I am also going to this area at the end of June, staying in a town called Oliva. We are staying in the town in a restored traditional Spanish house and I have been learning Spanish for the last 2 years so hopefully will be able to practise!!

Don't know much about the area at all, hoping there are no British pubs/lager louts.........

Let me know if you find out anything

Helen

I too will be interested to hear anything about this area - we are going to Oliva in December.
Helen, please will you let us know in due course what its like ? It looks lovely, not lager lout country at all - I've found a fair bit about it on the Internet but don't know anyone who's actually been there, so would appreciate your views.
Thanks and regards
Sue

I will put a report on here in July to let you know what it is like.

Helen

Oliva is the most southern town on Costa Azahar, ie just north of Denia the most northern town on Costa Blanca. Alcossebre is approximately 2 hours north of Denia/Oliva. Valencia is mid-way between the two, so transfer times from Valencia airport to either Alcossebre or Oliva are approx 1 hour.

Oliva has a lovely traditional old centre as well as good beaches approx. 2 miles from the town. Alcossebre is less known but there are lots of english there because a Northamptonshire estate agent has been selling property there for many years. I have visited both Oliva and Alcossebre and would say that both have everything you need for an enjoyable holiday, although a car would be beneficial in both towns.

Thanks for the info, we took a chance when we booked the holiday as we knew nothing at all about the area, just hoped that it wasn't going to be like Benidorm. Looks like we have done the right thing from what you say and yes, we are picking up a hire car from Alicante airport to enable us to explore the area.

If you have any more info on Oliva I would be grateful.

Helen

I am more familiar with Denia which I visit regularly but know the general area surrounding Oliva well, in that I have driven to various towns in and around the area.
Viva Espana is on the outskirts of Oliva and is known for its good food and traditional entertainment, including flamenco - can't recommend it as I havent been. Valencia city is well worth a visit: the train takes you straight into the centre of the city. If you are considering doing this, take the train from Xeraco which is further up the N332 from Oliva. It is worth getting a map of Valencia region from a local garage, they are only a few euros and will enable you to explore with ease.
Gandia is the next big town, slightly further north and I've been told many times that it is good for shopping. The beach at Gandia is excellent, miles of white sand - deserted most of the year but busy in July and August as it is a fav. with spanish. You might just miss the worst crowds.

P.S. Oliva is nothing like Benidorm although there is a big community expats living there. Nevertheless, I am sure you will have every opportunity to practise your spanish.

any idea how long it would take to travel by train from Xeraco to Valencia and approximate cost/frequency of trains. Would it be worth making the journey for a day trip or not?

Helen

Approx 40 minutes on the train. The trains are always punctual, clean and very cheap. Return fare is about 5 euros (I think), certainly good value. Trains every hour and well worth a day out; it is a fairly compact city and you can achieve a lot in 3 or 4 hours. Get an "horario" from the info desk so that you can check out times for return, although there is a timetable on the wall in Xeraco station. Valencia station is a beautiful building, about 1920s with wonderful tiles and stained glass. From there you can walk to all the main sights, although you will need to get a bus to the City of Arts and Sciences.

I've been about 4 times now, once with children, and always have a good day there. It is not an easy place to park in, so I would be wary of travelling by car into the centre especially as the train journey is so easy.

I check this site daily, so I'll be happy to give you the benefit of my experience of the area.

Brilliant info, thanks. Having previously visited Barcelona for 3 days I didn't know whether we would be too rushed trying to fit Valencia into one day but it seems not. I wouldn't attempt to take the car into a city I didn't know so the train would definitely be the best option.

Thanks again, if you can think of any must-sees in the Oliva area I would be grateful for some tips. We are not really "lying on a beach" people but will have our 16 year old son with us and have to keep him happy too, although he is quite happy to come sightseeing with us.

Helen

I'll give it some thought before I respond: what is the maximum amount of time you want to spend travellling by car?

Probably no more than 1½ to 2 hours each way, any more than that and you end up spending half a day in the car.

Lots of water sports: Denia has around 5 diving schools plus there is kayaking and windsurfing (not sure what there is at Oliva beach) but Denia is not too far from Oliva by car. Quads - again in Denia. Montgo - 753 metres high mountain separating Javea and Denia. It is a conservation area and the natural park is worth a visit, even if you dont want to attempt the climb - probably too warm in June anyway. Further south, Font Algar I would highly recommend - waterfalls which you can stand under, exhilarating. Plus not too far from there is Guadalest. Plenty of info on the net on both these areas.

If I think of anything else, will post later.

Me again
... should have mentioned Moors & Christians. Battles re-enacted throughout the region at different times for different towns. There will be some battles taking place during June and July which (I'm told) are spectacular. Have yet to see one but will make every effort this summer!

As I have a holiday to Oliva booked (although not until the end of the year) I have been reading Laurie's advice with interest and wanted to add my thanks to Helen's.
Helen, I wondered if you had come across http://www.oliva.to ? There's some quite useful stuff on it. (And http://www.comunitat-valenciana.com and http://www.tourist-oliva.com ).
Laurie, have you been to the Oliva area in winter at all ? Any tips for when its a bit chillier ? Would we be talking winter coats or fleeces ?
Thanks and regards
Sue

Edited to fix links
David HT Mod

Yes, love it even more in the winter. The weather can be anything from warm to very cold. So just take lots of layers and a coat. Check that your accommodation will have heating as you will almost certainly need it at night. Having said that, I was there in February and missed all of the recent cold spell - one day it was about 25degrees. January 2004 was also very warm - short sleeves on the terrace at 10pm!

Thanks for that Laurie, I will certainly check before I hand over my deposit... I have booked my flights already, and have made a provisional booking with a British couple who run a guesthouse called the Casa San Vicente - don't suppose you know it at all...?
Sue

Sue:-

Yes, I have found those websites and already added them to my favourites. I also sent an e-mail to the Oliva Tourist Office who promptly sent me a big pack of leaflets, maps, etc.

Laurie:-

The Moors and Christians is unfortunately the week after our holiday - bad planning, never mind, we wanted to avoid the school hols and are going as soon as our son finishes his GCSEs.

Thanks for all the tips!

Helen

Sue
I dont know of Casa San Vicente as my knowledge of the area is more geared up to Denia.

Helen
I guessed you might miss the Oliva fiesta but do look out or ask about other towns nearby. There are several around the time you will be there, so you might strike lucky. The Costa Blanca News is a good resource: a weekly local rag issued on Fridays and also accessible on the 'net.