The ‘liquid gold’ hidden in Spain

With 250 million olive trees across the country, Spain is the world’s leading producer of olive oil. In Andalusia, one can witness olive plantations as far as the eye can see, making it an ideal holiday destination to enjoy the country’s liquid gold aka olive oil. An ideal M!CE destination, it has varied experiences.

TT Bureau

A train journey away from Madrid is the beautiful city of Cordoba in Andalusia. An ideal M!CE destination, the city has varied experiences to offer, along with quality conference facilities and attractive event backdrops.

“Cordoba has a unique historical legacy, with an unbeatable geographical location and excellent rail connections. The wealth of heritage (with four World Heritage Sites declared by Unesco, cultural and gastronomic, the wide hotel offers, make Cordoba a clear reference, in addition with a claim of being a safe and accessible city, makes it a destination with great potential. From 2022, there will be a Centre for exhibition purpose, fairs, and conventions with a capacity of up to 1,700 helping Cordoba host events of any size,” said Isabel Albás Vives, 1st Tte. Mayor and Councillor for Tourism, Cordoba City Council.

Welcoming the first ever international summit travel management, Alberto Ortiz de Saracho, Managing Director, Andalusian Tourism, said, “The development of these large events in Andalusia and, more specifically, in Cordoba has a great effect on the territory. It offers the possibility of knowing the Cordoba offer on-site. This block refers to the phrase “an image is more valuable than a thousand words”. These actions allow hundreds of professionals in the sector to learn about the excellent Andalusian tourist offer, an especially relevant fact, both from a professional point of view and personal. Lastly, they show an image of Andalusia as a safe destination, where to enjoy your holidays or hold meetings or events, within a safe environment that complies with all the sanitary measures in order to reduce the negative effects that COVID-19 delivered as much as possible.”

Moving beyond the M!CE facilities, the region offers a perfect opportunity to explore the olive belt of the country. A short drive away from Cordoba, the region highlights its rural tourism offering with a chance to explore small towns and enjoy the culture along with some great wine and olive oil tasting.

A favourite is Priego de Cordoba, a town located in the south east of Andalucía, at the heart of the Sierra Subbetica region. At the foot of fertile plains and under the shelter of the mountains of the Nature Reserve of the Sierras Subbéticas, Priego’s exceptional setting was valued by Iberians and Romans, thus making it a city full of culture and history. Priego, is a series of secluded streets and corners crammed with noble houses, architectural monuments and sculptures, all within a complex, irregular urban layout. Two things stand out in the town are water, which is abundant, and baroque architecture, which is predominant in Priego.

A wonderful way of going deeper into the culture of the area is to taste some of the culinary preparations, in which olive oil is clearly the main feature. No trip to the region can be complete without a visit to the museum and distillery of Anisette. Brewing anisettes and liquors, this experience is different from anything that the region has to offer.

While Andalusia continues to unfold its different offerings, the destination promises to be ideal for your next M!CE trip.