Oliva (Alicante). Guide to Oliva on the Costa Blanca
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Places in Spain - Oliva (Alicante) on the Costa Blanca
Nearest Airport
Contacts
Entertainment
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Oliva is located on the Costa Blanca, on the eastern coast of Spain. It is part of the Alicante province and the region of Valenica. Oliva is easily accessed via the N332 Alicante-Valencia road or the AP7 toll road. It's only 15 minutes from Denia and well worth a visit.

   

Idealspain visited Oliva in January 2011 to see the San Antonio fiesta and explore the town. We were overwhelmed by the welcome we recieved and how clean and well presented the town was.

Oliva market

 

Our visit began at the very helpful tourist office which is located at the side of the market building (above) on Passeig Lluis Vives. Directions to the tourist office are all over the town. From here we head into the historic centre on the other side of town. The main road (Ctra del Convent) runs right through the centre of town and you should cross this to get into the historic centre.

 

What to see in Oliva

 

Santa Maria church
 
One of the first churches you will see is the Church of Santa Maria la Major. This church was built over a previous church and although the Capella del Roser and the bell tower were built in 1683, most of the church dates from the 18th century, (1706-1787). This is a fine example of Valencian neo-classical architecture.
 
Videos of Oliva
Oliva video
San Antonio Fiesta in Oliva
Video - part 1
San Antonio video
San Antonio Fiesta in Oliva
Video - part 2
Related pages

Geography of Spain

A-Z of places in Spain

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Explore the Costa Blanca

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Explore Gata de Gorgos

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Explore L'Alfas del Pi

Explore Murcia

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Oliva-Sant-Roc

Another fine church can be found in the heart of the town. The Church of Sant Roc was built on the site of a former Mosque. When the parish of Sant Roc was built in 1535, the Mosque was converted into a Christian church with a new style of architecture. Although lots of changes were made over the following centuries, structural problems meant that a new church had to be built in 1886. The bell tower was raised another 5 metres in 1958.

 

See video of the Church of Sant Roc here

Whilst in the area of Sant Roc, you can explore the very narrow and steep streets of the Muslim area. The only way to see Oliva is by foot. Many of the roads are inaccessible to vehicles. The Moorish part of town is called El Raval Morisc. The tourist office have provided several signposted walks, taking in the most important monuments.

 

Sant Roc church
Sant Roc church
The blue tiles of the Sant Roc Church

 

From much of the town of oliva you can see the Castle of Santa Anna that sits high on a hill.

Oliva is a modern town with lots of facilities but it has managed to retain its rich history. Tourism is one of the major industries here and many foreigners have made Oliva their permanent home.

 

 

The beaches of Oliva

The coastal part of Oliva, called Oliva Playa (3km from the town) offers beautiful beaches with many facilities. Much of the beach area has been preserved and has escaped mass tourism.

 

Pictured right is the Platja Aigua Blanca with its golden sand and lovely winter walks.

 

Oliva Playa

Museums in Oliva

Museo Casa Maians

C/Major 10

 

Museo Etnologic

C/Tamarit, 2-4

 

Museo Arqueologic

C/Les Moreres, 38


Shopping in Oliva

The main streets have a wide selection of shops and within the smaller, old town streets you will find a few individual shops, mainly selling local produce and crafts. There are several large supermarkets and an indoor market that sells fresh fruit, vegetables and fish.


Getting around Oliva

The N332 runs through the heart of Oliva, in effect splitting the town in two. Roads lead off from the N332 towards the sea and Oliva Playa. On the opposite side of the road, the roads are narrow and lead into the historical centre. These roads are best explored on foot as parking is almost non-existent. The nearer you get to the beach, the more on-road parking there seems to be. There are also areas where it is possible to park campervans and motorhomes. In the summer it can be very slow through the centre of Oliva. There are numerous sets of traffic lights on the N332 as you drive through the town.


What to do in Oliva

Karting Oliva - On the N332 Denia road. Tel 962 855 909


Fiestas in Oliva

 

San Antonio Fiesta
Just like every other town in the Valencian region, San Antonio is celebrated around the 17th January. San Antonio is the patron saint of animals and a special blessing is held in the town. Residents will take their pets to be blessed at the church. The festivities also include a Medieval market (Els Porrats) in the area of Carrer Sant Vicent in the Moorish quarter. The 'Porrats ' are fairs in which stall holders traditionally sell a variety of sweets.

