make a real day of it, why not book the special Honey Route trip through in the Malaga Hills?
Combining the visit to the museum, a gentle educational walk through the Malaga countryside, a visit to see local working hives and a mouth watering lunch menu made up of dishes cooked with Malaga Honey, this really is the perfect way to learn all the secrets of beekeeping in the Malaga region.
A few things to keep in mind…
- You need to be prepared to walk along a 1km country path
- For the visit to the beehives, you need to wear ankle-covering boots. All other protective clothing and equipment is provided.
Have any of you ever visited the Honey Museum in Colmenar? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.
