🫒Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba is much more than a gourmet product: it is the purest expression of Andalusian agricultural tradition, a legacy of centuries of cultivation and a commitment to quality that has placed this region at the highest level in the world. At The Sun Places we invite you to discover why this oil is considered the best on the planet and how to experience a unique olive tourism experience.
When is the best time to enjoy Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba?
📅 Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba has its most special moment during the olive harvest season, which runs from the second half of October until the end of December or January.
It is then that the oil mills open their doors to show the process of making "liquid gold". The Olive Festival in Priego de Córdoba is held in December, with tastings, guided tours and activities for the whole family.
In spring and autumn, temperatures are ideal for exploring the thousand-year-old olive groves of the Subbeticas Mountains Geopark, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
📍Where is Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba produced?
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Priego de Córdoba covers more than 29,500 hectares and includes the municipalities of Almedinilla, Carcabuey, Fuente Tójar and Priego de Córdoba, located in the heart of the Subbeticas Mountains Natural Park.
This location, declared a Geopark by UNESCO, is located in the southeast of the province of Córdoba. Its olive groves, many of them centuries-old and even millennia-old, grow at more than 1,000 metres above sea level, on slopes with steep gradients that require traditional, manual cultivation.
The result is an extra virgin olive oil of exceptional quality. After your tour, you can return to the city of Córdoba and stroll through Flower Alley, the Jewish Quarter and the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs, or relax in the Arab Baths of Córdoba.
📜 History of Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba
The history of olive oil in the Sierra de Córdoba dates back to Roman times, but it was the Arabs who perfected cultivation and extraction techniques during their rule of Al-Andalus. However, the great modern boost came in 1995, when the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Priego de Córdoba was established.
The objective was to control quality and promote the oils produced in this region. In 1999, the PDO was registered with the European Union. Since then, Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba has won more than 3,300 international awards, becoming the most awarded designation of origin in the world. Today, more than 6,000 families work caring for these traditional olive groves.
The Cordoban olive-growing tradition is so important that it is part of the province's identity, just like the Equestrian Show of the Royal Stables of Córdoba or the Córdoba Guitar Festival.
🏛️ Who organises and certifies Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba?
The entity responsible for certifying and guaranteeing the quality of Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba is the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin Priego de Córdoba.
This body controls the entire process: from field cultivation to extraction, storage in stainless steel tanks and bottling in glass, ceramic or tin. Oils that pass these rigorous controls carry a back label that guarantees their origin and quality.
The oil mills protected under this PDO number more than fifteen, including Aceites Fuente Grande, Manuel Molina Muñoz e Hijos, S.C.A. Ntra. Sra. del Carmen, Almazaras de la Subbética, Aceites Barranco La Palma, Almazara de Muela and Sucesores de Morales Morales, among others. The Sun Places advises you on visiting the most exclusive oil mills and organising private tastings.
🍽️ Where to eat and taste Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba?
To taste Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba at its best, the city offers exceptional cuisine. The Michelin-starred restaurants in Córdoba are three:
Noor (three stars, by chef Paco Morales)
Choco (one star, by Kisko García)
ReComiendo (one star, by Periko Ortega)
For traditional tapas, the must-stop places are Bodegas Mezquita, Taberna La Montillana, Bar Santos, Casa Pepe de la Judería, Bodegas Campos and La Cazuela de la Espartería.
In Plaza de la Corredera, Taberna La Cuarta and La Despensa de la Corredera offer local products.
Don't forget to pair them with Wines from Montilla-Moriles (Montilla-Moriles Designation of Origin). The Sun Places manages reservations for you to combine the best oil with the best gastronomy.
🏅What Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba represents for Córdoba, Andalusia and The Sun Places
For Córdoba, Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba is an economic engine and a source of identity pride that connects agricultural tradition with excellence.
For Andalusia, it is a world ambassador for the quality of its products, an example of how the land can generate wealth and prestige.
For The Sun Places, it represents the opportunity to offer our guests an authentic rural luxury experience: stay in our apartments in the centre of Córdoba, explore the thousand-year-old olive groves of the Subbetica, taste award-winning EVOOs and pair them with wines from Moriles.
The route can be complemented with a visit to the patios of the Santa Marina Neighbourhood and the San Basilio Neighbourhood, buying handicrafts in the Jewish Quarter and an afternoon of relaxation at the Arab Baths of Córdoba.
🫒 Varieties, oil mills and brands of Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba
The olives protected under the Priego de Córdoba PDO are three main varieties: picuda (native and majority, 60%), hojiblanca (20%) and picual (20%). Each brings a unique sensory profile that has made this designation the most awarded in the world. Below, we detail the characteristics, health benefits and culinary uses of each variety.
🌿 Picuda variety: the native jewel of Priego
Picuda is the queen variety of the Priego de Córdoba PDO, a native variety that is barely grown outside this region. Its oil is characterised by a delicate and elegant sensory profile:
- Flavour and aroma: It is a ripe fruity oil of medium intensity, with sweet notes of apple, banana, almond and tomato. On the palate, the entry is sweet, with a moderate bitterness and a slight spiciness that is almost imperceptible.
