Oliva
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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's much more to this area
which is rich in history and culture and on the doorstep of some of
Spain's 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 & Christians Festival, depicting the historic
past of the area, with fantastic costumes & 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's much more to this area which is rich in history and culture
as well as being right on the doorstep of some of Spain's biggest
tourist attractions.
Explore the town's 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.
There is also the nearby urbanisation of "Tossal Gros", offically part
of the nearby village of Font de Carros. Tossal Gros overlooks the whole
area around Oliva, and has great views of the whole coastline from
Cullera in the north to Denia in the south. Although services can be
limited there is the Tossal Gros restaurant on the urbanisation.
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, 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.
