Use the information below as a reference guide highlighting many of the olive producers in the Alpilles. Time constraints may limit your stops, but consider picking a village or targeting a few olive mills. We hope you enjoy some of Provence’s most beautiful olive groves. Additionally, we have included some general information on olive production and the process for making olive oil. For the cooks, there are some recipes at the bottom of this guide.
The Alpilles
Eyguières
Aureille
Mouriès
Maussane
Les Baux de Provence
Fontvieille Village
Saint-Etienne-du-Grès
St Remy de Provence
Orgon
Olives grow throughout the Mediterranean basin, where the climate is suitable. The olive tree is fairly drought-resistant; many live for centuries, but productivity diminishes as the tree ages. Olea europaea and the grapevine were planted here by the Phocæans about 2,600 years ago when they founded Marseille. There are olive groves throughout Provence, as the olive tree has been a part of the landscape in the South of France for at least two millennia.
Today, olive plantations exist throughout the South of France. Since 1997, in the Alpilles, an Appellation d’origine protégée (AOP), a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) governs the olive production in the Vallée des Baux. The AOP covers all the villages in the Alpilles and the olive oil production from an estimated 580,000 trees. So, if you see an AOP label on a bottle, you know that the oil contains only olives from the region. There are several olive mills in the Alpilles, with production representing 15% of the national total.
“The origin of the olive tree is lost in time, coinciding and mingling with the expansion of the Mediterranean civilizations which for centuries governed the destiny of mankind and left their imprint on Western culture.” ~ International Olive Council
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The annual growing cycle for olives requires patience. In late spring, tiny white buds finally appear on the trees. These flowers are small and hard to distinguish from afar. Slowly, the flowers turn into little, pinkie-nail-sized green buds. The fruit forms in the summer and ripens between September and November, turning from green to black. In more southern climates, the olives ripen on the trees and fall to the ground onto tarps or are shaken loose during the harvest. However, Provence is considered a more northerly production area. Annual tree pruning keeps the trees smaller, which makes for easier handpicking of the (mostly) green olives.
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Olives for eating: At the time of harvest, olives are bitter, hard, and inedible. There are several ways to process olives for eating. The traditional process involves a water washing process to eliminate the bitter carbohydrate, followed by fermentation with natural flora. Preparing olives for consumption can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months. The process involves soaking the olives in a combination of water, salt and vinegar. Additional flavourings and spices can be added as well, by soaking in marinades.
Producing Oil: There is a variety of grades of olive oil. Extra virgin, considered the best, comes from the first pressing. Genuine extra-virgin oil is the highest quality, produced without solvents and at a temperature of less than 30 °C. To extract the oil, the olives are rinsed and then pressed at a low temperature to release the heart-healthy oil. The extracted oil is then siphoned into metal containers for storage. The oil needs a resting period of several months for the sediment to settle before it is suitable for use.
Interesting read: Extra Virginity, The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, by Tom Mueller
Here are just a few of the descriptors you might find on an olive oil label:
When buying oil, the highest quality is extra-virgin, produced within the last 12 months, stored correctly, and ideally with an AOP label. Unfortunately, most oils that you find in a supermarket are none of those things.
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The Alpilles are a small mountain range running east to west for 25 kilometres, starting at the edge of the Durance River and the town of Orgon, to the far end near Fontvieille. Although the Alpilles do not boast significant altitude, the maximum height is 498 metres. They are dramatic. However, the rugged limestone peaks make these hills appear much higher than the numbers suggest. Try hiking in the area, and you will be thankful there isn’t any more vertical to climb.
Established in 2007, the Parc Naturel Régional des Alpilles covers the mountain range and its flanks. As a protected natural area, there are restrictions on construction and park usage. However, artifacts from human settlements discovered in these hills date back to the Neolithic era, and the range is the result of millennia of continuous geological evolution.
