A Apicultora (Terra das Abelhas)

A Apicultora (the beekeeper), also called Terra das Abelhas (land of the bees), is a small rural-tourism and beekeeping project in Coruche, in the Ribatejo about an hour’s drive from Lisbon. It pairs a holiday house in the forest, the Casa da Floresta, with a set of bee experiences and an environmental education programme for schools. The accommodation side trades as Bforest.

What makes it useful for families is how the bee experiences are graded. There’s a gentle option for children from six, a hands-on hive visit from eight and a proper honey harvest from twelve, so you can pick the one that fits your child rather than hoping a one-size visit works.

The Meliponário, also called O Jardim das Abelhas (the bee garden), is the starting point. It’s a guided walk around the farm, taken slowly, that shows how a colony lives without anyone opening a hive. Children watch bees through glass observation hives, learn how bee society is organised and how the bees depend on the surrounding forest, and see traditional beekeeping tools at interpretation stations. It ends with a tasting of honey and herbal tea.

It lasts two and a half to three hours, is open from age 6 with an adult, and takes 2 to 8 people. When checked in September 2026 it was €35 per person, with package prices for couples and groups of four. It runs from February to November, weather permitting, in Portuguese, English or Spanish, with French on request.

This is the best choice for a child who is fascinated by bees but nervous about being close to an open hive.

The Bee-Hive Expedition, sold as “Seja apicultor por um dia” (be a beekeeper for a day), gets you into a bee suit and up to working hives with a specialist guide. Participants learn to tell the queen, drones and workers apart, look at honeycomb frames and get to handle frames themselves. The guide explains the honey-making cycle and pollination, and the session ends with a tasting of hive products.

It lasts three and a half to four hours, is open to children from 8 with adult supervision, and takes 2 to 8 people. It cost €55 per person when checked and runs from February to September. Protective kit and accident insurance are included.

The Honey Hunt is the most intense experience. Over six hours, participants follow the whole harvest: opening the hive, cutting the wax caps off the comb, spinning the frames in a centrifuge to get the honey out, and tasting it fresh. It only runs in May and June, when the hives are ready, and it’s limited to 2 to 6 people. Teenagers from 12 can join with an adult. It was €80 per person when checked.

A Apicultora’s own bee pages give children plenty to hold on to. There is one queen per hive; she can live up to five years and lay up to 2,000 eggs a day. The workers do almost everything else: feeding the queen, caring for the larvae, building the comb and collecting pollen and nectar. Drones are the males, have no sting and live only a few months. Every bee grows through four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The farm also encourages families to plant native flowers, avoid pesticides and report Asian hornets, which prey on honeybees.

The Casa da Floresta is a private holiday house in the woods with its own pool. Staying makes it easier to fit a longer experience into a weekend without a two-hour round trip on the same day.

For groups, the farm runs outdoor environmental education days of four to four and a half hours for pre-school to secondary pupils, holiday camps and after-school clubs. These include a nature trail, a session on bees and pollination, safe observation of teaching hives, sensory activities, games and treasure hunts, and a snack of honey, cake, tea and toast. A home-education group could ask about a date.

Everything needs booking in advance and runs in small groups, so contact the farm to check dates and whether an experience suits your child. If you cancel more than 48 hours ahead you can move the date for free; later than that, the money isn’t refunded, though someone else can take your place. Bad weather means a new date rather than a soggy visit.

Children always take part with an adult, so this isn’t a drop-off activity. The experiences are outdoors on a farm, so bring hats, water and sensible shoes, and long trousers for anything involving the hives. The site doesn’t list child prices, so assume the per-person price applies to everyone unless told otherwise.

The Falcoaria Real in Salvaterra de Magos is a short drive away and pairs well for a nature-and-animals weekend. The Fluviário de Mora, a freshwater aquarium, is also within reach. For a shorter bee session near Lisbon there’s As Colmeias da Joana, and for a full beekeeper’s day in the north, the Casa da Abelha e do Mel.

What age can children join a bee experience in Coruche?

From 6 for the Jardim das Abelhas glass-hive walk, from 8 for the suit-up Bee-Hive Expedition, and from 12 for the Honey Hunt. Children always join with an adult.

Do children get close to the bees?

In the Jardim das Abelhas they watch through glass. In the Bee-Hive Expedition they wear a protective suit and handle hive frames with a guide.

When is the honey harvest?

The Honey Hunt runs in May and June only, depending on the weather and the state of the hives.

Do you need to book?

Yes. All experiences need an advance booking, and groups are small (8 people at most, 6 for the Honey Hunt).

Can you stay overnight?

Yes. The Casa da Floresta holiday house, with a private pool, can be booked through the website.