2023年11月14日
Serra de Tramuntana, Majorca, Spain
Old olive grove in the Serra Tramuntana range, Majorca, Spain (© cinoby/Getty Images)
They've been growing olives on the Spanish island of Majorca in the western Mediterranean for more than 2,000 years. Early settlers, the Phoenicians and Greeks, introduced the first olive trees but the groves in the Serra de Tramuntana range expanded during Spain's Islamic era, between 709 and 1492. Olive oil became a crucial ingredient in culinary traditions on Majorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands. One ancient tree on the island, Can Det, is estimated to be more than 1,100 years old, and is still producing olives.
In 2011, the Serra de Tramuntana was established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, tourists from all over the world visit the archipelago to taste history and the 'liquid gold.'