|
OLIVIA-COSTA
BLANCA
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.
|