The olive trees spread over the broken relief of the Catalan regions as if they were a green mantle. Escorted by forests, vineyards and lots of almond trees, they rise with slender gestures like ancient sculptures and make up a landscape of their own. Its roots are deep in the history of the Mediterranean and its cultivation sweetens the landscape of a thirsty land with wells, terraces, dry stone banks and barrel-vaulted huts. Its fruit is the origin of our most honest cuisine, and makes oil the main attraction of a gastronomy that emanates from a land of secular traditions. The diversity of Catalan oils Catalans have built a cultural, economic, social and culinary heritage around the olive tree that is an indestructible part of our identity. Olive trees have been part of Catalan agriculture for many years. You can see for yourself in unique places like the Farga de l'Arion, a set of millenary olive trees located in Ulldecona. This forge has the oldest olive tree in the world, which is more than 1,700 years old. An unmissable agricultural, gastronomic and cultural heritage and a whole open-air natural museum to visit. In Catalonia there are five protected designations of origin of olive oil: Les Garrigues, Siurana, Terra Alta, the Lower Ebre-Montsià and the Emporda. Each produces an oil with a well-differentiated aroma and body. This diversity is determined by the climate, the type of soil and the varieties of olives used, such as arbequina, argudell, farga and morruda, with which you will experience the rural spirit of ancient times. Oil tourism in Catalonia Through oil tourism you will discover the uses of oil in the kitchen, savouring traditional dishes such as pa amb tomàquet, alliolli and cod and also forming an indestructible part of the avant-garde creations that are tasted at the best tables in the country and around the world. Take a close look at the world that has grown up around the culture of oil: medieval castles surrounded by olive trees, vaulted cabins in the middle of nowhere and old mills. Enjoy this Mediterranean universe. During the last few years, Catalan producers have chosen to highlight the culture of oil, which is why more and more mills and production centres are offering visits and various experiences to immerse yourself in the world of oil. Take the opportunity to experience this culture of oil at the new oil fairs and festivals. Oil tourism in Catalonia also offers you a visit to oil mills and to learn about the olive oil production process, such as the innovative Cuadrat Valley Finca Agrícola mill; the immersive experience in the Mas de Colom-Casa Borges space – the only space in Catalonia that is an observatory of agricultural biodiversity and a space to disseminate food with healthy lifestyles–; visit the Oil Culture Centre of Catalonia in Granadella; taste oils in Barcelona with Hola Olive; discover the Arbequina olive groves with which sustainable oils are made in Torclum, and taste the clotxa – a typical dish of the Terres de l'Ebre which is a kind of sandwich – made with Identitat Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Oil, wine and gastronomic hotels If you want to combine oil tourism with wine tourism, many wineries in Catalonia also have their own mill and produce their own olive oil. In Priorat, the Masroig winery offers tastings of what it produces in its Siurana DOP mill. In Terra Alta, the modernist Pinell de Brai winery, designed by Gaudí's disciple Cèsar Martinell, also produces extra virgin olive oil. Also in Terra Alta, visit Sant Josep Vins, the Sant Josep Agricultural Cooperative in Bot, where they also make wines and oils. Combining a wine tasting with a virgin olive oil tasting can be a very tasty experience. In Catalonia, you can also practise oil tourism in the gastronomic hotels. In these you can combine the pleasure of a quality hotel with an exceptional gastronomic offer. You can have meals where local oils are the protagonists and the reflection of the landscape of the territory. Savour the elixir of Mediterranean life made into oil in Catalonia.