Our Hive
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Where time takes root

Retoños del Edén

A place to learn, observe and grow.

Workshops Story
Let's fly together

Hi! I'm Meli, a worker bee at Retoños del Edén.

I know every flower on these five hectares. Coming along? Let me show you how an Eden gets planted.

Meli stays by your side for the whole journey.

Our story, told in flight

  1. 2015

    A stick, a bird, a seed

    Legend says it all started with grandmother Alba: she stuck a stick into the ground, with no real intention beyond seeing what would happen. A white and lilac bird (today we know it as the monjita, the white widow-bird) landed on it and, without knowing it, dropped the first seed. That's how the farm's first tree was born, almost by accident — and with it, the idea of feeding the soil with what it gives us. We started caring for the ground with effective microorganisms, long before we knew pistachios would ever grow here.

  2. The early years

    Goji berries, the first in the country

    We planted Uruguay's first plot of goji berries, and everything else followed: over 350 native and fruit trees joined the land. The farm's first shade was the nursery – today it is being transformed, centimetre by centimetre of clay, into one of the houses we will rent out.

  3. 2025

    The soil says yes

    After years of caring for the land and waiting for an answer, the sweet news arrived: pistachios can grow here. We set aside a plot for a first pilot planting — organic and biodynamic from day one, no chemicals, all by hand.

  4. Coming up

    More trees are still coming

    The last trees are still on their way. When exactly depends on a couple of permits, so for now we're leaving it open. Meanwhile lavender is already blooming between the rows for oils and soaps, calendula has its own corner for tea, the hives arrive (my family!), and the second mud house is growing — soon available to rent. The third is already dreamed up.

  5. ~2031

    The first harvest

    A pistachio tree takes about five years to show us some of its fruit. Patience is like honey: slow, and worth every drop.

The pistachio, our star

A stubborn, generous tree that is brand new to this country. Everything we learned loving it, right here.

Tap the pistachio to crack it open
  • A pistachio tree can live for centuries. Ours are just getting started.
  • There are male trees and female trees. The wind plays postman between them.
  • The shell splits open on its own when the fruit is ready. Here we say it smiles.
  • It is a cousin of mango and cashew: tropical family, dryland heart.

Small but mighty

  • Plant protein

    About 20 grams per 100 grams: more than two eggs.

  • Filling fiber

    Close to 10 grams per 100. A snack that actually satisfies.

  • Good fats

    Mostly unsaturated, like the ones in olive oil.

  • Green inside

    Lutein and zeaxanthin, the antioxidants that care for your eyes, give it its color.

A pistachio year

Every season has its job. Pick one and I will tell you.

June to August

The long rest

The tree sleeps and collects cold: it needs hundreds of chilly hours to wake up strong. No good winter, no good harvest.

What can you make with pistachios?

  • Artisan ice cream
  • Sicilian pesto
  • Pistachio cream
  • Cold-pressed oil
  • Cake flour
  • Sea-salt roasted
  • Granola & bars
  • Sauces & fillings

Lavender, the downstairs neighbor

While the pistachios grow, the lavender works: it covers the soil, feeds bees and already yields its first products.

Run your finger over the lavender to release its scent

Why between the pistachios?

  • It protects the soil

    Its roots hold the earth and its shade keeps moisture between the young rows.

  • It feeds my family

    Blossoms full of nectar right when the hive is at its busiest.

  • It harvests early

    It gives oil and soaps years before the first pistachio harvest.

From blossom to soap and candle

One single path that opens into two at the end.

Soap

Candle

Harvest The spikes are cut by hand early in the morning, when the oil is at its peak.

The bees, the humming heart

We are more than 60,000 workers per hive and without us there is no farm. Bee tourism starts here, in my neighborhood.

The circle that binds us

Tap each station of the circle.

Flowers

Lavender, calendula and native bush take turns blooming almost all year.

Play: pollinate the farm

Tap the flowers and send me to work.

0/5 flowers pollinated

What comes out of the hive

  • Lavender honey
  • Native bush honey
  • Beeswax candles
  • Propolis

A flight over the farm

Five long hectares sloping gently to the east. Tap each stop, or just let me guide you.

Tap the dots to discover every corner

The whole perimeter is hugged by a curtain of trees that breaks the wind, with oaks and maples along some stretches.

The farm herbarium

Not just pistachios: over 300 trees and a whole garden live here. Tap each plant to meet it.

What this land will give

All organic, all from here. The first things arrive with the flowers; the pistachios make us wait a little longer.

  • Pistachios

    Uruguay's first, certified organic to the European standard.

