Martos, Cradle of the Olive Grove

The olive tree is a living being that is associated with our culture and our historical evolution. Martos, is surrounded by an extensive singular and unique countryside landscape, in which the olive tree, a sacred tree for many civilizations, is the protagonist.

Its cultivation is one of the bases of the economy of our region, so we can say that it is the main source of wealth in our city.

The primary use of the land of Martos is agriculture, with 21,227 hectares being the surface of the municipal term

intended for the cultivation of olive groves, the vast majority of which are of the Picual or Marteña variety, since Martos has been positioned as the world's leading producer of olive oil.

The production of olive oil has marked not only the countryside landscape and the effort of the olive growers in their work, but also the daily life and cultural values of our people, being very present in our gastronomy, in the popular language, in our literature and even in architecture.

OLIVE FESTIVAL

Popular festival that is celebrated in the city on December 8 of each year on the occasion of the beginning of the olive harvest. This festival has been celebrated for more than 30 years and in 2018 it was declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Andalusia.

It offers a program of cultural activities that span several days and that pay tribute to the olive growers of the province, since our city is recognized as the first oil-producing town.

Among its activities we can highlight the distribution of the "Aceitunero Hole" food that has been associated since time immemorial with the collection of olives and that consists of bread, oil, olives and cod, as well as the demonstration of extraction of the first oil of the year through a manual spindle press

CENTENARY OLIVE TREES

Among the extensive olive grove of Martos are the centenary olive trees, true natural monuments that the passing of time has created. According to the available data, all of them obtained from oral tradition, the olive grove of the Llano de Motril constitutes a forest with natural sculptures of more than 500 years. Almost all the olive trees in this area are two and three feet tall, of the Picual variety and are in full production. The most striking of them is the size of the shafts and bases that adopt unique and unrepeatable shapes, some reaching ten meters in perimeter.

Don Antonio Escobedo y Moreno, Knight of the Order of Saint John, wrote the following extract in a general report in 1976: "... Wherever the olive tree is planted here, it grows, prospers and bears fruit more firmly than in the other Andalusian countries, and its duration is so considerable that, according to authentic documents, a few centuries pass before it ages.”

Location: 37.7366417, -4.032791666666666

THE BIG STAKE

La Estaca Grande measures more than eight meters in height, it is made up of three feet whose bases exceed four meters in perimeter. It is approximately 300 years old and is located in a place called Cañada del Abandonado. Still in full production today, it sheltered the family during the Civil War. Throughout this tragic period, its generous canopy housed family friends during the bombing raids and served as a roof, kitchen and sewing area.
Location: 37.7357806, -3.971061111111111

UNIQUE OLIVE TREES OF LA CANDONGA
They are three beautiful specimens that reach a crown diameter of 17 meters and are the living testimony of the curiosity of their former owner and that has been respected by his descendants: "What happens to the olive tree if it is not pruned?" For more than 70 years these olive trees have not been pruned.

Location: 37.7349417, -4.070494444444444

THE STAKE OF THE BUG
Olive tree located in the area of Llano de las Monjas. It is a three-legged tree that, due to its excessive weight, has come to break off, serving as support for some of its branches. Immensely large and majestic, it stands out against the carpet of olive groves in the countryside.

Location: 37.6550417, -3.888325

OUR OILS

  Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the variety that is grown in our fields. A juice obtained directly from olives from our olive groves, and elaborated following physical and mechanical procedures, in order to achieve a product with extraordinary characteristics and complete properties.

The Martos oil mill industry encompasses 8 cooperatives:

San Amador Andalusian Cooperative Society
The brands of oil it sells are: Peña de Martos, Tuccioliva Gran Selección and Vitae Essentia.

Address: Calle Príncipe Felipe, 20. Tuesdays. Jaen. Telephone: 953 55 00 57

Andalusian Cooperative Society Domingo Solís
Traded brands: Integrated in Grupo DCOOP.

Address: Avenida Oro Verde, 30. Martos. Jaen. Telephone: 953 55 15 51.

  Terra Ólea Oils S.L.
Address: Avenida Oro Verde, 26. Martos. Jaen. Telephone: 953 55 10 50

Brands that it sells: Vado oils, Oleoesencia oils, Almazara autumn oils.

Andalusian Cooperative Society Virgen de la Villa
Address: Avenida Europa, 4. Martos. Jaen. Telephone: 953 55 02 43

Traded brands: Oleomar, Oleomar Premium.

PYDASA
Address: Avenida Europa, 32. Martos. Jaen. Telephone: 953 702906.

Brands sold: Capachos, Pydasa.

Andalusian Cooperative Society Virgen del Carmen
Address: C/ Baena, 28. Monte Lope Álvarez. Tuesdays. Jaen. Telephone: 953 57 00 00

  Traded brands: Entity integrated in the DCOOP group

Sacred Heart of Jesus Andalusian Cooperative Society
Address: C/ Llano de la Dehesa, 10. Las Casillas de Martos. Tuesdays. Jaen. Telephone: 953 558036

Brands that it sells: Oro de la encomienda, Almazara verde (for organic production, the latter).

Agromachinery Virgen de la Soledad
Address: Carretera Santiago de Calatrava Km, 7-9 Martos-Jaén. Telephone: 953 129879 (667 762 546).

Brands sold: Cortijo El Madroño