Oliva: Our Costa Blanca paradise for six weeks

Our Europe 2024 trip came together around a six-week house- and puppy-sit in Oliva, a seaside town about an hour south of Valencia. We were housed in a brand-new three-floor condo with a roof-top pool and almost 360-degree mountain and ocean views. We accessed warm Mediterranean waters edged by a clean soft-sand beach just half a block down the road. A cute 10-month-old poodle puppy (Wally) who loved to play with his toys, go for walks, and cuddle kept us company.

Coming from two busy weeks in Barcelona and Valencia, and having all of this at our disposal, we hope we can be forgiven for happily hanging out in Oliva instead of running about exploring the region. We bought groceries, cooked, walked and played with the pup, swam, watched the kite surfers having fun on windy days, and enjoyed many striking sunrises. And that’s about it for the first three weeks.

Family time

When our family arrived (with the permission of the homeowners, of course), it seemed like we had even fewer responsibilities since they took care of most of the shopping and cooking (the benefits of raising a son who loves to take over the kitchen and produces wonderful results).

We celebrated our anniversary with a road trip into the mountains and a lovely mid-day meal at a restaurant there (La Venta del Collao). The views were stunning and the nearby burros added a bit of fun.

Day trip to Alicante

We had wanted to take a road trip to Alicante, about an hour away, but hadn’t managed to do it yet. Enter our son, once again. He checked out where we should go and drove us all there and back. We spent a few hours exploring the castle (Castillo de Santa Bárbara), which looms over the city from atop steep cliffs.

After busing back down the hill, we wandered the streets below and found a little bar where we ate lunch. It offered tasty food and a fun local experience as passers-by greeted neighbouring diners, nearby residents hollered greetings from their windows, and a seemingly ad hoc parade filled the streets with drums for just a few minutes. As we headed back toward the car park we happened upon what I now know is called Calle de Las Setas (Street of Mushrooms). The mushrooms were added to the street, formally called Calle San Francisco, as part of a marketing effort to draw attention to local businesses. The yellow brick road has all but worn off (or been replaced with new cobblestones) after 11 years, but the mushrooms continue to stand tall and draw smiles.

A walk in Oliva’s old town

Once our grandson’s parents headed home to the Netherlands, the remaining three finally took the time to explore Oliva’s old town, or at least some of the older streets and buildings. You can’t easily find an “old town” (nor el centro) on the map, but navigate to one of the two historic catholic churches (Parròquia Sant Roc and Santa Maria d’Oliva) and you’ll find charming streets to wander.

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TripBits

• Bus from Valencia to Oliva: There weren’t too many choices for transportation into Oliva. We booked the Alsa bus from Valencia (booked mid-June for travel at the end of August). €9 per person.