The Route of the Oil of Alicante invites you to discover about the olive oil production process, from the olive tree growing to the harvest in the fields, from the oil extracting tasks at the mills to the packaging procedures at the shop.
The olive tree models the landscape conditions by the type of crops, the physiognomy of the fields, terraces and agricultural farms, as well as the way of life of the Alicante people.
It is very interesting to know the facilities in the old oil mills and the modern packaging machines. At the moment advanced techniques and technologies are used as well as the traditional roots are conserved.
Currently you can find several mills and museums or visiting spaces, both public and private, along with a proposal of several routes to discover this liquid treasure that is cultivated in our lands.
Evidences, testimonies, witnesses and quotes about olive oil in the province of Alicante through some historical notes:
“… carbonized olive bones from the Neolithic period were found in the Cova de les Cendres in Teulada”.
“… during the Roman era oil lamps were used to light the way people walked near the Roman Sanctuary of La Serreta (Alcoi-Cocentaina-Penáguila)”.
“… copious production of delicious oil, I did not see in my life olives of such size or so tasty.” Jerónimo Münzer – Travel through Spain and Portugal in the years 1494 and 1495.
“… in past centuries, it was by the Baix Vinalopó region, a land of great olive tradition, where innumerable oil mills existed throughout the region” (anonymous).
From ancient times, popular beliefs gave olive oil healing properties and provide lot of benefits to human health. At the time, great classical physicians such Hippocrates, Galen of Pergamon or Dioscorides drafted treaties about it.
At present time, thanks to numerous advances and investigations about the oil aspects these old theories began confirmed and demonstrating such properties as true.
The list of healthy aspects of olive oil consumption and avantages of its cutaneous application, especially virgin olive oil, has expanded and spread around the world in recent years, placing olive oil as the main standard-bearer of the Mediterranean diet and as a top quality natural product.
In the province of Alicante you can find many oil mills working with the traditional systems by “pressing” the olives to get its golden treasure, and other ones more modern mills (the vast majority) that will use “centrifuging” systems to extract oil from olives.
Harvesting olive trees and production process of olive oil into mills of the province of Alicante normally begins around October and November, and lasts until December and January (it depend each year, areas and olive variety).
Almazara (from the arabic المعصرة, al-maʿṣara, «the press») is the place, mill or industry, where the oil is obtained from olives.
The province of Alicante currently allows different museum spaces dedicated to the olive oil history where you will find curiosities and tools about its legacy and its culture, and to know about the different systems of production of olive oil.
Here you can find five different routes which will suit each persons needs, depending on where they are, what they want to visit and the time availability of each of the proposed places to be visited.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Download the detailed information of the routes.
Make a call to each place to confirm schedules and availability if you want to visit.
Enjoy the visits and tastings, learn more about the world of Olive and have fun.