One of the best honeys in Spain is made in this village in Málaga, in the Genal Valley.

Faraján/Juan Galindo has been in the construction business but about three years ago, he became curious about beekeeping. Encouraged by a cousin who works in the sector, he bought his first beehives to place in his village, Faraján, and since then, his interest in producing honey has only grown to the point where he would like to dedicate himself solely to it.

Indeed, it is a job for which he undoubtedly has a knack. One of his dark honeys from the forest, mainly from heather and chestnut, has just won the first prize at the International Fair of Las Hurdes, one of the most important in Spain, making this product from Málaga among the best in the country. However, only about 1,000 kilograms of this rich honey are produced each year, as it is a very small and artisanal production.

Additionally, at another major beekeeping fair held in Córdoba, they won a second prize, this time with a monovarietal white honey from broom.

These successes, he has assured, are thanks to the Genal Valley and its qualities that enable the bees to produce such high-quality types of honey. "All we have to do is not spoil the work the bees do; they are the main characters," he pointed out.

Galindo is very pleased with these achievements, although he insists that much of the success is due to the rich area where the beehives are located. "We do not move the hives to other areas; we always keep them here." However, he acknowledges that his effort is being rewarded and makes him think even more about dedicating himself exclusively to honey production.

After starting with a few beehives, he now has 175 spread across different points of Faraján, Júzcar, or Alpandeire, although he still needs many more to reach the 500 he estimates could make a definitive leap. Nevertheless, he recognizes that it is not easy, as the honey production sector is not going through its best moments for small producers.

Moreover, he also explained that they have to compete with other types of products that arrive from different countries and, despite being of much lower quality, are sold at very low prices.

Fight for Survival

Galindo also wants to demonstrate with this project that an area like the Genal Valley can present opportunities for those who want to live in an area very rich in its natural environment and of great beauty where starting a business can be successful with products linked to the territory.

And it is that this area of the Serranía de Ronda is one of the most affected by depopulation and this year again recorded a loss of inhabitants.