HITOS
At Casas de Hitos, we’re dedicated to producing the world’s finest extra virgin olive oil. The key to achieving this is to take the olives to the mill immediately after harvesting, so that the fruit retains all its natural properties. Our extra virgin olive oil is obtained from the first cold press of the olives, at an ideal temperature of approximately 18°C, within 12 hours of harvesting.
Therefore, our oil truly epitomizes the term “cold-pressed” or “first cold press”, unlike the loose usage of these terms in the industry.
Casas de Hitos is located in Extremadura, where the climate is predominantly Mediterranean, except in the north, where it’s continental, and in the west, where the Atlantic influence softens the climate.
In general, Extremadura is characterized by very hot and dry summers with long droughts, and long and mild winters with oceanic influence due to its proximity to the Atlantic coast of Portugal.
Finca Casas de Hitos is situated in an exceptional natural environment in the Guadiana River watershed, surrounded by places such as the Monfragüe National Park, the Orellana reservoir, Sierra de Pela, the greenway of the Vegas del Guadiana and Villuercas.
At Finca Casas de Hitos, we have 2,100 hectares of olive and almond groves, both intensive and super-intensive, with approximately 75% of the land dedicated to olive groves and 25% to almond trees.
We’re committed to organic production, with about 20% of the surface area already certified as organic and aiming for 100% in the next 2 years. We grow the following olive varieties: picual, arbequina, arbosana, sikitita, oleana, and cornezuelo. We apply the principles of precision agriculture: we carry out exhaustive monitoring of our olive trees, using the latest technology to obtain accurate information such as temperature and soil humidity, allowing us to efficiently manage the crops and optimise resources.
This methodology has multiple benefits, both from the point of view of agricultural practices and the environment.
Through weather stations equipped with humidity probes and temperature sensors, we can apply appropriate treatments according to the specific needs of the soil, perform better pest and disease control, adapt irrigation to the real needs of the crop, etc.
In this way, and through modern fertigation systems, we increase the benefits of agricultural activity for the environment and optimise the use of resources such as water and fertilisers.
It’s also worth mentioning that at Casas de Hitos, we’ve been planting directly on the soil for more than 25 years, carrying out conservation work without tilling the soil.