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Autumn vacations

Welcome to join in the celebration of the land!






At the end of the harvest there is a huge feast and a celebration to reward the efforts of all those who have helped. This is a reinvigorated tradition that stretches back to ancient times. Abundant quantities of fresh olive oil are used to prepare the food for the feast, which the diners inevitably find to be the tastiest they have ever enjoyed. Rolling up your sleeves and actually being part of the harvest gives rise to an untold sense of satisfaction among all those who do it and leaves its own special aftertaste that lingers on, making life itself just that little bit better.

But this acquaintanceship with the olive and its oil does not stop here! Visitors can also “adopt” one or more olive trees. In return, they get a certificate with information about the olives the trees produce, plus a sample of the olive oil made from the adopted trees every year thereafter.

The fruit of the harvest, the oil, or the “green blood” as a popular saying goes, is a staple component of the Greek diet, and is well known both for its cosmetic and for its pharmaceutical qualities. It was a source of wealth and power, particularly in ancient societies; the enormous oil stores at Minoan palaces and their hefty pots are still stunning today. False-spouted amphorae were used in the Mycenaean era to contain the precious load of olive oil as it was transported the length and breadth of the Mediterranean world. In Classical Athens, panathenaic amphorae, the special jars filled with exceptional quality olive oil from Attica that were given as prizes to Olympic victors, were a much envied trophy. Winners were also crowned with a simple olive wreath.

Nowadays, Greek olive oil remains a major part of our day to day life and is renowned the world over. The most recent accolade for Greek oil was the award given to the Kritsa Lassithi agricultural co-operative, where a world-famous olive oil of superb quality, often referred to as the Rolls Royce of oil, is produced. Even the bottle in which the oil is sold has won international awards for its design. The design of the bottle somehow manages to combine the refined traditional style of the past, when olive oil containers (false-spouted amphorae, panathenaic amphorae) were themselves true works of art, with modern inspiration and the artistic style of today.

Years of tradition and experience, innovation and enterprise have come together in harmony to create the yardstick by which other olives and olive oil are judged. Any visitors who find themselves in Greece will be exceptionally fortunate, some would even say blessed, if they are wise enough to choose to take part in this traditional activity, which honours the gifts of Greek soil and fully respects the environment.

Later, they will be able to continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor, a product that has established itself as a favorite and has earned accolades the world over.


Useful links

The Routes of the Olive tree

Museums of the Olive in the Mediterranean



Escape to Nafpaktos and Galaxidi

Nafpaktos and Galaxidi are justly considered to be amongst the most scenic and romantic destinations of the Greek hinterland. To top off their natural beauty, there is their important history and the...

Escape to Nafpaktos and Galaxidi




