Olive oil tourism experiences and olive oil tastings
Discover the world of extra virgin olive oil through private, tailor-made experiences.
Olive Oil Tourism in Andalusia: Experiences Around a Star Product
Olive oil tourism in Andalusia is an innovative and fast-growing activity that brings together the best of rural, industrial and gastronomic tourism. That this region has become a driving force behind this type of experience is no coincidence: it has everything for those who wish to discover and enjoy the benefits of olive oil, which are far more numerous than one might initially imagine. For this reason, on this page we explain what the so-called ‘liquid gold’ offers all kinds of travellers, with a long list of options. And whatever your choice may be, at Andalucía Exclusiva we can incorporate it into your holiday package in southern Spain, should you so wish.
What Olive Oil Tourism Is
Olive oil tourism is a term that refers to all tourist activities organised around olive oil, one of the key gastronomic products in the Mediterranean diet, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It enjoys wide recognition around the world for its health benefits, its excellent flavour and its versatility in the kitchen.
Spain is, by a wide margin, the world’s largest producer of olive oil. Andalusia is, in turn, the leading region in this field, with an overwhelming difference: more than 80% of that production comes from Andalusian olive groves, which in the province of Jaén form such a uniform expanse that they are known as a ‘sea of olive trees’, as the view stretches to the horizon.
For this reason, the olive oil tourism sector in Andalusia is the most developed, with the highest-quality oils, technically qualified professionals and infrastructure that offers everything needed to welcome travellers on a gastronomic break or a rural tourism holiday. Infrastructure that is wide open to this type of visitor, whether production centres, accommodation adapted to this activity, museums and interpretation centres, or gourmet shops where the finest olive oils are sold.
The Olive Mill: A New Tourist Attraction
One of the central settings for olive oil tourism in Andalusia is the olive mills. Like most words that begin with the prefix al-, this term comes from Arabic and referred to the mill where olives were pressed to obtain the oil. Today, they are small industrial centres that continue to carry out this work, although now using advanced technological means.
What is interesting is that many of these facilities have decided to open to the general public to explain how they work and how the prized olive oil is obtained. Therefore, many olive oil tourism experiences in Andalusia olive oil tourism often include a guided tour of these facilities. A visit to the olive grove is also common, with attention focused on this tree so characteristic of Mediterranean culture and its fruit, the olive, so widely cultivated by different civilisations since time immemorial.
Many of these visits are organised at the end of the year or at the beginning of the next, the period during which the olive harvest takes place. However, olive mills also host themed visits at other times of the year.
Tasting: A Feast for the Palate
Of course, guided tours of olive mills usually include a tasting session, allowing visitors to savour the final product and distinguish between its different varieties, whether by extraction method (extra virgin and virgin), acidity level, or the type of olive used (arbequina, cornicabra, picual and hojiblanca). Naturally, in these olive oil tourism experiences in Andalusia, lower-quality oils intended for large-scale commercialisation are usually excluded: olive pomace oil or ‘olive oil’ (plain), mild or intense.
The tasting can also focus on the organoleptic characteristics of a particular Protected Designation of Origin. Indeed, although many people are unaware of it, there are certain quality seals depending on the production area, as with wine. Without going any further, Andalusia has 14 different PDOs, the vast majority located in the Guadalquivir Depression. They are as follows: PDO Sierra de Cádiz, PDO Antequera, PDO Estepa, PDO Lucena, PDO Priego de Córdoba, PDO Poniente de Granada, PDO Baena, PDO Jaén Sierra Sur, PDO Montes de Granada, PDO Sierra Mágina, PDO Sierra de Cazorla, PDO Sierra de Segura, PDO Campiñas de Jaén, PDO Montoro-Adamuz.
On the other hand, not all tastings take place at the production site. They can also be organised in specialised shops or venues located in provincial capitals and other cities. However, what these tastings all have in common is the presence of a certified expert, such as a biologist or even a professional trained at the Higher School of Olive Oil (technical olive oil taster, mill master, etc.).
Other Olive Oil Tourism Experiences in Andalusia
Guided tours of olive mills and olive oil tastings are not the only olive oil tourism experiences in Andalusia. There are many others, some of them truly innovative. The most common are those that combine different gastronomic offerings. For example, olive oil tastings integrated into broader sessions that also include wines, desserts, cured ham, breads, or even mushrooms, in search of the perfect pairing for ‘liquid gold’.
There is another proposal that explores the possibilities of thermal tourism and olive oil tourism in Andalusia. It is, to the surprise of many, olivatherapy (or olivotherapy): a treatment increasingly sought after for its health benefits, mainly skin exfoliation. It is carried out through a body wrap in olive oil and is usually offered in spa centres in producing areas, although it is also available at other wellness centres across the rest of the region.
