Origin

Buy olive oil by province

Find out where the best olives are grown and the best Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO) are extracted. In Spain, the different varieties and types of crops usually depend on the climate and soil of the place. Discover them!

Origin of the best olive oils in Spain

A key ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is health-giving and guaranteed to enhance the flavour of any dish.

Spain is the world’s biggest virgin olive oil producer with a total of 27 Designations of Origin. Most of them are in Andalusia (12) and Catalonia (5).

This is especially true of the province of Jaén. From the moment you arrive, everything here revolves around olive oil. In the Olive Route in the Sierra Mágina Mountains, there are huge olive groves set around the Sierra Mágina Nature Reserve.

You will visit towns and villages that reflect olive growing culture, through the unusual architecture of their farmhouses, and in their traditions and crafts. You will have the chance to visit “almazaras” (mills where olives are crushed).

The Olive Route in the province of Jaén takes in many small towns and villages. For example: Cambil, with its ancient olive trees; Jimena, with a huge valley of olive groves that stretches from the Sierra Mágina Mountains to the banks of the Guadalquivir; arid Cabra del Santo Cristo, the olive grove of the desert.

Córdoba, also in Andalusia, is another of the main olive oil producing areas in Spain, with many towns and villages dependent on the olive. Furthermore, the province of Cordoba has many ancient olive trees in places such as Almedinilla, Baena, Luque, Montilla, Priego de Córdoba and Lucena.

In fact, the “Priego de Córdoba” Protected Designation of Origin area covers 30,000 hectares, in the heart of the Sierras Subbéticas Nature Reserve.

Catalonia is the second Spanish region in number of designations of origin. These are to be found mainly in the Costa Brava, Costa Dorada and Lleida areas.

Andalusia and Catalonia are the main olive oil producing regions in Spain, but there are many more. For example, the region of Castile-La Mancha has four designations of origin, and the mountains in Toledo province are home to huge olive groves that are open for visits.

You will also find top quality virgin olive oil with designation of origin certification in Aragón, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, Navarre and La Rioja. If you like taking souvenirs back from you holidays, try some extra virgin olive oil and you will feel like you are back in Spain at every meal.