Olive oil tour Algarve
Visting an olive oil estate during your holiday in the Algarve is a great way to learn more about the olive oil production process while surrounding yourself between the magnifcent olive trees. At the end of such an olive oil tour, you will sample the different olive oils. During such a tasting, you will learn how to taste the flavours of the different varieties and to distinguish the specific olive oil attributes of fruitiness, bitterness and pepperiness. In the Algarve you can find one premium olive oil producer that organizes olive oil tours for the public. In this article we will tell you all about it.
Olive oil culture in Portugal
Olive trees have grown on the Portuguese land since Roman times. Ever since, the Portuguese people rely on its fruits to create their tasty dishes. No wonder olive oil is the heart of Portuguese cuisine. The Alentejo is the region that produces the most olive oil. Most of the big olive oil brands you can find in the supermarket are from the Alentejo. Additionally, premium olive oil is being produced in the Algarve on a small exclusive scale.
Monterosa olive oil farm
There is one olive oil producer in the Algarve that organizes olive oil tours: the Monterosa olive oil farm. The olive oils of Monterosa have won international awards, such as the New York Olive Oil Competition for several years in a row.
You can find the Monterosa estate in the eastern part of the Algarve, in Moncarapacho. This is about a 10 minutes drive from Tavira. The estate is 20 hectares in size. Monterosa produces 10.000 litres of olive oil a year in five different varieties:
- Verdeal
- Maçanilha
- Picual
- Cobrançosa
- Selection
Production process
The Monterosa olives are hand-picked in autumn. Harvest season starts mid-September and lasts until the beginning of November. The olives are then pressed inside an original old Roman mill. The olive are then ground to paste in a stone mill. Subsequently, the olive oil is extracted, filtered and stored. The modern machines squeeze the olives in such a way that the quality is consistent and meets today’s standards.
The Monterosa olive oils are not biological. However, the company does value the environment. Everything is recycled. Moreover, the entire production process of Monterosa leaves zero carbon footprint.
Olive oil tour and costs
Monterosa organizes public olive oil tours 4 days a week. You can enjoy tours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Starting time is 10 o’clock in the morning. When you intend to go, make sure to call Monterosa in advance to make a reservartion.
A ticket for the Monterosa olive oil tour costs 7 euro for adults. The entrance for children from 6-12 years is half price (€ 3,50) and children up to 5 years can enter for free. The length of the tour is about 75 minutes. At the end of the tour, you can of course buy the olive oils they produce.
Contact and more information:
