Chania Growers Replant Orchards with Premium Koroneiki Olives

Tuesday, 16 June 2026/Source: Haniotika Nea/1 min read

Olive growers in the Chania region of western Crete are converting their orchards to the Koroneiki variety, the small native olive prized for producing some of Greece's finest extra virgin oil. Farmers describe replacing older, less productive trees by cutting back the trunks and grafting Koroneiki shoots onto the existing root systems, a traditional technique used across the hillsides both west and east of Chania. The Koroneiki olive has long defined Cretan olive culture and accounts for the island's reputation for high-polyphenol, low-acidity oil. For visitors, this renewal of local groves is a good reminder that Chania's olive oil heritage remains active and evolving. Local markets, cooperatives, and estate shops throughout the Chania prefecture offer fresh-pressed Koroneiki oil, and several producers welcome visitors during the October to December harvest season.