Guide to the Villages of the Alpilles
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Before you set out on your discovery drive, here are a few facts about the olives and oil from AOP vallée des Baux-de-Provence. The AOP is one of the oldest that covers olive products in Provence. It covers two types of oil: fruité vert, made with greener fruit and has a peppery taste, and olives maturées from riper olives with a smoother flavour. In addition, the AOP covers the black Grossane, a typical variety of this area. Finally, the olives vertes cassées, which are Salonenque or Aglandau varieties, are handpicked in September when green and broken (the pit remains) before being brined with wild fennel from the Alpilles.
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With a population of almost 7,000, Eyguières is one of the larger towns in the Alpilles. This town is not a typical tourist destination on the southeastern corner of the mountain range. However, for commuters looking for easy access to the autoroute and larger centres, Eyguières offers many benefits. The village has easy access to hiking trails, including the highest summit in the Alpilles, the Tour des Opies at 498 metres. Outside the centre, there are vineyards, goat farmers and much more.
Le Domaine Jòlibois (website)
Route d’Aureille,
13430 Eyguières
It was a coup de foudre. A young couple, Anne-Sophie and Clément, fell in love with a large property outside of Eyguières in 2022 and purchased the land with 240 hectares of abandoned olive trees. Their goal is to produce organic olive oil certified under the AOP vallée des Baux-de-Provence banner. Engaging the expertise of Jean-Michel, an experienced cultivation manager from a family of wine and olive producers, Domaine Jòlibois is producing top-quality olive oil. They also have several activities, including a guided visit to the olive groves, a harvesting demonstration, and a workshop on making olive oil.
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Residents will tell you that the best thing about Aureille is the lack of tourist traffic. The town has just over 1,500 inhabitants, who enjoy a quiet village complete with a charming main street and beautiful views of the Alpilles. Aureille is on the south side of the Alpilles with little protection from the mistral wind when it blows down the Rhône Valley. Climbers and hikers come to Aureille for the many trails and challenging cliffs. The town might be small, but it boasts a soccer pitch, two tennis courts, and a playground for local kids.
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Maricera en Provence (website)
837 Campagne Mis
13930 Aureille
Telephone: +33 (0)6 43 39 32 54
Monday through Friday 9h – 12h/ 15h – 18h
Saturday 9h -12h
Owning an olive farm is a dream come true for this couple. In 2015, after years of continuing family tradition and farming other products, including hay and summer fruits, the couple finally planted olive trees on a 20-hectare plot.
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Surrounded by some 80,000+ olive trees, the village of Mouriès is often considered the heart of the olive-growing Les Baux de Provence AOP. Two working olive mills are near the town. Olive oil from four varieties, Salonenque, Aglandau, Grossane, and Verdale des Baux, is AOP labelled. Above the village, towards the base of the Alpilles, lies an old Celto-Ligurian oppidum on the Caisses de Jean-Jean.
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The commune of Mouriès produces the most olive oil in France. Mouriès has a cooperative olive mill where local growers (450+) take their olives for pressing. Individuals can do the same, but private labels require a specific volume. The mill has operated for over 100 years.
Amouriès (website)
Domaine Delabarre
Coussou Est
13890 Mouriès
Telephone +33 06 33 53 36 62
Producer: After his studies, Lucas Delabarre followed his passion by working the land in the Alpilles and growing olives. There is no mill currently, but he sells online and at a few local markets. Lucas Delabarre’s farm presently has nearly 1,000 trees, and he works hard to protect the quality and create different types of oil. Just last year, he planted over 500 young olive trees to develop new kinds of oil while providing the traditional table oils one may expect. If interested in keeping up with his progress, Delabarre writes a blog detailing his journey and progress, providing pictures and a new insight into the life of an olive farmer.
Moulin Cooperative de Mouriès (website)
1 Chemin du Mas Neuf,
13890 MourièsTelephone +33 (0)4 90 47 53 86
Monday through Saturday 9h-12h/14h-18h
Sunday and holidays 9h30-12h30
Historic property: Originally founded in 1624, the farm operated independently, from picking the olives to processing them into products for 300 years. In 1920, they began to collaborate with nearby farms as a cooperative to produce more olive oil annually. This increased revenue allowed them to continuously innovate over the past century, purchasing new tools to help them expand their cooperative and become the mill it is today.
