Olive Grove

A beautiful olive grove lies next to the English bridge, beneath Agios Spyridonas.

The cultivation of olive trees is the main agricultural activity in Kythera. In autumn, the island changes mood and is buzzing with a different kind of activity, since almost all the locals are engaged in olive harvesting.

The English were the first to systematize the olive cultivation on the island, by subsidizing the planting of olive trees. Olive trees of the Koroneiki variety are grown to produce olive oil while table olives are produced from the local “matsa” cultivar (cracked or salt-cured) as well as “karidolia” or the popular the kalamata varieties.

Olive dreg is still used today for the production of handmade soap.