Les Garrigues is one of the counties of Catalonia, in the province of Lleida, with an area of 799.7 km² that includes 24 municipalities. Due to its surface area, it is one of the largest counties in the Principality, but due to its population, it is a rather depopulated region with 19,090 inhabitants in 2016. It is one of the most important centre of olive cultivation (most of it without the necessity of irrigation) in all Catalonia.
In the area of les Garrigues, due to both a lack of irrigation and the conditions of its terrain, there has been the need of specializing in growing crops typical in dry regions: cereals, vines, almond trees and, above all, olive trees, the most traditional and characteristic one.
The growing process of olive trees, their harvest and the almost handmade process of producing olive oil are a tourist attraction by themselves. Visiting any mill and its country cooperatives in the producer villages involves a remarkable experience. Moreover, it goes without saying, you can buy some litres of this valuable liquid, and stroll around these villages, witnesses of former splendour, which still preserve an old-fashioned, serene and peaceful way of life as well as great dignity and lordly features.
Find your next adventure in Les Garrigues
