Olive trees are living links to the past. You can find them stretching from Croatia’s coast all the way to Israel’s hills.
Farmers have tended these trees for thousands of years, and their gnarled trunks are symbols of resilience.
In this article, I’ve put together over twenty photos of olive trees from around the world. Each one reflects a different climate, culture, and way of life.
So, get ready to explore these beautiful trees, and who knows, maybe they’ll inspire your next travel itinerary!
Don’t miss: 20+ Pine Tree Aesthetic Pics: Wallpapers & Inspiration
1. Olive Tree: Valle dei Templi, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy
(Photo by Don Fontijn)
Did You Know?
In Agrigento, Sicily, ancient Greek settlers introduced terraced olive groves that survive today, some groves tracing their roots back to the 6th century BC.
Read next: Mountain Cabin Aesthetic: 30+ Amazing Ideas for Travel Inspiration
2. Croatian Coast, Sevid, Croatia
(Photo by Frank Albrecht)
Read also: 30+ Mediterranean Aesthetic Landscapes to Inspire Your Next Travel Adventure
3. Koropi, Greece
(Photo by Vasilis Caravitis)
Did You Know?
According to legend, when Athena and Poseidon vied for patronage of Athens, Athena’s gift of the olive tree won, hence the city’s name and its enduring olive wreath symbol.
4. Olive Tree Branch: Calenzano, Florence, Italy
(Photo by Lucio Patone)
Did You Know?
Tuscany’s sunny hills are home to olive trees planted by the Etruscans over 2,500 years ago. Many of these trees are still carefully pruned and farmed by the same families, passed down through generations.
Don’t miss: 27 Best Small Towns in Tuscany, Italy, that You Should Visit
5. Via Appia Antica, Rome, Italy
(Photo by Kevin Martin Jose)
6. Olive Trees at Sunset, Pula, Croatia
(Photo by David Boca)
7. Potted Olive Tree, Paros Island, Greece
(Photo by Apostolos Vamvouras)
8. Old Olive Tree, Bar, Montenegro
(Photo by Mujo Hasanovic)
9. Mallorca, Spain
(Photo by Vincent Eisfeld)
Must see: 30+ Spanish Countryside Aesthetic Landscapes: Inspiration & Travel Ideas
10. Crete, Greece
(Photo by Thomas Hahnen)
Did You Know?
On the Greek island of Crete stands the Vouves olive tree, estimated to be 2,000 to 4,000 years old, and still producing olives each autumn.
This video will be loaded from YouTube.com, a third party. If you click "Play", you accept their terms of service, and their use of cookies.
11. Cephalonia, Greece
(Photo by Alessandro Crespina)
12. Olive Tree Branch with Fruits, Poreč, Croatia
(Photo by Nazar Hrabovyi)
13. Olive Tree Branch with Fruits, Tulbagh, South Africa
(Photo by Ryan Cuerden)
Did You Know?
French Huguenots fleeing to South Africa in 1699 planted the country’s first olives in the Western Cape. Today, Cape-pressed oils are winning international awards.
14. Olive Tree in a Pot, Marseille, France
(Photo by Denis Vdovin)
Did You Know?
Marseille was founded as Massalia by Greek sailors in 600 BC, who brought olive cultivation with them. Today, Provence produces France’s most prized olive oils.
15. Olive Tree Under Blue Sky, Prossedi, Italy
(Photo by Bruce Kee)
16. Olive Tree Branch with Olives, Djerba, Tunisia
(Photo by Mohamed Fsili)
Did You Know?
Tunisia ranks among the world’s top five olive oil producers. A significant part of its cultivated land is covered by gnarled olive trees that yield a peppery, green oil.
17. Olive Tree in a Pot, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
(Photo by Tadeja Pavšič)
Did You Know?
Liguria’s steep coastal terraces are home to “uliveti terrazzati,” centuries-old groves protected by UNESCO. Stone walls there trap heat, helping olives ripen for the region’s famous buttery oil.
18. Gubbio, Perugia, Italy
(Photo by Olga Angelucci)
19. Olive Trees, Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Israel
(Photo by Stacey Franco)
Did You Know?
In Israel’s Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, you can find ancient groves whose venerable trees, some over nine centuries old, still bear fruit each fall.
20. Olive Trees, Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Israel
(Photo by Stacey Franco)
21. Olive Trees, Ain Mediouna, Morocco
(Photo by Imad Ghazal)
Did You Know?
Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains hide a wild subspecies of olive. Amazigh women have traditionally harvested it to make a fragrant oil used in cooking and cosmetic soaps.