Olive Oil Mill
Starts from
€ 35.00
/ per hour
Duration
1 HOUR ( 1 stops )
About the excursion
From scientific researches the presence of the olive in Crete is confirmed during the 3rd BC. millennium, while there is important information about the cultivation of edible olives from the pre-Minoan period (2800-2100 BC).
As then, thousands of years ago, today the olive tree still dominates the island and offers its valuable benefits not only to its inhabitants but to the whole world in many different ways, such as: As a fruit that is nutritious product (raw, cooked, processed or not), as a juice (olive oil) used as a food product, for medicinal, cosmetic and cleaning use (soap) and, finally, as a tree being a raw material for tools and constructions, heating, art material and expression.
Today 65% (2,350,000 acres) of the island's agricultural area are olive groves, which include at least 35 million trees. In Crete, 80,000 - 120,000 tons of olive oil are produced annually, about 1/3 of the domestic production, of which 90% belongs to the category of extra virgin.
The quality characteristics of Cretan olive oil are due to the mild climate that prevails on the island, especially during the period of autumn and winter, a period during which the oil is created on the fruit, the special soil conditions that favor cultivation and the varieties that thrive on the island. Also, the olive fruit is harvested and transported in a short period of time and with the help of modern export machines used by oil mills today in Crete, high quality olive oil is produced.
Recent studies have shown that the consumption of olive oil in Crete appears much higher, compared to that of other Mediterranean regions and countries, inside and outside Europe. It is the only oil that is extracted by mechanical processes as opposed to other categories of oils produced by chemical process. Thus, olive oil retains its antioxidants, which are now believed to prevent many diseases.
Oil Mill
The tour will start with the departure from the hotel at the scheduled time. We will be transferred to a local olive mill to start your tour of the area. Initially we will tour olive groves where we will get to know the olive tree and we will learn a lot about the harvest and the stages of ripening. Then we will tour the premises of the estate. We will meet the old olive mill and then we will proceed to the modern factory where you will be informed about the production process of olive oil. After the tour you will have the opportunity to taste the award-winning olive oils as well as traditional local products. You will also have the opportunity, if you wish, to choose one of the award-winning olive oils as a souvenir.
Services:
- Free entrance
- Multilingual tour guides