Oliva is a town of about 21,000 people situated in the Valencia region of Spain just north of the Costa Blanca on the beautiful Costa Azahar. (the orange blossom coast). This is in the heart of the orange growing area and the town is surrounded by acres of orange groves which perfume the air with the delicate smell of orange blossom in the springtime.

The old town is a labyrinth of narrow streets lined with whitewashed Spanish townhouses. A walk around the town will bring you to gardens, fountains and monuments as well as some fabulous architecture and the beautiful blue domed churches of St. Roc and Sta. Ana.

The beach is a 20 minute walk away, but the Olibus will take you there quickly. This service runs from the Paseo every half-hour during the summer months. Oliva’s fine sandy beach is over 10 km long and is backed by natural dunes. This beautiful, unspoilt beach is a great place to spend the day with safe bathing and numerous Spanish restaurants and bars for a fine and inexpensive lunch.

At one end of the beach is the Club Nautica which offers moorings to ships and boats as well as sailing courses. There are numerous sporting activities to enjoy in Oliva including windsurfing, horse riding, fishing, cycling and go-karting and the town has an indoor and outdoor swimming pools which are open until 10pm. if you fancy a change from the beach.

In the centre of the town is the Paseo, a wide, tree lined avenue which hosts the weekly Friday market where you can buy clothes and gifts as well as a vast array of locally produced fruit and vegetables. The Paseo has a children’s park and is surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants. The Paseo is the place to go to relax and cool off in the heat of the day. There is a fantastic funfair held here in the month of June each year.