The producer-to-consumer process is imperative at this cooperative, where they value providing customers with the highest quality of olives and oil. A combination of handpicked and some machine-picked olives arrives at the mill. The fruit is carefully inspected and stripped of branches and leaves before cleaning. Then, the olives are pressed into oil and stored in stainless steel tanks. Over three months, regular oil testing occurs, ensuring that customers purchase the best quality products.
Their website has plenty of details if you want to learn more about the process. The Moulin Cooperative de Mouriès also offers guided tours of the historic and modern mill, concluding with an olive oil tasting.
Moulin St Michel
30 Cours Paul Revoil,
13890 Mouriès
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 92 05 22
A family-owned olive farm, established in 1744, has remained in the same family for three generations. Using techniques established in 1744, the distinguished farm has received 76 awards since 1975 for its notable olive oil and other high-quality products.
Guided tours are available every Tuesday and Thursday at 10h30
Open Monday through Saturday 9h-12h/ 14h-18h
Annual Closure December 25 through January 1
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Le Domaine des Plaines Marguerite (website)
Marguerite Plains Road
13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles
Telephone +33 (04) 26 85 37 17
Hours of Operation Monday-Saturday 10h-12h/ 2h-6h30
Founded in 2005, this mill is relatively new. It aims to master the entire olive oil production process, from cultivation to bottling. This mill loves to share the beautiful process of creating these olive oils and welcomes guests by appointment to come and experience it for themselves. While not as historic as some other mills on this driving tour, the property is still beautiful and worth seeing; of course, the olive oils won’t disappoint.
Le Mas de la Tapi
15 Cours Paul Revoil
13890 Mouriès
Telephone +33 06 80 36 09 36
A family-owned olive tree farm passed down through five (5) generations that became AOP Certified oil in 1997 and tended to over 91,000 olive trees on site. The family focuses on helping the consumer get the most out of the olive and bring out as much of its flavour as possible.
Product tasting and sales are available onsite on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9h-12h30
Sunday 9h30-12h30
Friday and Tuesday 9h-12h/ 15h30-19h
Closed on Mondays
Visit These Alpilles Villages
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The charming village of Maussane-les-Alpilles sits at the foot of the Alpilles Mountains, near the famous château of Les Baux-de-Provence. The area is rich with olive groves. Maussane has a lovely central plaza surrounded by restaurants and cafés. This village is considered one of the three in the “golden triangle” (Maussane, St Remy de Provence and Eygalières), attracting many second homeowners.
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Le Moulin Cournille
Rue Charloun Rieu
13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 54 32 37
Initially founded in 1685, this historic mill is now part of a cooperative that was started in 1924. The cooperative is dedicated to providing high-quality olive oil and continues to innovate its mill. For a video tour of the incredible property and mill, visit here.
Mas de Cayol
Place Louis Jou
13520 Les Baux de Provence
Telephone +33 (0)6 03 98 17 10
Established in 1912, this olive farm covers 50 hectares of market garden land and olive groves. You are lucky if you have always dreamed of sleeping in an olive grove. There is a gîte on the property that sleeps four people.
Domaine de L’Oben, Producteur & confiseur (website)
Mas Saint Roman
13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles
Telephone +33 (0)4 90 47 54 83
This mill has grown and produced various olive products onsite for several generations of the Gonfond family. In 2024, Laura and Benjamin Grandjean began their transition as the new owners of the Domaine, while maintaining the Gonfond family values and savoir-faire of the estate. At Domaine de L’Oben, there are 10,000 olive trees and five (5) different olive varieties. The onsite boutique is open Monday to Saturday from 9h to 18h. There is also an online e-store.
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Moulin Castelas (website)
Mas de l’Olivier13520 Les Baux de Provence, France
Telephone +33 (0)4 90 54 50 86
Some of Provence’s best olive products come from Moulin Castelas, located below the famous fortress of Les Baux de Provence. The mill was founded by a couple in 2002, just five years after purchasing the property, after they fell in love with the process of farming olives. The famous olive oil at this location has won many awards nationally in France and internationally. With English-speaking staff, the product tasting experience is in a fun and friendly environment where you can show up without a reservation for a tour of the mill and tasting provided by the mill. Stroll through the orchard at your own pace and learn about the trees and natural vegetation. There is a pictorial map and verbal descriptions via QR code.
