Oliva - Miles of sandy beaches and Championship golfing

Oliva has until recently remained undiscovered, known for its Spanish style, miles of untouched beaches and being the home of the Seve Ballesteros designed Oliva Nova Golf Complex.

Oliva town, situated eighty kilometres south of the city of Valencia at the heart of Spain's orange growing industry, is an excellent choice for a villa holiday in Spain. For years it has been a firm favourite of the Spanish and largely kept a secret from the hordes of British tourists descending on other nearby resorts.

This makes Oliva a unique holiday destination offering visitors a taste of Spain’s historical past with its narrow cobbled streets and Moorish castle remains as well as providing over 10km's of flat, unspoilt and uncrowded sandy beaches and great access to the multitude of nearby attractions, including the acclaimed Oliva Nova golf complex.

Oliva benefits from having a flat coastline, making its beaches ideal for children. There are long stretches of sandy beaches that don’t get too crowded and are well serviced with bars and restaurants.

The Town

Oliva town offers a great mix of old and new as well as the chance to escape the commercialism of other resorts and the chance to truly immerse yourself in the spanish culture and way of life. The tree-lined boulevard, in the more modern part of town, is home to the weekly Friday Oliva market, and the permanent covered central market offers daily fresh produce. The town offers a wealth of restaurants, shops and bars from which to choose.

Unspoilt and uncrowded golden sandy beaches

Oliva's long, sandy beaches are some of the finest on the east coast. They're quite unique in so far as they're in a beautiful, unspoilt natural setting, well served with water sports, bars and restaurants and yet never get over crowded. The longest beach is Pau Pi, to the south of the yacht club, which provides foot showers, children's play areas, shops, restaurants and ice cream parlours. A particularly picturesque beach is Aigua Blanca, bordered by the dunes and the Alfadali and Bullent rivers. All the main beaches have been adapted for handicapped access, with long slatted wood paths leading from the road (in some cases through the dunes) down towards the sea.

Food, Food and more Food

The chain of inland mountains is worth a visit for the panoramic views and excellent restaurants. In Oliva itself there are more than a hundred restaurants, bars and cafes dedicated to every type of gastronomy. Two places worth a mention are Restaurant Clotal located on Clotal Beach, a perfect spot, especially for families and large groups and the Institut Bar which offers great mixed dishes (platos combinados) and tapas.

Things to do

Oliva is a Mecca for a wide variety of sports. You can try your hand at all types of water sports from swimming, sail boarding, surfing, jet skiing to fishing. Play golf at one of the two nearby championship golf courses (one designed by Seve Ballesteros) or play tennis, try sailing, go-karting, cycling or horse riding, all within five to fifteen minutes drive of your villa accomodation.

Less than 1 hour away is one of Spain’s most popular theme parks Terra Mitica (ownd by Paramount film company) and similar to a mini Disney Theme Park. There are several places worth a visit including a safari park within 5 minutes drive and several Water Parks all conveniently accessed via the A7 motorway or the N332 coastal road.

Golfing - Oliva

Dominating the coastline of Oliva is the newly built Oliva Nova Golf and Country Club, set just a few metres back from the beach with its own 18-hole golf course, designed by Seve Ballesteros. The club has put Oliva on the golfing world map and golfers from the USA and all over Europe flock here to combine their favourite sport with a perfect sunshine holiday.

Nightlife in Oliva

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. For a cheaper night out, tour the tapas bars in the town for a taste of "the real Spain".

The Spanish sit down to eat much later than northern Europeans (often starting their evening meal at 9.30 or 10pm) and many bars stay open until the small hours, especially at fiesta time.