Olive oil route offers new tourist experience in Buenos Aires province

A unique tourist experience centered on olive oil production is developing in Argentina's Buenos Aires province, offering visitors a taste of healthy food, natural cosmetics, and rural tourism.

The region, situated southwest of Buenos Aires between the sierras and the sea, is home to numerous olive groves. Coronel Dorrego is recognized as the provincial capital of the olive tree. This area benefits from a climate and soil composition similar to the European Mediterranean, enabling the production of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) that rival those from other parts of the country and are increasingly popular in local and international markets, according to data from the National University of the South (UNS).

Over the past 30 years, families have consolidated this olive-growing hub, cultivating over 2,500 hectares across about forty ventures. Coronel Dorrego alone exports 80% of its organic olive oil. Other notable districts include Bahía Blanca with twelve production establishments, as well as Tornquist, Villarino, and Puán, with more areas showing expansion.

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Planting a 50-centimeter plant and waiting four or five years for the fruit to come out is a long process; at first, it causes some uncertainty and anxiety that is gradually overcome with learning and accumulated experience.

Guillermo Rossotti, a producer with three fields between Tres Arroyos and Coronel Dorrego, described the long process of cultivating olives. "Planting a 50-centimeter plant and waiting four or five years for the fruit to come out is a long process," he said. His family's business, started in 2013, has seen its oils win awards in European and Asian competitions. Rossotti attributes this quality to the proximity of the sea, which creates warm days and cool nights during fruit maturation, resulting in high oleic acid content, significant polyphenols, and minimal acidity.

Rossotti and his wife María Saavedra have created tasting spaces at their fields, offering coffee and product displays. They also conduct guided tours showcasing the production process and plan to expand their tourism offerings. Similarly, in Coronel Dorrego, María Ana Ecke and Diego Hollender established Estilo Oliva over 30 years ago, initially in agriculture and livestock before acquiring a conventional olive grove in 2016.

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to the proximity of the sea, with its warm days and cool nights during the fruit's maturation. This results in high oleic acid content, with a high concentration of polyphenols and minimal acidity.