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On the far western edge of the Alpilles is the village of Fontvieille. Driving through the town, two main streets run in opposite directions. Fontvieille is lively, with many restaurants, bars, bakeries and plenty of history. The Roman amphitheatre (arena), ramparts and theatre in Arles include limestone from Fontvieille. Engineered to supply water to Arles, the remains of the Barbegal aqueduct are worth seeing. The nearby Abbey of Montmajour, constructed between the 10th and 13th centuries, also includes rock quarried in Fontvieille. The village of Fontvieille was officially named a couple of years after the end of the French Revolution (1799), although humans had inhabited the area long beforehand. Archaeological discoveries in the Alpilles established human habitation between 5000 and 2800 BC.
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Château d’Estoublon
Route De Maussane
13990 Fontvieille
Telephone +33 (0)4 90 54 87 34
For some Provencal history, visit Château d’Estoublon. Initially built in 1489, this winery and olive oil producer is a must-see. The Château d’Estoublon boutique features local artisans for culinary treats, gift items, clothes, and, of course, wine and olive oil. This olive tour wouldn’t be without olives; there are five different kinds here. Visitors can walk through the fields to see the beauty of the olive tree farm. Check the website for details on wine and olive tours at the Château.
Moulin St Jean
Route de Saint Jean
13990 Fontvieille
Telephone +33 (0)4 90 54 72 64
This limited-quantity but high-quality olive oil is worth every penny and is a must-try. Handpicked olives are the limiting factor in Moulin St Jean’s annual oil production. This property is a beautiful location with a rich history. The tradition continues with the daughters, who continue producing quality oil. Book a guided tour, cooking class, or reception visit here.
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Domaine Château Dalmeran
45 Avenue Notre-Dame-Du-Château
13103 Saint-Etienne-du-Grès
Telephone: +33 (0)4 90 49 04 04
The tasting room closes on Sundays and Mondays. It is open all year, but the hours change with the seasons. Please check the website before visiting. You are welcome to walk through the vines. Or reserve a ride on the domain’s electric cart for a maximum of six people.
Neil and Béatrice Joyce own two vineyards, one in this property and the other in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The domain produces wine from 11 hectares of vines and 700 olive trees.
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Moulin à huile d’olive du Calanquet (website)
3206, Old chemin d’Arles13210 Saint-Rémy de Provence
Telephone +33 (0)4 32 60 09 50
April through September Monday-Saturday 9h-12h/ 2h-7h
October through March Monday-Saturday 10h-12h/ 3h-6h
After forty years of limited olive oil production in the area, the Brun family rejuvenated this farm. They took over the estate in 1997 and planted olive trees. Their inaugural harvest and the first olive oil were in 2001. Since then, they have grown a reputation for their high-quality oils and diverse olive varieties. Their website provides a wide variety of details on their production and products. However, if interested, they go into depth about their step-by-step process, from olive growing to making olive oil here.
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Domaine de Valdition
Chemin de Valdition Route D’Eygalières13660 Orgon
Telephone +33 (0)4 90 73 08 12
April through September Monday-Saturday 9h30-12h30/ 2h-7h
October through March Monday-Saturday 9h30-12h30/ 2h-6h
This vineyard and olive orchard is the perfect place to visit to get the best of both worlds. With affordable, high-quality wines and some tasty olive oils, this vineyard/mill is the ideal stop for this tour. They offer a private tasting by appointment only. The group learns about the wines and wine pairings for lunch. This olive tour wouldn’t be without olive products, and this farm does not disappoint. Only the handpicked, high-quality olives go into their oils.
Guide: Provence Wine Regions and Vineyards
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For additional information on the olives and olive oil production in the Alpilles, take a look at this website:
Syndicat AOP Huiles et Olives de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence
Collège des Saveurs
Vallon de la Fontaine
13520 Les Baux-de-Provence
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