A CHOCOLATE factory in the heart of Mijas is drawing families off the coast and into the hills, offering one of the most popular activities for children on the Costa del Sol.
Mayan Monkey, sitting on Plaza Virgen de la Peña, has been welcoming visitors since 2012.
It’s a real production space where everything is made on site, from chocolate bars and bonbons to ice cream and even the packaging.
The main attraction is the workshops. Children aged three and above can make their own chocolate using real ingredients, moulds and more than 50 toppings.
Sessions start from €19.95 and last from 25 minutes to over an hour. At the end, everything they make is packed up and taken home.
Some workshops lean towards fun, like creating chocolate dragons, donkey lollipops or colourful bonbons, while others introduce more technical skills, including piping fillings and working with tempered chocolate.
Adults tend to get just as involved, either joining in or taking a break with a coffee while things set.
The factory roasts its own specialty coffee on site, alongside serving fresh cakes, artisan gelato made with organic Galician milk and handmade sorbets.
There’s also a more serious side to what’s on offer. All chocolate is made using ethically sourced, single-origin cacao.
“All of our cacao comes from Peru, from sustainable plantations where they respect human rights and pay their workers a good living wage,” a worker told The Olive Press.
The factory is certified by Slave Free Chocolate, making it the only one in Spain with that recognition.
“We are proudly the only one, but it is also sad in itself because we’re the only one.”
Even without booking a workshop, visitors can look inside. Free tours run daily through the glass-fronted factory, offering a clear view of how chocolate is made, with no pressure to buy.
The factory, Set just 30 minutes from Malaga, is open daily from 10:30 to 18:00, with longer hours in summer.
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