top of page
Olives of Wisdom - the BLOG
Search


Miranda do Douro's ancient winter festival earns Intangible Cultural Heritage status — and the best reason to spend New Year's in Trás-os-Montes
The Festa do Menino of Vila Chã de Braciosa, in Miranda do Douro, has been inscribed in Portugal's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage under Urgent Safeguarding. A pagan winter solstice ritual on January 1st — and a compelling reason to plan your New Year's in northern Portugal.

Azeite a Norte Blog
2 days ago3 min read


Olive Oil and Health: What Science Actually Says About Health and Longevity
What the research really shows about olive oil, heart health, and longevity — from the PREDIMED trial to Harvard cohort studies, without the hype

Azeite a Norte Blog
6 days ago3 min read


Wellness & Olive Oil: Autumn in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the Season of Return
Autumn in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: thermal springs, olive oil massage, boardwalks, and the harvest about to begin. A wellness guide for the season of return.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Sep 113 min read


An Autumn Itinerary for Couples in Portugal: The Slow Escape We Took Between Olive Groves, a Palacete and an Olive-Oil Massage
An autumn itinerary in Portugal told for two — a historic palacete in Alijó, an old olive mill turned restaurant in Torre de Moncorvo and an olive-oil massage at the Grapple.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Sep 96 min read


5 reasons to discover Trás-os-Montes in the autumn (before everyone else)
The olive groves changed color without warning — yellow edges, olives painted, the silvery-green of the leaves turning with the whims of a wind that is no longer the wind of August.

Azeite a Norte
Sep 76 min read


Groups of Friends in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: A Different Kind of Itinerary
An itinerary for groups of friends in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: craft-making in Bragança, sunset on the Azibo, and nature in the Douro Internacional. Unhurried.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Sep 42 min read


Olive Harvest 2026: A Guide to Taking Part in Northern Portugal
A complete guide to taking part in the olive harvest in Northern Portugal in 2026: calendar, itineraries, what to bring, and how to book.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Sep 29 min read


September in the Grove: The Northern Portugal Olive Harvest Is About to Turn
September arrives in the Trás-os-Montes plateau with a quiet gesture.
There is no thunderclap of announcement, no abrupt change in landscape — just a new quality of the light.

Azeite a Norte
Sep 16 min read


September Is Coming: Getting Ready for the Harvest in Trás-os-Montes
Before October arrives, the mills of Trás-os-Montes are already preparing for the new season. What happens behind the scenes of the olive harvest, in September.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 262 min read


Europe has revealed the secret of food tourism — and Trás-os-Montes has been doing it all along.
A report by the EU's "More Than Only Food & Drink" campaign confirms that food tourism creates lasting consumers. For DOP olive oil from Trás-os-Montes, this isn't a trend — it's a strategy. And it's already happening.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 243 min read


A 5-Day Itinerary for Couples — Comfort and Authenticity in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
A 5-day itinerary through Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro for couples 55+: spa hotels, historic estates, and olive-oil-driven cuisine — unhurried, with no strenuous walking.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 213 min read


Olive Oil Harvest in Portugal: What to Expect in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
When Portugal's olive oil harvest happens, what goes on in the groves, and how to take part in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. A practical guide for international visitors.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 193 min read


Gastronomy With Roots: Almond and Olive Oil from Douro Superior
Candied almonds, DOP olive oil, and an old mill turned restaurant: discover the pairing that defines the food of Douro Superior, in Torre de Moncorvo, Portugal.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 173 min read


Trails Through Olive Groves: 5 Summer Routes in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro
5 hiking trails through olive groves in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, picked for summer: shade, rivers, and views over the UNESCO Douro. Distances, difficulty, heat tips.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 144 min read


What's Included in an Olive Oil Tourism Experience? The Guide Nobody Gave You Yet
Tastings, harvest, walking trails through the groves, mill visits, even olive-oil massages: here's everything an olive oil tourism experience in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal can include.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 126 min read


Wildfires in Mirandela and Valpaços destroy olive groves and vineyards — leaving scars that take years to heal
Wildfires originating in Valpaços have destroyed olive groves and vineyards in Mirandela. Producers report major losses and production compromised for 2026. Azeite a Norte stands in solidarity with those who have lost what took a lifetime to build.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 102 min read


Treasures of the North: Vilas Boas, the hilltop viewpoint that sees 100 km of Trás-os-Montes
The staircase is climbed slowly, step by step, up to 760 meters. And when you reach the top of the Nossa Senhora da Assunção mountain, in Vilas Boas, the horizon opens up all at once: within a radius of one hundred kilometers, you can see the Montesinho Natural Park, Mirandela, the Bornes mountain range and, far away, already in Spain, Sanabria.

Azeite a Norte
Aug 83 min read


Slow travel in Miranda do Douro: the donkey, the olive oil and time that doesn't run
The sun had barely set above the hilltops when there was already movement in Atenor. Not the hurried movement of cities—but the movement of long ears perking up, curious, when someone approaches the fence. Miranda's donkeys wake up slowly, like almost everything else on the plateau.

Azeite a Norte
Aug 75 min read


Perseids and solar eclipse in Trás-os-Montes: the August 2026 astrotourism guide
It's the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026. And the northeast of Trás-os-Montes is the only place in mainland Portugal where you can experience it in its entirety.
On the nights that follow, the same territory returns the sky in another way: the Perseids, the most famous meteor shower of the year.

Azeite a Norte
Aug 55 min read


Traditional dryland olive groves: what the numbers hide — and why northern olive oil has never been fairly priced
A technical report published in Agroportal reveals that olive oil production costs in Portugal range from €2.5 to over €12 per litre. The traditional dryland groves of Trás-os-Montes are the most expensive to run — and the least supported. Here's what that means for producers, buyers and visitors.

Azeite a Norte Blog
Aug 33 min read
bottom of page