On the other hand, as production areas are usually far from large cities, olive oil tourism in Andalusia is closely linked to rural tourism. For this reason, it is common to find the aforementioned activities included within broader cultural packages within the local area. Accommodation is essential here, often located in former cortijos, an example of traditional Andalusian architecture closely linked to extensive agricultural activity, such as olive growing.
In other cases, the main draw is nature: olive groves located in mountain ranges, where hiking routes are the order of the day, offering panoramic views and even activities related to flora and fauna in nearby areas.
And, in general, the only limit is the imagination of service providers. Therefore, it is possible to market, in a single package, olive oil tourism in Andalusia olive oil tourism and equestrian shows at the same cortijo. Or even olive oil tastings while enjoying a private flamenco show.
Where to Enjoy Olive Oil Tourism
The options for enjoying olive oil tourism in Andalusia are highly varied. They include both areas with a Designation of Origin and others which, despite not having one, offer top-quality experiences for visitors. We review the most important ones below.
Jaén, the Paradise of Olive Oil
The province of Jaén is, without question, a true paradise for olive oil lovers and, therefore, a must for olive oil tourism in Andalusia. Its territory is home, according to some sources, to more than 60 million olive trees, which creates an omnipresence in the landscape and an agricultural monopoly in virtually all local areas. Seeing them from above—for example from the peaks of its mountain ranges or from the watchtower castles of its towns—is both relaxing and spectacular.
Aware of this wealth, institutions and companies in the area have known how to harness this natural resource for tourism, making it the province that offers the widest range of options to visitors. The list is extensive and is constantly renewed, but we may cite: tastings and samplings, visits to olive mills, wellness treatments, themed museums, horse-riding routes through olive groves, hiking routes among centuries-old olive trees and areas of special interest, etc.
In addition, the city of Jaén hosts one of the most important trade fairs in the olive oil sector: Expoliva, held every two years at the Jaén Provincial Exhibition and Conference Centre (IFEJA). Workshops, lectures, scientific-technical symposiums, tastings and an excellent venue full of business opportunities for professional travellers.
Córdoba, Another Province with an Olive Oil Flavour
In the province of Córdoba, despite having a more diversified agriculture, olive growing occupies a prominent place, especially in the regions of the Córdoba countryside. And clear evidence of its importance and quality are the four Designations of Origin found here.
For this reason, the rural areas where the PDOs are located are ideal for those interested in olive oil tourism in Andalusia. Lucena, Baena, Priego de Córdoba, and the countryside of Montoro and Adamuz have a great deal to offer, all of it related to olive culture. These are experiences to be enjoyed first-hand, individually or in a group, in an innovative way. For example, becoming an olive harvester for a day during the autumn and winter harvest, or even planting a personalised olive tree with the planter’s name and date.
More Olive Oil Tourism in Andalusia: Other Provinces
Of the 14 protected PDOs mentioned above, 5 are located neither in Jaén nor in Córdoba, so it is easy to assume that other provinces are also perfect for enjoying olive oil tourism in Andalusia, with ‘liquid gold’ of many ‘carats’. In this particular ranking of provinces with PDOs, Granada stands third on the podium, as it has two: Montes de Granada and Poniente de Granada. The former refers to a wide area, from the Eastern Mountains to Huéscar, passing through Vega, Guadix and Baza. The latter covers the westernmost part of the province, with more than 71,000 hectares of olive groves.
Special mention should be made of the Sierra de Cádiz, an area concentrated in the north of the province, bordering Seville and Málaga. Here, many successful packages combine rural and nature tourism proposals, as it features white villages and natural spaces of great beauty, such as Olvera or the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.
In the province of Málaga, the Antequera area stands out as the most closely associated with olive growing. It is an area with a great tradition, with productive roots going back some 3,000 years, yet it has also adapted to modern times, with some of the most interesting proposals in the field of olive oil tourism in Andalusia. Its proximity to the Costa del Sol raises expectations, and its experiences are of the highest quality.
The province of Seville also has much to offer visitors most interested in olive oil. Primarily within the geographical area of the Estepa PDO, one of the designations of origin that is innovating most in its proposals, for example with the development of organic varieties. In this case, proximity to the capital has served as a springboard for these experiences, making them an excellent excursion for those staying in the city of Seville.
However, areas without a PDO are also contributing to the success of olive oil tourism in Andalusia, thanks not only to consumer-endorsed quality, but also to multiple attractions associated with the experience. Particularly striking, for example, are the activities organised in Almería: despite the aridity of much of the province, there are several olive mills across its territory, where visits and tastings are arranged. And in Huelva, areas such as El Condado de Huelva also organise olive mill visits that include gastronomic workshops, pairing the oil with their famous wines.
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