 

San Antonio boilers

The San Antonio fiesta also includes lots of activities but one of the nicest is when the Arroz Caldoso (boiled rice) is served. A line of cauldrons called the Boilers of San Antonio are used to cook a delicious stew (caldera) that is given to all the residents free of charge. It's a tradition dating back centuries when food was given to the poor during cold winters.

 

See San Antonio videos here:

Part 1 - The market and feeding the town

Part 2 - The blessing of the animals

Other fiestas include:

Carnestoles (February) - with processions, games and parties

Les Falles (March) - when huge cardboard and wooden statues are burned. The 'ninots' are usually cariacatures of politicians and well known people.

La Semana Santa (Easter week) (April) - is celebrated in style in Oliva when all the residents gather on the hill of Santa Anna Castle and hold a mass. In the evening there is an Easter play followed by a procession.

Festes del Crist (May) - A fiesta dedicated to Crist de Sant Roc that has been held here since the 17th century. The streets are adorned with crosses made of flowers and there is a Christian and Moors re-enactment. The fiesta finishes with a solemn mass.

La Fira (June) - A carnival and fair week with lots going on.

Moros i Cristians (21-24 July 2011) - This is celebrated all over Spain and Oliva is proud to fold their annual fiesta. This fiesta lasts four days and finishes with a huge parade of Moors and Christians, battles and displays.

La Verge del Rebollet (1-8 September) - This is one of the most important fiestas for Oliva as she is the patron saint. There is a mass and a popular pilgrimage to the castle followed by a feast at the castle.

 

 

The idealspain opinion

Our visit to Oliva was the first of many and was very enjoyable. We were welcomed everywhere and had no problems at all. Access to the town was trouble-free and parking was easy to find. Walking around Oliva we noticed that the streets were immaculately clean. We tried several bars and in two of them we felt we had been charged 'tourist' prices which was a little disappointing. Coffee was more than 2 euros a cup when the going price should be 1.10 - 1.30. The fiesta was a bonus and thoroughly enjoyable. The locals made us welcome. Oliva is a wonderful place and we hope to spend more time there in the future.


 

General Emergencies in Oliva - 112

Red Cross Ambulances Oliva - 962 852 662

Guardia Civil Oliva - 962 850 205

Local police Oliva - 092

National Police Oliva - 091

Post office Oliva - 962 851 575

Registry of properties Oliva - 962 838 204

Town Hall Oliva - 962 850 250

Library Oliva - 962 963 740

House of Culture Oliva - 962 850 255

Tourist Office Oliva, Passeig Lluis Vives - 962 855 528

Tourist office Oliva, (Beach) - 962 850 391

   

 

 

 

Transport

RENFE Oliva - 902 240 202

Taxis Oliva - 606 666 047

Low cost car hire in this part of Spain - Instant quotes, online booking and guaranteed reservations. Access to all the top car hire companies in Spain

 

Entertainment

Archaeological Museum Oliva - 962 854 628

Cine ABC Gandia - 962 860 262

 

 

   
   
 

Camping in the Oliva area

   

Camping Azul,

Oliva Playa

46780, Oliva

Tel 962 854 106

www.campingazul.com

Tents, bungalows, campers, motorhomes, caravans

Open all year round

wi-fi

Discounts for 2 days or more

Camping in Oliva


Camping Rio-Mar

Playa Arenosa

46780, Oliva

Tel 962 854 097

www.campingriomar.com

Tents, bungalows, campers, motorhomes, caravans

Open all year round

wi-fi

Discounts for 3 days or more

Camping Rio-Mar

Camping Pepe

Oliva Playa

46780, Olivia

Tel 962 857 519

www.campingpepe.com

Tents, bungalows, campers, motorhomes, caravans

wi-fi

Discounts for 3 days or more

Camping Pepe

Euro Camping

46780, Oliva

Tel 962 854 098

www.eurocamping-es.com

GPS: 38° 54' 19.07"N - 0° 3' 59.40"W

Tents, bungalows, campers, motorhomes, caravans

wi-fi

Discounts for 3 days or more

Eurocamping

 

 

Kikopark

Villargordo del Carriel

46780, Oliva

Tel 962 850 905

www.kikopark.com

Tents, bungalows, campers, motorhomes, caravans

wi-fi

Discounts for 3 days or more

Camping Kikopark

 

Camping in the Oliva area

 

 

 
 
 
 
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