Olvera combines a long architectural history with an extensive route along a former railway line. This offers different ways to plan a visit: explore the historic townscape, its religious and cultural landmarks, or spend time on the Vía Verde de la Sierra. Wooded hills and olive groves shape the surrounding area.
The castle and historic town layout
Castillo Árabe de Olvera was built in the late 12th century and formed part of the defensive system of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. Christian troops captured the castle in 1327; it then became a bastion of the Crown of Castile. Since 1985, Castillo has been designated a “Bien de Interés Cultural” in the category of military architecture. Olvera’s historic centre is also designated a “Conjunto Histórico”.
The Arab Almedina included Barrio de la Villa, Plaza de la Iglesia and Castillo. The lanes in Barrio are narrow and irregular, their course shaped by the terrain. Whitewashed façades and stairway entrances are also part of its characteristic townscape. Anyone interested in urban history will find not only individual buildings here, but also a historic layout whose street plan follows the terrain.
Churches and cultural sites
Iglesia Parroquial de Olvera was built over an earlier Gothic-Mudéjar parish church, whose apse has been preserved. The present church building was completed in 1843 in the Neoclassical style. The two construction phases can be distinguished at a single site: the preserved apse belongs to the earlier building, while the present church has a later architectural form.
Santuario Los Remedios is an 18th-century temple. It is home to the veneration of Virgen Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, Olvera’s patron saint. The Romería del Lunes de Quasimodo is celebrated around the sanctuary on the second Monday after Easter. If you would like to plan your trip around this occasion, check the date, which varies from year to year.
The restored cultural centre La Cilla includes an archaeological exhibition and houses the cultural centre “Olvera, La Frontera y Los Castillos”. La Cilla adds a cultural focus to the town’s architectural heritage. The two church sites and the cultural centre offer different ways to explore Olvera’s religious, archaeological and architectural history.
Olive oil and local traditions
Olivera is an annual fair held in Olvera, focusing on olive growing and extra virgin olive oil. The programme includes olive oil tastings and guided visits to cooperatives and olive mills. Specific dates and programme items may vary from one edition to the next. If you are planning your trip around the fair, check the dates and programme for the relevant edition beforehand.
The Vía Verde de la Sierra
The Vía Verde de la Sierra follows the former Jerez–Almargen railway line and connects Olvera with Puerto Serrano. The route is more than 36 kilometres long and starts at the former railway station in the municipality of Olvera, below the historic castle. It can be explored on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. Along the route are 30 tunnels and four viaducts.
The Vía Verde is quite different from the historic town’s small-scale layout: here, the length of the former railway line and its tunnels and viaducts set the scene. The different ways of travelling the route offer different ways to experience it; the information about its length and infrastructure describes the route, not a specific journey time. Olvera can thus be explored through both its architectural history and a distinctive route.
Discover more destinations: Puerto Real, La Barca De La Florida, Sanlúcar De Barrameda, Urbanización Novo Santi Petri, Barbate, Villaluenga Del Rosario, Paterna De Rivera, La Línea De La Concepción.
For the broader travel overview: Cadiz.
