Our family - Olive oil, the "Liquid gold" of the Cretan land - VAFIS OLIVE OIL, Sivas, Heraklion, Crete

our family, our history: One century, three generations, one love: our olive oil

The Phaestos olive groves, at the valley of Messara in Crete, Greece are a living myth: that is where our home is, a blessed ancient land where man never ceased to cultivate the olive tree and produce olive oil, the essential food of our people over the centuries.

Our family have been cultivating and producing olive oil for more than a century with an enduring enthusiasm and a deep-rooted sense of care and respect for the olive tree and its fruit. This century-long relation with the olive tree and olive oil has gifted us with knowledge and skills and a deep understanding that passed naturally from our grandfathers to the grandchildren.

The story of Vafis begins about 100 years ago when grandpa Antonis Nikitakis set up a small olive mill in Sivas village, in the bountiful valley of Messara in southern Crete, to accommodate the family and village necessary supply for olive oil.

This experience and skills were transferred from grandpa to father and then to the son, Antonis, who, in turn, together with his wife Yanna Svyrinakis make their precious products available to international consumers.

Messara valley, our home, the warm Cretan land, where we produce our olive oil

Messara valley, the largest basin land formation in Crete, is surrounded by such mountain ranges as the one of Psiloritis to the north and Asterousia to the south. Olive groves and vineyards cover every part of this beautiful plain, cultivated for more than 20 centuries.

Its mild, temperate climate, especially in the autumn and winter months during which the olive fruit is ripe, favors the production of especially high quality olive oil, one of the best in Greece.

“The olive oil of our family is unique and of high nutritional value, the result of a long involvement in the cultivation of the olive tree.