- Acidity level: Like all EVOOs protected by the PDO, its acidity is below 0.8%, guaranteeing maximum quality.
- Health benefits: It is rich in polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) that help reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol and protect cells from oxidative damage. Its oleic acid content (monounsaturated fat) contributes to cardiovascular health.
- Culinary uses: Ideal for raw consumption: salads, toast, white fish, desserts and pastries. It is not recommended for prolonged frying, as its delicate profile is lost with excessive heat.
- Price and exclusivity: As it is grown in mountain olive groves with difficult terrain, its harvest is manual and its production limited, making it a premium variety with higher prices.
🌿 Hojiblanca variety: balance and versatility
Hojiblanca is another of the great protagonists of the PDO, appreciated for its balance between smoothness and freshness.
- Flavour and aroma: It has herbaceous notes, hints of nuts and a slightly spicy finish. It is a mild oil, with a contained bitterness and moderate spiciness that makes it very versatile.
- Acidity level: Below 0.8%, as required by EVOO regulations.
- Health benefits: Rich in oleic acid and polyphenols, it helps reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL ("good cholesterol"). It also has anti-inflammatory properties that benefit vascular health.
- Culinary uses: It is extremely versatile: perfect for dressing salads, making sauces and vinaigrettes, sautéing vegetables and even frying, thanks to its high smoke point.
- Price and availability: As it is a more widespread variety than picuda, its price is more accessible, although premium early harvest EVOOs can reach high prices.
🌿 Picual variety: the most stable and powerful
Picual is the most widely grown variety in Spain (more than 700,000 hectares, mainly in Jaén, Córdoba and Granada). It is known for its intense personality and high stability.
- Flavour and aroma: It stands out for its characteristic bitterness and spiciness, with intense herbaceous aromas (olive leaf, grass, fig tree, tomato). It is an oil "with character" that dominates the dish.
- Acidity level: Below 0.8% in its extra virgin version.
- Health benefits: It is the richest in polyphenols of the three varieties, which gives it greater antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity. Its high oleic acid content (it can exceed 80%) makes it excellent for reducing LDL cholesterol.
- Culinary uses: It is the king of high-temperature cooking: ideal for frying, battering, breading and long stews, as it maintains its properties even after several frying cycles. It is also perfect for preserving sausages, meats and cheeses, and for dressing intensely flavoured salads.
- Price: As it is the most widely produced variety and allows efficient mechanised harvesting, it is the most economical of the three, although there are premium early harvest editions.
🏆 Awards and outstanding oil mills of the Priego de Córdoba PDO
The Protected Designation of Origin Priego de Córdoba is the most awarded in the world, with more than 3,300 international accolades. The 2025/2026 campaign has once again demonstrated its excellence with the following winners:
- Gold Medal: D3Olivo Biotechnology, S.L. (Cladivm)
- Silver Medal: SCA Olivarera La Purísima (El Empiedro)
- Bronze Medal: Almazara de Muela, S.L. (Venta del Barón)
- Best EVOO of picuda variety: SCA Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Almedinilla (Olibrácana)
- Special mentions: Almazaras de la Subbética (Parqueoliva Serie Oro), Marín Serrano 'El Lagar' (Oleosubbética) and Manuel Molina Muñoz e Hijos (Fuente Ribera)
Other recognised oil mills include Aceites Fuente Grande, Marqués de Priego, Molino de Leoncio Gómez, Señorío de Vizcántar and Cladivm.
Almazara de Muela, founded more than 70 years ago, produces its oils using a unique artisanal process, without adding heat or water, using only renewable energy (15% of its facilities run on solar panels).
The Sun Places arranges private visits to these exclusive oil mills for you, with expert-led tastings and pairing with local products.
🏠 The perfect plan with The Sun Places for Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba
Friday:
- Arrival and accommodation in our luxury apartments in Córdoba
- In the afternoon, guided tour of Flower Alley and the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs
- Dinner at Choco (one Michelin star) to taste their own oil
- At night, a walk through the illuminated Plaza de la Corredera
Saturday:
- Olive tourism route through Priego de Córdoba
- Visit to Almazara de Muela or Fuente Ribera, with an explanation of the process and tasting of monovarietal EVOOs (picuda, hojiblanca, picual) and coupages
- Lunch at a restaurant in the Geopark with local products and pairing with wines from Moriles
- In the afternoon, a walk through the historic centre of Priego. Return to Córdoba and relaxation at the Arab Baths of Córdoba
- Dinner at Bodegas Campos with a tasting of oil and wines from Moriles
Sunday:
- Free morning to buy Handicrafts at the Jewish Quarter Souk and visit the patios of the Santa Marina Neighbourhood and San Basilio (in May or during the Patios Festival)
- Farewell with an EVOO tasting at Terra Olea or Taberna La Montillana
- Return with a bottle of the best oil in the world
📞 Contact The Sun Places and let us organise your experience with Olive Oil from the Sierra de Córdoba and DOP Priego de Córdoba. Liquid gold awaits you. ✨
But if you prefer other destinations, The Sun Places also has ready for you: Luxury Apartments in Barcelona, Luxury Accommodation on the Costa Brava, Luxury Apartments in Puerto Banús, Luxury Apartments in Seville and much more.