Itanos Tours - Activities in Eastern Crete

Collect olives and prune the olive trees. Learn about the different types of Olives and their quality. Visit Olive oil extraction facilities that follow the old traditional way or modern methods. Learn about the different qualities of olive oil and learn about the values of Olive oil.

The olive Tree was a gift from the gods to the people. It keeps you healthy.

Sitia Olive oil has been considered the best in the world in competitions. The rich aroma and unique flavor are special. The winds that blow in the area in the hot summer months not only keep the people cool, but also the olive trees and the olives do not get hot. The winds from the sea, and the wild spices of sage, thyme, oregano and rosemary give the olives special aromas.

 Please visit Olive Oil Photo Gallery

A new foundation in Sitia is the Exhibition Museum of Local Products, which is operated by responsibility of the agriculture common-acts of Sitia. Its goal is to promote the local products and its aim to have an economical development in the region and to endure the local production. The main products which are worldwide known is the famous olive oil of Sitia, the local Cretan wine, the honey, the dry fruits and many other products of the country.

The magical journey of olive oil making.
In addition to this blessed land are the able and dedicated people of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Sitia. Cultivators and producers with a deep culture surrounding the olive, its experts and adorers, who take care to preserve all the prerequisites in order to produce the ideal olive oil as a Protected Designation of Origin, Sitia, Lassithi, Crete.

They achieve the perfect health of the olive groves by fighting its enemies and its diseases and especially olive fly, using decoy methods. The collection of the olives is done by beating the trees with staffs, taking care that the fruit is all in the right stage of maturity and the transport of the harvest is done using sacks made of vegetable fibres, holding up to 50 kilos.

In this way, the quality of the olives is assured with less than 5% damaged fruit incurred and the processing always takes place within 3 days at oil. Presses in the prefecture of Sitia, maintaining temperature of less than 30 degrees C through-out all stages of production.

However, the endeavour does not stop here. In order to finally achieve the objective, tire people of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Sitia continue the quality controls until finally an oil selected that is superb in every respect! SITIA 0,3. An olive oil at peak quality with an acidity of up to 0,3% and exceptional constitution, taste and aroma.

The most admired and much awarded olive oil...
This oil, which is distinguished by its golden-green colour, its intricate fresh aromas of unripe fruit and green herbs, the balance between sweet and bitter, the magical taste on the tongue and the amazing duration of its after-taste, has travelled all over the world and has charmed it. Both in 1998, in the competition organized by the Spanish National Council of Olive Oil as well as in the 5 SOL Exhibition in Italy, in 1999, this exceptional extra virgin olive oil, SITIA 0,3, was awarded the 1st prize, confirming and rewarding in this way the endeavours of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Sitia.

...daily verification for mind and body...
The greatest prize of all though is that SITIA 0.3 has been accepted from the consumers themselves who, honouring the superior taste and its beneficial properties for human health, have established it in their daily diet. In addition, another advantage of SITIA 0,3 is its many uses. It is an oil so delicious that it can be used "as is" in salads, with greens, fish and vegetables, in cooking and in frying because it withstands especially high temperatures. Finally, a secret in order to preserve all the nutritious and tasty characteristics is to add the oil to food 10 minutes before finishing cooking.