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7.Traditional Mountain Beekeeping

Mountain beekeeping has been part of Porto’s landscape and traditions for generations. Located in the heart of the Alta Sanabria mountains, this territory offers exceptional conditions for producing high-quality honey: vast heathlands, native oak forests, wild mountain flora and a well-preserved natural environment where bees find an extraordinary diversity of resources.

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) plays a vital role in these ecosystems, pollinating millions of flowers and helping to maintain local biodiversity. Every spring, Porto’s mountains are covered with purple heather and bright yellow broom, creating a spectacular display of colour and providing an important source of nectar for the hives.

Among Porto’s most distinctive products are mountain honey, heather honey, forest honey and, above all, Calluna honey. Produced from a late-summer flowering heather, it is highly valued for its intense aroma, dark colour and exceptional quality. Considered one of Spain’s finest honeys, it perfectly reflects the unique character of these mountains.

The excellence of Porto’s beekeeping tradition gained international recognition in 2025, when local beekeeper José Antonio Bruña Pérez was awarded the Gold Medal at the Paris International Honey Awards, bringing Porto’s name to one of the world’s most prestigious honey competitions.