    ↳ The pistachio, our star
  • lav

    Lavender oil & soaps

    Distilled from the rows that bloom between the pistachio trees.

  • Calendula tea and more

    Orange blossoms dried in the sun, from the northwest corner of the farm.

  • Honey

    Made by my family from lavender, calendula and native bush. My masterpiece.

The worker bee exam

Three short questions. Get them all and you earn a place in my hive.

Who carries the pistachio pollen?

Learn with your hands

Workshops on the farm

Real ecotourism and bee tourism: half a day among hives, lavender, clay and pistachios. Small groups, unhurried pace.

Hands ready to get muddy

They say that the home where you live is like a second skin. Living in a house built with natural materials truly creates a unique sense of well-being. A full day of green building: we’ll explain different methods and build one of the remaining walls of “El Hornero” house, as well as show you how to apply a final coat of plaster that the rain won’t wash away. You’ll understand why these houses “breathe” and maintain a constant temperature in both winter and summer.

Duration
5 h
Up to
12 people
$U 2000
per person

Next dates: 7 Nov 2026, 14 Nov 2026

For everyone who loves Honey, and for those who are curious and want to learn all about Honey

very honey has its own story. A journey through the world of honey

Duration
90 h
Up to
10 people
$U 1400
per person

Next dates: 4 Nov 2026, 11 Nov 2026, 18 Nov 2026, 25 Nov 2026

Booking costs nothing yet: we write to you to confirm your place and arrange payment.

An educational project by Retoños del Edén

Bees teach

Modules for schools, in the classroom and here on the farm, built so that children learn from bees, not only about them, but also through them: physics, maths, chemistry and so many other things that happen in nature.

Age

  1. Training to Become a seeker Bee

    A bee sees colors we cannot see, communicates by dancing, and navigates through scents. We put ourselves in its place and try to learn everything through experiments.

    • 6–9 yrs
    • Years 1–3
    • 60 minutes
    • up to 30 pupils
    • Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec
    Read more

    We dive into a beehive and explore all the different bee professions. Then we train our abilities like a forager bee: seeing, smelling, and hearing suddenly take on a completely new meaning und it is so much fun!

    Learning goals

    • sensory observation, concentration, teamwork
    • Understand that perception does not end with our own.

  2. The hive is a team

    Thousands of bees, and none of them is the boss. We discover how they divide up the work, how flowers and bees communicate with each other, and we understand what would happen if there were no bees: pollination, food chain Optional: We also learn everything about bees through mathematical experiments.

    • 8–10 yrs
    • Years 3–6
    • 90 minutes
    • up to 30 pupils
    • Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
    Read more

    Inside a beehive there are fifty thousand inhabitants, and no one gives orders. Each bee changes its task throughout its life — cleaning, caring for the brood, building, guarding the entrance, flying out — and the whole system works without anyone organizing it from above. We see how bees know which flowers to visit. We also work in groups to see what would be left in a supermarket or on the table without bees… and we think about possible solutions.

    Learning goals

    • working in a group with a shared goal and without a boss — finding solutions to a problem
    • presentation of solutions to a group

  3. Honey producers for a day

    We set up a small beekeeping mini‑venture with its entire chain: we develop the idea, measure the amount of production, look at the expenses, and prepare the sale with labels, etc.

    • 10–15 yrs
    • Years 5 to 7 and secondary
    • 90 minutes
    • up to 30 pupils
    • Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
    Read more

    Luego de comprender el mundo de las abejas y su trabajo, comenzamos a medir la cantidad de After understanding the world of bees and their work, we begin measuring the amount of honey, pollen, propolis, or other seasonal products. We calculate how many jars are needed and how to design the labels. We also think about how and where to sell them (a small marketing plan). Optional, if it’s the right season: honey extraction at the farm.at we eat holds together. Optional: label contest

    Learning goals

    • step‑by‑step creation of a small business
    • design labels
    • to think through the marketing path

  4. A day on the farm

    Coming soon

    On the farm This time the school comes to visit us.

    A real hive, a suit on and honey straight from the comb. Everything learned in class, but with the bees in front of you.

    • 4+ yrs
    • From year 3
    • 3 hours
    • up to 25 pupils
    • Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec
    Read more

    The visit to Retoños del Edén closes the route: what was a drawing in the classroom hums out here. The children put on the suit, we lift out a frame and they hunt for the queen among thousands of workers; they taste unfiltered honey straight from the comb; they walk the path between the pistachios and the lavender and see where what the bees gather comes from. It is a full half day and everybody goes home tired.

    Learning goals

    • Recognise in a real hive what was covered in the classroom.
    • Have a direct experience with an animal that usually frightens people.

