Oliva Beaches

Perhaps we should be keeping this secret to ourselves! The vast majority of foreign tourists tend to flock to the neighbouring resorts of Denia, Javea and Moraira (and the beaches of the latter two are extremely crowded in high season).

Oliva is still very much a Spanish resort and this fact, coupled with the sheer length of the local beaches - more than 10 kilometres in all - give this stretch of coastline a completely different feel from the popular Costa Blanca which starts at Oliva's southern boundary.

The beaches are flanked by sand dunes which reach to a maximum height of seven metres and width of 40 metres. Small tracks intersect the dunes which provide hundreds of perfect picnic hideaways (for young lovers or those simply sheltering from the sea breeze which is often quite strong here!).

The dunes have created a special eco system which provides a natural habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal life. You'll often come across the most beautiful wild flowers growing (impossibly it seems) in the dry sand of the dunes.

Some of the beaches are bordered by charming, traditional Mediterranean summer houses which tend to be closed up all year until the Spanish flock here for their August break. Another charming characteristic of Oliva's beaches is that they're separated at intervals by rivers which provide ideal, natural play areas for children. The fresh water and sea water here are a delight for swimmers and fishermen alike.

The longest beach is Pau Pi, to the south of the yacht club, which provides all the usual tourist facilities - 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.