With its aromatic herbal gardens, Hvar is truly a fragrant island, and in addition, you will find an excellent selection of local honey to whet your appetite. Beekeeping also has a long tradition here, with over 3000 beehives and 100 beekeepers currently on the island, the majority of whom are members of the Lavender Beekeeping Society.
Bees gather nectar from a variety of island plants and transform it into honey, making rosemary honey a top recommendation due to its liquid texture and mild flavor. Rosemary honey is transparent and clear, while sage honey is light yellow, lavandin honey has the scent of flowers, and heather honey is dark and bitter. Not only bee products but also the life of bees themselves remains a great mystery even today.
However, it is well known that beekeeping is one of the most beneficial and delightful professions and pastimes. Honey is produced everywhere there are flowering plants, but honey from the island of Hvar has always been sought after by honey enthusiasts.
It’s difficult to pinpoint when beekeeping began on the island of Hvar. Thanks to archaeological research, we know that even the Romans attached great importance to honey. They regularly drank wine sweetened with honey and offered honey as a sacrifice to the gods. The first fragments of ancient beehives made of baked clay, cylindrical in shape, were found in Starigrad Plain, as well as in Bogomolje and Sućuraj. Among the island’s honey plants, rosemary, sage, lavender, heather, and heather stand out.
Rosemary honey is transparent and clear, with a pleasant flavor, belonging to the category of higher-quality honey. The flowering of rosemary in spring lasts about 40 days, but this period of the year is often disrupted by strong winds.
Sage honey is light yellow with a somewhat greenish hue and has the scent of the plant’s flower. It remains in liquid form for a long time and is sought after for its properties in treating respiratory diseases.
Hvar is known as the island of sun and lavender. Lavender thrives in sunny coastal areas, which is why it thrives on the island of Hvar. Lavender is one of the most nectar-rich plants, its honey has a strong aroma, and it ranks among the finer types of honey.
On Hvar, both small and large heather grow. Large heather blooms in the spring, while small heather blooms in the autumn. Honey from all types of heather is almost the same, it appears cloudy, and it crystallizes quickly. The latest bee pasture is provided by heather, which blooms in October, November, and December and also has small red fruits. Its honey has a slightly bitter taste.
