5-Hour Olive Oil, Belchite

A five-hour tour combining a midday olive oil tasting with a visit to the old town of Belchite. Rated 5 across 35 reviews, from $106.92 per person.

Overview

Rutica 41 Spain splits this five-hour trip into two halves: olive country first, then the ruined village that gives the tour its name. A guide collects you at your accommodation in Zaragoza and drives out into the countryside around Belchite. There you meet one of the producers at a family-run orchard, walk among hundred-year-old olive trees, see how the oil is made at the mill, and taste the virgin oil pressed from the local Empeltre olive.

The second stop is old Belchite itself, a village destroyed in the Spanish Civil War and now kept as a memorial site. You walk through the ghost town with a guide who tells the story of the fighting and the destruction. The place has appeared in films, among them Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth.

Lunch at a traditional Spanish restaurant breaks up the day, though the meal is paid for separately. Back in Zaragoza, the guide sends you off with local recommendations for the rest of your stay. The trip suits travellers who want a half-day out of the city pairing olive oil with civil war history, and it runs in English, German and Spanish.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Pickup in ZaragozaThe guide collects you at your accommodation in Zaragoza to start the day.
2. Drive to the countrysideThe tour heads out of the city toward the countryside around Belchite.
3. Olive orchard and millA producer at a family-run orchard shows you the hundred-year-old trees and the workings of the mill. The stop finishes with a tasting of virgin olive oil from the local Empeltre olive.
4. Walk through old BelchiteYou explore the historic village, now a memorial to the Spanish Civil War, and hear its story from your guide.
5. Lunch at a restaurantThe itinerary includes lunch at a traditional Spanish restaurant. This stop is at your own expense, since the cost of lunch is not included.
6. Drive back to ZaragozaAfter lunch the guide drives you back toward the city.
7. Drop-off and recommendationsThe tour ends in Zaragoza, with the guide sending you off with local recommendations for the rest of your stay.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points are worth sorting out before the day, from paperwork to how the Belchite walk sits emotionally.

• ID and footwear. The listing asks travellers to bring a passport or ID card and to wear comfortable shoes. Both the orchard and the old village are seen on foot, so the shoes earn their place in your plans.
• Pace of the day. Expect to be on your feet in the orchard grounds and again among the ruins of the old village. The drives between Zaragoza, the orchard and Belchite are handled by the guide, so the walking comes in two blocks rather than one long stretch.
• Lunch is extra. Lunch at a traditional Spanish restaurant is part of the itinerary but not of the price. The listing also recommends a 15-20% tip for the guide, so plan for both costs.
• Tasting is included. The virgin olive oil tasting at the mill is covered by the tour. You try oil made from the Empeltre olive, the local variety.
• A heavy subject. Old Belchite is preserved as a memorial to the Spanish Civil War, and the guided walk deals with the destruction of the town. Several travellers mentioned learning the town's Civil War history in detail on the walk.
• Language and timing. The tour is offered in English, German and Spanish. It is billed as a midday outing, so plan for it to occupy the middle of your day.

Common issues. The main costs beyond the ticket are lunch at the restaurant and the recommended 15-20% guide tip. One reviewer reported very hot conditions and said the guide handed out umbrellas and unlimited water. The Belchite section is a war memorial rather than a conventional sightseeing stop. Beyond that, no recurring complaints appear in the reviews, though the amount of walking means this is not a sit-on-the-bus trip.

Common Questions