One of Andalucia’s celebrated “Pueblo Blancos” or “White Villages”, Olvera lies some 643m above sea level in the northeast of the province of Cadiz close to the borders of the provinces of Malaga and Seville. It is a town of tranquil beauty with a population of around 10,000.

The town is located on a prominent hill among olive groves in the Sierra de Cadiz and impresses travellers from all directions with their first distant views of its majestic, recently renovated Moorish castle and the equally dramatic neighbouring Iglesia de la Encarnacion church which harbours a fine museum. The town was awarded UNESCO world Heritage status as a historical and artistic centre in 1983.

Iglesia de la Encarnacion
Archeological research has shown that the site of Olvera was occupied at least ten thousand years before the advent of Phoenician and Roman occupations. Under the Romans the town was known as Hippa or Hippo Nova but the origins of its modern name are unclear. The demise of the Roman Empire saw the area overrun by Northern European Visigoths who were themselves expelled by Moorish armies in the ninth century. The construction of the town was first undertaken by the Moors who called it Wubira or Uriwala. The name Olvera is thought to be a fusion of previous names coined by the Spanish following the taking of the town by Alfonso XI in 1327, perhaps to describe a well, woodland, or olive grove. The town and much of the region then fell under the control of the Guzman family as a reward for their part in the defence of Tarifa during the Reconquest and then passed into the hands of the Dukes of Osuna.
Olvera, like the whole of Spain, became economically depressed as a result of the French occupation of the country in the early years of the 19th century, though fortunes were revived during the short-lived republican revolution of 1868. It gained notoriety along with many other pueblo blancos as a bandit refuge well beyond the arm of the law. After a further decline in fortunes at the end of the century Olvera found itself chosen as the key station on a rail link to be built between Almargen and Jerez de la Frontera. Never fully completed, the surviving 38 km trackbed comprising numerous viaducts and tunnels has in recent times been transformed into a linear park known now as the Via Verde de la Sierra. The varied and unspoiled landscape of mountains, lakes, river valleys and farmlands attract walkers, cyclists and horseriders.
In the depression following the Civil War, many left the town to seek greater opportunities on the coast but agricultural activity locally has been consolidated and the district is famous for the production of quality olive oils.
For today’s visitors to the town there is limited parking available at the foot of the castle, though a new car park is currently under construction further down the hill. Wide steps lead first to the Plaza de la Iglesia (Church Square), large and impressive with views overlooking the town and beyond. To the side of the church is the town’s traditional Andalucian cemetery. Just off the square there is a tourist office where tickets for access to the castle and a ground floor museum are available for only 2 Euros. The climb up the castle steps is strenuous but there are rewards of spectacular views at a number of points on the way up and a complete 360 degree panorama from the top. The terms “stunning” and “breathtaking” are much overused these days, but neither could be said to overstate the impact of these vistas.

Olvera from the South

A short distance down the hill from the castle on the town’s main street is the Plaza Andalucia, a square with an impressive cascading waterfall by the entrance to a landscaped crag where steps and paths wind through flowers, trees and aviaries to a statue of Jesus at the pinnacle known as the Monument to the Sacred Heart. There is more great scenery to appreciate from a small viewing platform. A large bar/restaurant in the square provides an excellent Spanish menu and there is a children’s playground at the opposite side of the plaza.