The Perfect Rainy Day Activity on the Costa del Sol — Make Chocolate in Mijas

You've planned your Costa del Sol holiday around sunshine, beaches and outdoor adventures. Then you wake up to grey skies and rain hammering the window. Sound familiar? It happens — even on the sunniest coast in Europe.

But here's the thing: some of the best holiday memories come from the days that didn't go to plan. And we might be biased, but spending a rainy morning making your own chocolate from scratch in a real chocolate factory is about as good as it gets. (Looking for more indoor activities for kids on the Costa del Sol?)

Why Chocolate Making is the Ultimate Rainy Day Plan

At Mayan Monkey in Mijas Pueblo, we run hands-on chocolate workshops every day from 10:30am. You don't just watch — you make. From tempering real organic, ethically-sourced chocolate to designing your own bars and bonbons, every step is yours. And the best part? You take home everything you create.

Our factory is warm, smells incredible, and is the kind of place where you forget about the weather entirely. Within minutes of walking through the door, you're wearing an apron, melting chocolate, and choosing from over 50 toppings.

A Workshop for Every Mood

Whether you've got 25 minutes or a full afternoon, we've got something perfect:

Our Most Popular: The Weekend Wonder

If you're here on a Saturday or Sunday, the Weekend Wonder Workshop (1h, €24.95) is the one everyone's talking about. It runs at 10:30am on weekends only, and it's our best value family experience — a full hour of chocolate bar making combined with an interactive chocolate story, a creative art activity, and custom packaging design where you create your own box for your chocolates. At €24.95 per person, it's an absolute steal and the reason families keep coming back.

Short on Time?

• Express Workshop (25 min, €19.95): Create 2 chocolate bars choosing from milk, dark, or white chocolate with 54 toppings. Includes a guided "Secrets of Chocolate" museum experience and a reusable mould to take home. Perfect when you want something quick and sweet — available every day of the week.

Go Deeper

• Bonbons & Bars (40 min, from €34): Learn professional bonbon techniques — casing, piping, sealing, demoulding — to create 6 luxury soft-centre bonbons plus 2-3 decorated bars. Includes the "Chocolate Rain" encounter!
• Classic Chocolatiers (1h 10min, from €49.95): Our most varied workshop — chocolate-dipped fruits, hot chocolate sticks, hand-rolled truffles, soft-centre bonbons, triple chocolate marbled figurines, and deco bars. A bit of everything.

The Ultimate Experiences

• Deluxe Dragons, Donkeys & Butterflies (, from ): A full "Bean to Cup Journey" where you roast raw cacao beans and grind them into hot chocolate from scratch, then create hand-painted chocolate dragons, donkey lollipops, and butterfly bonbons with edible paints.
• The MMM Masterclass (2h, from €135): Our premium experience for ages 12+. Welcome drink with chocolates, bean-to-cup hot chocolate, advanced bonbon techniques with stamps, stencils and lustre powders, wine and chocolate pairing, and over 1kg of chocolate to take home in a gift box.

Rainy Days are for Romance

Our Love at First Bite couples experience (€60/person, 1h 10min, ages 16+) explores chocolate's history as the "food of lovers" — from Maya and Aztec rituals to European tradition. Create hand-painted love hearts, amorous hot chocolate bombs, and decorated bars together, with a guided tasting session and the science behind chocolate's mood-enhancing effects. Rain pattering on the windows while you make chocolate together? That's a date.

For Families with Kids

All workshops are suitable for ages 3+ (children under 3 attend free as helpers). For a rainy day with kids, we especially recommend:

• Dragons, Donkeys & Butterflies (from €57): Hand-painted chocolate animals with edible paints — our highest-rated family workshop.
• Superhero's Chocolate Adventure (€89.95 adult / €109.95 child): Your child becomes the hero of their own personalised storybook, complete with science experiments, a treasure hunt, and layered chocolate masterpieces.
• Mayas and Messy Monkeys (€99.95 adult / €119.95 child): The ultimate family experience — bars, bonbons, truffles, dipped fruits, chocolate face painting, treasure hunt, and a personalised storybook starring your child.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Only ticket holders are permitted in the workshop space.

Right in the Heart of Mijas Pueblo

We're at Plaza Virgen de la Peña 15, Mijas Pueblo — right in the centre of one of the most beautiful white villages on the Costa del Sol. Even in the rain, Mijas has a special atmosphere — quieter, more authentic, with mist rolling through the cobbled streets.

There's parking at the entrance to the village, and we're a short walk from the main plaza. Open daily 10:30am – 6:00pm (until 9pm in July and August).

Don't Wait for Rain

Here's a secret: most of our guests book on sunny days too. A chocolate workshop isn't a backup plan — it's a highlight. Many families tell us it was their favourite activity of the whole holiday. Rain just gives you the perfect excuse. For more family ideas, check out our guide to things to do in Mijas with kids.

Next time the forecast says rain, don't panic. Smile. You've just found the best activity on the Costa del Sol.