    The farm visit is still being prepared: the path and the shade needed to receive a whole group are not finished. Tell us if you are interested and we will write as soon as it opens.

  5. Hüston, Hüston, you hear us?? Hier, the bionic honeycomb

    Did you know that the world imitates animals in everyday life? In this module, we discover the incredible power of a honeycomb — its strength for construction, its ability to absorb liquids in clothing… and we even learn about bees in space.

    • 8–15 yrs
    • 5-7 and secondary
    • 60 minutes
    • up to 30 pupils
    • Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec
    Read more

    Bionics is a science that imitates animals. The superpower of bees is well known, and it is copied in many areas. We will observe honeycomb cells, test construction strength, measure volume capacity, and carry out experiments to understand why the cells are hexagonal and how such perfection is possible… and much more.

    Learning goals

    • advanced physics and mathematics topics applied to the beehive and everyday life
    • teamwork

The farm goes on tour

On Tour

You cannot always come out here. So we come to you: we bring the hives, the mud or the still to your event, your company or your school, with all the materials and nothing for you to prepare.

  • The travelling hive

    We bring along a beehive that will tell you stories about the life of bees… plus lots of games and experiments. A real honeycomb with honey (if it’s harvest season) for you to taste. Two hours of stories, right in your backyard or living room, that will leave your eyes wide open in surprise!

    Price on request

    • 2 hours
    • from 8 up to 25 people
    Read more

    We bring a beehive with photos — you can see everything without a single bee coming out —, the full suit for anyone brave enough to try it on, and unfiltered honey straight from the comb (only in season). We explain how a hive is organized, why bees make better decisions in groups than alone, and which things on a table exist thanks to them. It all ends with a tasting of three different honeys from the Eden area, where you’ll discover why they are unique. Games and experiments will not be lacking!

    What we bring

    • everything to amaze you
    • Tasting of three honeys from the farm

    What we need from the venue

    A large table and, if possible, some shade. Nothing else.

  • Mud and hands

    Earth, sand and straw. You knead it with your feet, raise it with your hands, and everyone takes home what they made.

    US$ 39 per person

    • 3 hours
    • from 6 up to 18 people
    Read more

    The houses on the farm are built from the earth of the land itself. We bring that same mixture and the test that decides whether a clay is any good — the jar test, which separates sand, silt and clay into three layers and never lies. Then comes the kneading (with your feet, it is faster and more fun) and each person builds something small: a brick, a pot, a render on a frame. It dries in a few days and it lasts.

    What we bring

    • Earth, sand and straw from the farm
    • The jar test for reading a soil
    • Tools and frames
    • Whatever each person made, to take home

    What we need from the venue

    An outdoor space with a water tap nearby.

  • Scents from the farm

    A small still, freshly cut lavender, eucalyptus or another herb and the smell filling the room. Everyone leaves with their own soap and candle.

    $U 0 per person

    • 150 minutes
    • from 6 up to 20 people
    Read more

    We distill lavender in class: the steam passes through the flowers, carries the oil with it, and the oil then floats on the water, where it separates. From that single step, two products emerge — the essential oil and the hydrosol. We use the oil to make either soap or candles. The wax for the candles comes from our own hives, from the very bees that visit that lavender. Each person takes home a soap and/or a candle made in the workshop.

    What we bring

    • Still and live distillation
    • Lavender from the farm, freshly cut
    • Beeswax from our own hives

    What we need from the venue

    A long table, an electrical outlet, and a window that can be opened. If the class wants to make soap, the school should have some silicone molds for that purpose.

What it costs for us to come

Travel is added once, not per person. If your place is not on the list, write to us anyway.

  • No travel fee Maldonado, San Carlos and Punta Ballena.
    Included
  • Nearby coast From Punta del Este to San Ignacio, and Piriápolis.
    $U 1200
  • Rest of the country We work it out by distance and tell you in the proposal.
    To be worked out

Sleep among lavender and bees

The clay houses are built from the earth of the land itself: cool in summer, warm in winter, ecological always. Staying the night is part of the journey.

Ready

Clay House 1

The first one of all: the house that proved clay holds up.

Under construction

Clay House 2: The Rufous Hornero

The house we are raising with guests in mind.

Planned

Clay House 3

Still on paper, out on the southern stretch of the ring.

Ask about stays

Write to us

Workshops, stays, pistachios, press, or plain curiosity? We love mail almost as much as nectar.

Who we are

Catalina Marzorati and Stefan Strauß, plus some 60,000 bees with strong opinions.

Meet the whole family →

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