The olive tree loves the soil and the climate of the region. It is not by chance that the olive oil of Lygourio has earned the designation Protected Appellation of Origin (PAO). This is the premium-quality virgin olive oil PAO “Lygorio Asklepieion”, which is extracted by cold pressing.
About 80% of the 9,500 inhabitants of the Municipality of Epidavros are farmers. Most of them have olive groves, small or large. At the same
time they cultivate citrus fruits, orchards of other fruit trees and vegetable gardens. Some people supplement their income through involvement with tourism or with bee-keeping, cheese-making, stock-raising, and so on.
As far as olive cultivation is concerned, the dominant variety is the manaki olive, which gives fruity olive oil with a sweetish taste. This is followed by the nanaki cultivar, with its characteristic small fruit. From the greater part of the olive harvest oil is extracted in the 12 or more local presses, while the rest is consumed as table olives.
