About Oliva Nova Golf and
Beach Resort
Oliva Nova Golf and Beach Resort
- an overview with a gloss.(www.olivanova.com)
 This resort is situated on the
Mediterranean’s most picturesque golf courses of
southern Spain, offering a golf course covering some
510,000 square meters 25 grass mats and 40 natural
tees make the driving range an ideal practice
area.
An additional 5-hole par three course is
the ideal training are for pitching, chipping, and putting.
The Oliva Nova Golf 18 hole PGA championship course,
designed by Severiano Ballesteros and is a well balanced
course with a great deal of variety.
Offering a challenge to every player and
the opportunity to develop your golfing skills it is
set between the white sandy beach and the impressive
mountains. National golf tournaments take place here every
year.
As well as the golf you can soak up the
relaxing atmosphere in the exclusive and spacious pool and
wellness complex of the 4/5 star hotel fully equipped
with a sauna, steam bath, Jacuzzi, whirlpool, a climatised
in door swimming pool and an all round health and
beauty service complying with the highest medical
standards.
If you are still feeling energetic You
can have a game of tennis on one of the many courts, use
the outdoor pool or have a browse round the local
commercial centre including supermarket, pharmacy, bank,
medical centre, cafes and bars bakers and take away.
For the non-golfers there is always
the miles of award winning blue flag beaches. Where from
July to September you can cool off at one of the
chiringuitos (beach bars) and join in the cheerful,
hospitable Spanish locals with their Spanish
philosophy.
The wider local
area
Denia is a 15 minute drive away. At the
heart of the town is the castle situated on a slight hill,
by the sea. Nearby is the archeology museum displaying
Denia´s past, the art centre and toy museum are all worth a
visit. On every street and square as you stroll around this
interesting town you will find that traditional, special
Spanish charm.
The Marques de Campo is the town’s main
paseo here you will find both traditional and trendy bars,
restaurants and shops. There are 20 kms of beaches all you
have to decide is if you want to laze away the days in a
tranquil cove or join in the many activities the choice is
yours.
Sports lovers will find everything they
need sailing, canoeing, jet ski, diving, swimming or
fishing there is something for everyone. You could even
take a ferry to Ibiza either for a day’s cruise or a night
dancing!
But it isn’t just sea and beaches you can walk and bike
around the Montgo natural park ideal for bird watching and
is rich in flowers and fauna.
Fiestas provide entertainment for all
ages. You can experience fire, colours and passion the
whole year round. From the Moors and Christian mock battles
to the burning of the fallas in March.
5 minutes away is Oliva town where you
have the bustle of a thriving town but you can leave this
century and travel back in time by walking around the
winding medieval streets with their beautiful churches and
Moorish castle.
The locals seem unaffected by time - so
why not join them and have a quiet beer in one of the many
plazas, and just watch the world drift by.
The tree-lined boulevard, in the more
modern part of town, is home to the weekly Friday market, a
busy and thriving centre which offers you the chance to buy
anything from fresh local produce to fashions - and of
course the price is a lot cheaper than you would find in
the high street. There is the permanent covered
central market which offers daily fresh produce.
Oliva is home to many bars and
restaurants which offer food and drink ranging from home
cooking through to Chinese restaurants, at exceptional
value. Try a menu del dia which typically includes three
courses, Wine or beer and bread, all for the princley sum
of €8.
The area is know as the orange blossom coast with the
vast fertile citrus groves of oranges and lemons.
If you drive 15 minutes inland you will
find the Orba valley and the Jalon Valley where you can
explore the winding streets with the typically Spanish
white washed houses. You could sample the locally produced
wines including the famous Moscatel at the local bodegas.
This is without doubt the real Spain.
The Costa Blanca is a very popular
region with visitors but this northern end is a lot less
intense. Miles of award winning soft white sandy beaches
shelving gently into the Mediterranean this makes a good
choice for children.
Benidorm is an excellent choice for
wonderful sandy beaches and vibrant night life. There is an
Aquapark nearby Terra Mitica and for a night out visit
Benidorm Palace.
