Olive groves and olive oil mills for sale in Greece

80% of Greece's olive oil is extra virgin, a very high percentage. Greece is the third largest producer internationally after Spain and Italy and produces more than 300,000 tonnes. More than 170 million olive trees currently cover approximately 23% of the cultivated land in Greece, representing 79% of the country's fruit orchards. Approximately 65% of Greek olive oil comes from the Peloponnese, while the rest is produced mainly in Crete, in the Aegean region, the Ionian Islands. 81% of the cultivated olive trees produce olives for oil production, while the remaining 19% produce table olives. 

The Koroneiki variety, widely recognised as the queen of olive trees, is grown in the Pylos-Navarino area of Messinia, Peloponnese. Its name, Koroneiki, comes from Koroni, a picturesque coastal town located in the southeastern part of Messinia, close to the city of Kalamata in the Peloponnese. Approximately 60% of the olives grown in Greece are of the Koroneiki variety.

There are 10 main varieties of olive oil. By far the most important, especially in Crete and the Peloponnese, is Koroneiki, then Mastoidis and Adramiti. Other varieties are: Manaki (eastern Peloponnese) and Athinolia (south-eastern Peloponnese and Lakonia), Tsounati (Crete), Kolovi (Lesvos), Megaron (Athens), Chalkidiki (southern Macedonia), Kalamon (known as Kalamata).

*(Note: Kalamata PDO-certified olive oil comes from the Kalamata area, but is made from Koroneiki olives).

As regards the location of olive plantations, these are located in 50 of the country's 54 municipalities, but almost 85% of production is concentrated in three main regions: Peloponnese (42%), Crete (31%), the Ionian Islands (12%) and Lesvos. The main olive growing areas in these places are Messinia and Ilia (Peloponnese), Iraklion and Chania (Crete) and Corfu (Ionian Islands). There are 18 POD olive oil regions and 11 PGI olive oil regions.

The most important olive oil producing areas in Greece are:

Peloponnese

In Mani (southern Peloponnese), they produce oils often with spicy notes. In Messinia (western Peloponnese), they are pressed together with other local varieties, mainly Manaki and Athinolia. In Kranidi and Lygourio (eastern Peloponnese), they are often combined with Manaki olives. PDO/PGI:

Πέτρινα Λακωνίας PDO petrina laconias.

Φοινικι Λακωνιασ PDO Finiki Laconias

Κροκεές Λακωνίας PDO Krokees Laconias

Λακωνία PGI Laconia

Κρανίδι Αργολίδας PDO Kranidi Argólidas

Ολυμπία PGI Olimpia

Καλαμάτα PDO Calamata

Εξαιρετικό παρθένο ελαιόλαδο ‘Τροιζηνία’ PDO Exeretiko partheno eleolado ‘Trizinia’.

Crete

Crete leads the international island market. The island has 11 PDO regions and one PGI. Koroneiki predominates here, as on the mainland, but there are some local varieties such as Tsounati in Chania, Throumbalia in Rethymnon and Hondrolia in Heraklion. PDO/PGI:

Αποκορώνας Χανίων Κρήτης PDO Apokoronas Chanion Kritis.

Αρχάνες Ηρακλείου Κρήτης PDO Arxanes Irakliou Kritis

Βιάνννος Ηρακλείου Κρήτης PDO Viannos Irakliou Kritis

Βόρειος Μυλοπόταμος Ρεθύμνης Κρήτης PDO Vorios Mylopotamos Rethymnis Kritis

Εξαιρετικό παρθένο ελαιόλαδο Θραψανό PDO Exeretiko partheno eleolado Thrapsano

Εξαιρετικό παρθένο ελαιόλαδο Σέλινο Κρήτης PDO Exeretiko Partheno Eleolado Selino Kritis

Κολυμβάρι Χανίων Κρήτης PDO Kolymvari Chanion Kritis

Χανιά Κρήτης PGI Chania Kritis

Πεζά Ηρακλείου Κρήτης PDO Peza Irakliou Kritis

Σητεία Λασιθίου Κρήτης PDO Sitía Lasithiou Kritis

Μεσσαρά PDO Mesara

Ionian Islands

The best known varieties on these islands are Amigdalolia and Mastoidis. The Lianolia variety is grown on the island of Corfu in the western part of Greece, but also in Epirus and the rest of the Ionian Islands. PGI:

Κεφαλονιά PGI Kefalonia.

Ζάκυνθος PGI Zakynthos

Πρέβεζα PGI Préveza

Άγιος Ματθαίος Κέρκυρας PGI Agios Matheos Kerkyras

Lesbos

Lesbos oils, based mainly on the Kolovi and Adramitiani olive varieties, both planted after the disastrous frost of 1850. PGI:

Λέσβος; Mυτιλήνη PGI Lesbos (Mitilini).   

Other islands and PDO/PGI:

Αγουρέλαιο Χαλκιδικής PDO Agoureleo Chalkidikis.

Θάσος PGI Tasos

Λυγουριό Ασκληπιείου PDO Lygourio Asklipiou (Rhodes)

Ρόδος PGI Rhodos

Σάμος PGI Samos