Belver Oil Press

Just over half a kilometre from the town centre stands the Trujal de Belver, the best-preserved complete animal-powered olive press in Navarre and a listed Asset of Cultural Interest since 2006. The building, dating from around 1862, brings together several key elements of the traditional oil-making process: olive storage areas, a settling basin, cobbled flooring and, above all, the great pressing beam, around 17 metres long, with a screw system that multiplied the applied force without modern machinery. This technology of levers and winches, still striking today for its simplicity and efficiency, shows how La Ribera made use of olive growing in a dry climate and alluvial soils.

The architecture combines masonry and brick, with a spacious interior designed for seasonal work by crews. The guided visit, free with prior booking, explains the olive’s journey in detail, from unloading and milling to the resting of the oil. Next to the oil press stands the historic Casa de Belver, from the early 19th century and now restored as rural accommodation, helping visitors understand the domestic and agricultural scale of the ensemble.

The appeal of the oil press is not only technical or ethnographic. For today’s traveller, the full experience lies in understanding the link between landscape and product: the olive tree adapted to the north wind and dry summers, the winter harvest and the aroma of new oil. In season, the route combines very naturally with nearby wineries and the vegetable gardens of La Ribera, creating a coherent gastronomic day around vegetables, olive oil and Navarra DO wines with an authentic heritage background. Access is via Camino de las Huertas, on the Ebro alluvial plain.