This is an Oleotourism experience in Jaén: which oil mills to visit

Knowing the province of Jaen is to enter the world of olive oil, and in lands with seas of olive trees where the eye cannot see and time stops in its olive groves.

A way of life around oil, where thousands of families look at the countryside with its lands full of olives.

In addition to having beautiful places to visit such as Ubeda, Baeza, Mountain range of Cazorla and the capital itself, Jaén is world's leading producer of olive oil.

This makes it almost essential that if you are going to take a route through its lands, you consider visit some oil mill, and also some olive tree museum to learn how this precious liquid is made.

You can also participate in a oil tasting that will help you to differentiate with knowledge the types of oil that exist on the market, so that when you buy it, you know what you are paying for.

El best quality oil is the Extra Virgin Olive, which has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, which makes it a unique food for health.

Both the oil Virgin Olive such as Extra Virgin They provide natural antioxidants, and it is the only oil that is obtained naturally, without using chemicals, by squeezing the fruit of a tree.

Oil tourism route to visit oil mills in Jaén

Hand in hand Olive Oils from Spain We have had the opportunity to know all the production process of this wonderful food that we are lucky to enjoy in our country. 

It has been through a oil tourism route through the province of Jaén which has allowed us to delve deeper into the keys to this essential product in the Mediterranean diet, in addition to savoring it.

Next we are going to tell you which oil mills and olive museums to visit in Jaén during said trip Oleoturismo.

Visit of the San Francisco Oil Mill in Jaén

A key stage of the trip is the visit of an oil mill, such as Oleícola San Francisco, which is located in Begijar, close to the aforementioned Ubeda y Baeza, in the heart of the Loma Region.

This family oil mill was founded in 1927, but it was about 30 years ago when it really gained momentum and opted for new forms of olive oil productionWhen Manolo Rus y José Jiménez They took care of her.

It has now become the first tourist oil mill in the province of Jaén, being a benchmark in oil tourism, with both national and international awards, and committed to developing a Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the highest quality.

If you want to know the history, traditions and customs in the production of olive oil, as well as endless curiosities, here you can take a tour of this incredible world.

This tour begins by teaching you how this oil was traditionally made, from the moment the olives arrived at the oil mills.

You will see the old presses and the old winery, as well as a projection that will transport you to bygone times to see how oil was produced then.

Then they will teach you how it is currently produced, applying the latest technologies for oil extraction.

The visit ends with a olive oil tasting, so you will taste three different types from the range gourmet Extra Virgin Olive known as Essential Olive, which is the highest quality.

In the outside area of ​​the factory you can see, during the harvest season, how the trucks are unloaded and how the leaves are separated by rails, cleaned, classified and prepared for pressing.

Here you have all the information to sign up for the guided tours of the San Francisco oil mill, which take place every day, always with prior reservation, with a duration of approximately one and a half hours.

They also offer oil activities related to the incredible world of oil, whether gastronomic, cultural or with a relaxation and spa circuit.

 Visit of the Our Lady of Pilar Oil Mill in Jaén

Another visit you can make in your oil tourism route through Jaén is the one of the Our Lady of Pilar Oil Mill.

Located in villacarrillo, It's about the largest and most prestigious oil cooperative in the world, which began its activity in 1966 with some small facilities.

Today the cooperative has 1.709 active members and they have an area of ​​14.000 hectares of olive groves in which one and a half million olive trees are planted, from which about 13 tons of oil are extracted per year.

It brings together olive growers from 18 municipal areas, and together with 15 other cooperatives it forms the 2nd degree cooperative Jaencoop who sells the oil Cazorliva.

The facilities of this cooperative are state-of-the-art, with everything being digitally controlled, and the movement on collection days is incessant.

If you have previously visited a family oil mill like the one mentioned above San Francisco, you will be surprised by the proportions, because here everything is multiplied by 18.