A 10 minute drive away is El Vergal
safari park a good day out for any age, Trains run between
Valencia and Gandia, or a one hour drive will take you to
Valencia the region’s capital. This stunning city is a must
to visit, whether it be museums or the oceanographic or
just shop till you drop (into the nearest tapas bar!!) Well
you have to experience the Spanish way of life!!
The history of Oliva Nova -
Rumour and facts are in the mix
 Up until the early 1980's Oliva
Nova really did not exist other than for some camp
sites and rural buildings within the orange
groves. Rumour has it that this undeveloped area
was Spain's answer to the Euro-Disney bid but who
know?
Oliva Nova literally means 'the new
Oliva' being the old Spanish town just 5 minute's away
up the N332. It is said that when Spain lost the
bid for Euro-Disney the Land prices collapsed
which was then snapped up by a certain German Builder
just getting established within the area and did he
spot an opportunity.
The Council then reclassified the
land into urban area zones & the start was a lonely
hotel built seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
This hotel subsequently received a Design Award which
received great attention & customers at the
time. Development continued with a mix of mainly
villas with a few apartments which are all
relatively low level compared to other areas along the
coast which is a very refreshing approach given the
previous unsightly urban sprawls along the coast that
seems to concentrate on high level apartment
blocks.
The area definitely has a superior
quality feel about it given the great architectural
detailing by the German Developers and Designers that
achieves a nice balance between maintaining the local
Spanish character and context of the area and the
modern standards expected by successful
Europeans.
The first villas over the
initial 10 to 15 years where mainly sold and
promoted to Germans who appreciated the added quality
of the developments especially as many had a lot of
Deutschmarks in cash to get rid of before they were
forced to take up the Euro. The last 10 years has
seen a good mix of owners from the British &
successful people from Madrid seeking a cooler 'home in
the country' for the hot summer months away from the
City. However, the early German influence is
still around given the choice of TV channels beamed
over from the Golf Club to the local area and the car
registration numbers parked at large around the
resort.
Although Oliva Nova Golf (mainly
built by CHG) is the central core of the area it does
have adjacent housing areas (called urbanisations) that
are included within the Oliva Nova title. These
are an older urbanisation called San Fernando which is
predominantly Spanish owned and only really occupied
during the Summer months of July and August. Another
area is called Rabdells which does not quite have the
same quality feel as the properties surrounding the
central golf course.
Oliva Nova is still being developed
but more slowly now due to the current downturn in the
property market which will likely be this way until
2015. This is no bad thing as a slower paced
development often produces a more thoughtful approach
rather than the haste of late 1990's. It is
my estimation that the area is at about 65% complete
with the remaining land parcels being completed over
the next 10 to 15 years.
Just recently the central commercial
area was doubled in size which is desperately needed as
just one bar and food shop is not enough (other than
the hotel & golf club bar). Regretfully however,
the German Builders sold all the new commercial units
to speculating landlords rather than to business owners
direct who are now unable to rent their premises or
have no desire to do so until the economy picks
up. The commercial area is still mainly un-let
& will likely be this way for another 5
years.
Fortunately, just down the road at
Ondara is a newly built and very large shopping center
called Las marinas that has just about every type of
shop you could want together with 10 pin bowling
& a cinema.
Any area is always under a state of
flux and non more so than the Golf club which is having
to adapt to reduced income streams. This has lead
to some great deals for playing on the Oliva Nova
Golf Course but the original Share holders who
purchased an 18,000.00 euro stake in the club have seen
their shares become virtually worthless which has upset
a lot of original home owners in the area.
On balance, Oliva Nova is a really
great area only really let down by the lack of people
outside of the official summer holiday months but this
aspect is fairly typical for most Spanish coastal
regions. Vibrancy is certainly lacking at times
but you don't have to go far to realise that the wider
area is a great mix of busy local Spanish towns with a
large area dedicated to commercial zones along the N322
that are mainly occupied by active businesses.
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