Oliva

Oliva is located 1 km from the N-332 between Benissa and Gata de Gorgos. Its port of Moraira is situated 6 km from the town centre. There is a stop here on the Alicante-Dénia railway. Located 75 km from Alicante and 31 km from Benidorm.

Oliva was a village populated by 52 old Christian families and dedicated to growing Muscatel grapes and raisins. The villagers built a beautiful late-Gothic church in honour of the patron saint, St Catalina.Prehistoric man, the Iberians and especially the Moors (Benimeit, Benimarco and Alcasar are rural sections of Oliva) all left remains in this coastal area. Oliva became a walled village that was located slightly away from the coast for fear of Berber pirate attacks. As the village was near the coast, it was also a fishing village. Today both agriculture and fishing have given way to the tourism industry.

Let us look at the original section of Oliva town, a picturesque village located approximately 6km inland. Wander in the shade of olive trees, where vineyards lie alongside plantations of oranges and almonds, and the heady aroma of pine sap emanates from the abundant pine trees typical of this idyllic region, and you could quickly lose yourself in the beauty of the surroundings.

Whenever you go walking around Oliva, you will always pass by the Riu-Raus. These are arched constructions where the locally picked raisins are laid out to dry. The dried fruit is used, amongst other things, to make the sweet local drink Moscatel. If you were to suddenly see a donkey and cart accompanied by a farmer with a straw hat pass by a Riu-Rau, you would feel sure that you had stepped back in time.

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.

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 archaeological museum, a 16th century former manorial home of historic and architectural interest in itself, houses exhibits from prehistory to the 16th century charting the region's domination by the Iberians, Romans and Moors.

At the junction of Calle La Abadia and Calle Las Torres you'll find the 16th century tower which formed part of the old defence wall which once surrounded the town. And dominating the town from the summit of the Santa Ana mountain is the old castle (an impressive sight when lit up at night).

Within easy reach of Oliva there are some wonderful day trips and excursions to enjoy. Valencia is only an hour's drive north with its excellent shops, restaurants, beautiful palm-fringed squares and stylish architecture. The Principe Felipe Arts and Science Centre has become one of Spain's most visited attractions since it opened in December 2001 - with its emphasis on inter-active exhibits, this makes a great day out for children and adults alike.

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