A year after our trip (which was in July 2023) my sons and husband and I still talk about the private tour we got from Mr. Dimitris Chelmis, the restorer and owner of this tiny gem - the Cyclades Olive Oil Museum of Andros. His tour was fascinating — active and engaging, with audience participation and excellent demonstrations and explanations of the various processes of olive oil production. We learned so much in just an hour here about the history of olive growing and olive oil production as an integral part of the island’s cultural life, and in a memorable, hands-on way. Mr. Chelmis has contributed in an important way to the preservation and teaching of a process that was, to countless past residents of the island, a way of life. He has honored their work with his research and restoration and presentation of this to those who want to glimpse this past. He is an incredibly knowledgeable and charming host, and he was so kindly accommodating when we (regrettably) had a little less time to spend there than his tour usually takes.
If you really want to get to understand the agrarian history of the Cyclades over the last century, and experience how traditional hand-pressed olive oil was made, visit this fantastic museum! Truly a highlight of our trip to the Greek islands.
