Lool-hà Meliponary Beekeeping & Exchange
One of the best beekeeping and honey experiences in already sweet Maní, visit and learn more than you thought possible on what keeps so many flowers thriving!
The Meliponario Lool-hà is a traditional Maya meliponary, that is, place for the raising of meliponines, the stingless cousins of Apis mellifera (Western honey bees). Visitors are invited learn about the melipona bees and to take part in the sacred connection that Maya culture has maintained with them since the most ancient times.
Tours are led by local Maya women who have inherited knowledge of the care and maintenance of the bees. They share the ceremonial practices still preserved within the community. The most significant is the "U Jaanli Kab" (the meal of the bees), including an offering of prayer and food. The ritual is intended to recognize the bees as sacred beings and to thank them for their work in balancing the ecosystem.
The "U Jeets Luumil Kab" ceremony is also presented. This calls for the ideal conditions for honey production by invoking harmony between the climate, the earth, and flowers. Both rituals are performed in a natural environment where the energy of the surrounding jungle enhances the experience.
The honey produced is considered healthier because it has lower sugar content, higher acidity, and greater humidity when compared to the honey from stinging European bees. And because the bees are never aggressive, a visit to the meliponary is considered safe and appropriate for kids.
Lool-hà is on the east side of the magical town of Maní, already replete with charming things to do, and people to meet. A visit to the bee hives and the surrounding gardens makes for an afternoon of fanciful learning and exchange.
Contact:
Elizabeth Interian Bojorquez
Meliponario Lool-hà
Calle 20 (Entre C. 23 y C. 25)
Tel. 99 7112 7825
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