In the visit of the oil mill The first thing you will see is where the trucks loaded with olives arrive, with up to 18 receiving lines, in which the olives are cleaned and selected, always with chips that identify which olive grove they come from.

The manufacturing plant is where the olives are pressed and centrifuged to obtain the oil before storage.

It is really impressive to see the 156 stainless steel tanks that the winery has.

The predominant olive is the variety Picual, although in this mill the variety is increasing Arbequina.

The guided tours are in groups, and here you can contact to join one of the groups to visit the Nuestra Señora del Pilar oil mill.

Olive Culture Museum in Jaén

In your oil tourism route you also have the opportunity to visit the Museum of Olive Culture, which is located in the La Laguna Farm, in a privileged location in the nearby wetlands of the Laguna Grande Natural Area.

This estate in the 17th century belonged to the Jesuits and later to the Ducal House of Alba.

In the first half of the 19th century it was bought by the businessman José Manuel Collado y Parada, who was later Minister of Finance and Development, becoming Marquis of La Laguna in 1862.

He made many improvements to the hacienda, such as the construction of a winery, with huge semi-buried tanks that today remain an example of how oil was stored, and are very curious to see.

The museum also shows you, with many models and ancient objects, how oil was traditionally made.

You will be able to see special pieces, such as a Viga and Quintal Press which is one of the oldest known presses, and whose operation is based on the physical law of the lever.

It is a huge beam, which was the most used olive oil extraction system in the 17th to 19th centuries.

Another of the curious things that you can see in the museum is the Alhorí Press from the 19th century, which was moved in a circle by animals, and thus the olives were crushed and the oil extracted.

You will also see the Tower Press, which was much less used than the beam, and used large stones that, due to gravity, fell onto the baskets where the paste resulting from the grinding of the olives was found.

Both the surroundings and the interior of the museum will introduce you to what has been a way of life for centuries and the basis of the culture of a people.

It is convenient book the visit, and you can also ask about the different temporary activities they have.

El Olive Culture Museum is located in Bishop's Bridge, near Baeza, and visiting hours are, in the morning, from 10,30:13,30 a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m., and in the afternoons it varies depending on the time of year.

The price of admission without a guided tour is 4,50 euros, with discounts for children and seniors.

Here you can consult in detail the Hours and ticket prices for the Olive Culture Museum.

Olive Grove and Oil Interpretation Center of the province of Jaén

La oletourism route you can complete it with visit to the Olive Grove and Oil Interpretation Center of the province of Jaén, which depends on the association of the same name whose purpose is to disseminate knowledge about the world of oil.

This association is located in the city of Ubeda and is made up of more than 70 partners, being also an EVOO training center for different market sectors.

During the tour of interpretation Center You will learn about the different varieties of olives, how they were made and how they are currently made. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as the different uses it has and the health benefits.

You will be surprised, in addition to the flavors and smells that you will perceive, with the cosmetic line that it has.

What is an olive oil tasting like?

In the center, gastronomic cooking demonstrations are held, both traditional and the latest trends, of course with olive oil as the star in the preparation of the dishes.

La olive oil tasting It is done in the blue containers that are used for official tastings and they will teach you how to taste the oil and its differences.

If you have not yet participated in a tasting, I will tell you that the container must be warmed with your hands before tasting and smelling the oil, so that it reaches a certain temperature and maintains maximum flavor.

After visiting the center and trying a guided tasting, you will not see the olive oil in the same way and you will learn to differentiate the qualities of the different oils on the market.

La duration of oil tasting It is one hour, and they take place from Tuesday to Saturday, at 6 pm, and if you want to go on a Sunday, you should check availability.

Here you have all the detailed information about schedules and prices at the Olive Grove and Oil Interpretation Center, but I can tell you that the price of general admission is 3,50 euros, and the oil tasting is 10 euros per person.

In this way we hope to have encouraged you to know not only Jaén and its province, but its natural wealth, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.