Oliva. Valencia. Spain
Oliva is located on the East coast of Spain, in the area bordering the Costa Blanca and Costa del Azahar. It is midway between Valencia and Alicante airports, junction 61 on the main coastal motorway AP7/E15 in the picturesque village of La Font d'en Carros a village situated behind the larger towns of Oliva and Gandia
Oliva is a municipality in the Safor area in the Valencian Community, Spain. To its east lies 10 km of coastline and beaches fronting the Mediterranean Sea. Oliva and its surroundings offer a huge
variety of things to do and places to visit. The main magnets for foreign visitors are sun and golf but there is much more to this area which is rich in history and culture and on the doorstep of some of Spains biggest tourist attractions.
Boasting over 300 days of sunshine each year the mild winters, and pleasant summers, more bearable than further south, mean the 10 km of golden clean beaches can be enjoyed for most of the year. The beaches are easily accessible by a 20 minute walk through the vast orange groves, a 5 minute drive, or a bus from the town centre.
Oliva is steeped in history with its Moorish castle remains, a maze of narrow cobbled streets, one street built into the hillside dates back to the 16th century, as well as the two beautiful blue domed churches. The churches and castle are illuminated at night, making the skyline a sight not to be missed.
You may also be lucky enough to catch one of the many traditional fiestas as they pass through the streets. For example in July there is the Moors and Christians Festival, depicting the historic past of the area, with fantastic costumes and firework finale.
In the newer part of the town you will find a covered market, selling fresh meat, fruit and vegetables as well as super-markets, bakers and plenty of shops to meet all your needs. The main Paseo - or Passeig in Valencian - is host to a weekly market, here you can buy clothes, household goods and beautiful fresh food. The Paseo runs through centre of the town, and features a market each Friday.
An evening stroll along the Paseo is a must; you can sit at one of the al-fresco bars and watch the world go by as you enjoy a cooling drink. You will also find many of the restaurants in Oliva here, ranging from traditional Spanish to International cuisine.
Oliva has one of the provinces biggest and most colourful Moor and Christian Festivals in the province. Oliva celebrates its festival of Moors and Christians during July.
One of the most distinguished acts of the festive week is the ‘Day of the Entry’ which is celebrated on the Friday. The captains, ambassadors and standard-bearers, along with other festive protagonists, parade in sensational costumes, and provide an exceptional spectacle of colour and music. Later the disembarkation is represented with the landing of the Moorish Emissary whilst the Christians wait on the coast where the
battle is interpreted with fireworks. On Saturday evening a curious spectacle takes place, a living chess game is disputed between the two armies. The last of the representations is the "Reconquest of the Castle" on behalf of the Christians who fight to re-conquer the castle. The struggles finish on Sunday with the ‘Day of the Brotherhood’ and a great parade.
Fiestas of the Cristo de San Roque The fiestas of the Cristo de San Roque have been celebrated in Oliva since the 17th century. In these fiestas, celebrated on May 3, we can enjoy a great number of acts representative of our most ancient traditions. At the “pregón”, with all the revellers dressed in traditional style, the start of the fiesta is announced to the whole town. A Novena is celebrated in the chapel of the Cristo, considered a jewel of the baroque because of the symbolism and
beauty of the paintings covering its central vault. In the streets there are fiestas for everyone: theatre and children’s events, thrilling games of the Valencian ballgame “pelota”, colourful fancy-dress parades and, of course, the lively parties that fill our streets with revelry and fun. The fiesta ends with a solemn procession in honour of the Santísimo Cristo.
In the old town there are two churches, Sant Roc and Santa Maria la Mayor. Sant Roc dates from to the 18th-19th centuries and Santa Maria to the 17th-18th centuries.
At the top of the hill in the old town is Santa Ana Castle, built in the 16th century. Oliva formed part of the Muslim kingdom of Dénia and depended upon the Castle of Rebollet at the other end of the town after the reconquest, although Santa Ana was built around two hundred years earlier by the Moors. Little remains of Santa Ana Castle now besides a wall, cordoned off by metal fencing, although
the view from the top over the entire town is spectacular and rumour has it that the entrance to a cave, found in the castle grounds, leads to a number of houses in the old town. At night, it is spookily lit-up and takes on the appearance of a haunted house.
Oliva and its surroundings offer a huge variety of things to do and places to visit. The main magnets for foreign visitors are sun and golf but there is much more to this area which is rich in history and culture as well as being right on the doorstep of some of Spains biggest tourist attractions.
Explore the towns back streets and learn about its rich Roman and Moorish past through the museums, churches and monuments which proliferate in the old Christian and Arab quarters. In Calle Santisimo in the town centre you can see the remains of a Roman kiln from the first century AD. It was once part of a pottery which produced ceramics and building material.
The focal point of international tourism here is the Oliva Nova Golf and Country Club (easily spotted from the A7 motorway and national coastal road due to its giant golf ball which dominates the skyline!) The four star Oliva Nova hotel is flanked by the beach on one side and the
18-hole Seve Ballesteros designed golf course on the other. The club has an American-style 73 par course and its fairways are lined with holiday villas. There are full practice facilities and a pitch and putt training area. Other facilities include a golf school, tennis courts and a football pitch.
Oliva offers a typically Spanish nightlife with bars and restaurants staying open till late and colourful fiestas taking place practically every month of the year. For more international entertainment, the cosmopolitan town of Denia is only 15 minutes down the road and is packed with music bars, clubs and restaurants geared to the tastes of foreign holidaymakers.
The best known night spot in Oliva is undoubtedly Viva España, just outside the town on the national road to Valencia. The restaurant is open all week and at weekends you can enjoy a fun night out with dinner followed by a flamenco and international cabaret show.
This area is a virtual ghost town out of season but with the start of summer the restaurants and ice-cream parlours throw up the shutters, wooden beach bars spring up overnight and the whole place becomes a hive of activity.
How to get to Oliva
Oliva can easily be accessed via the N332 coastal road and also from the A-7 motorway.
By road: The connections by road is the Mediterranean motorway A-7, exit (salida) 61. The main road N-332 connects Oliva with Alicante and Valencia.
By rail: The train only gets to Gandia, the enasrest train station to Oliva, from here there are regular bus lines to Oliva during the whole day.
By air: The nearest airport is located in Manises (Valencia), approximately 80 km. from Oliva. Another alternative is the El Altet airport in Alicante, 120 km. away.
