Safety in Oliva.

Hi John

You will receive many differing views & responses as this depend upon people's personal experiences. We were shocked to hear of the assault & I know there have been some break-ins, damage to cars & dodgy characters attempting to gain access to homes. There have also been incidences of pick-pocket thefts in the shops & supermarkets in town.

My hubby & I lived in the old town for a year March 2019-2020 on a street with a mixture of locals (of all ages) & expats. We rarely saw fellow expats, but the locals very much lived their lives outside on the street with children playing, men strumming guitars & singing, noisy hi-fi music, old women chatting, dogs barking, cocks crowing & chickens strutting. It was noisy, well beyond midnight in the summer.

However, we didn't experience any trouble at all. Unlike the town we left in the UK, I never felt threatened or at risk, comfortable to walk our dogs on my own in the evening dark & return on foot from a friends across town. Most people, including the youngsters & teenagers, were friendly & usually spoke as I passed.

We liked the atmosphere & proximity to town & only moved-out as we needed a home with a garden for our dogs.

Good luck & best wishes

Nancy

I'm sorry John but I can't understand why you bought a property in a town in a foreign country without having been there. You can find news stories about crime etc in most towns and it might seem worse as you are probably concentrating on Oliva. 

Steve 

Hi Steve, I have been to Oliva a couple of times as I have in many other parts of Spain and felt that this is the place I’d like to live. I have friends and relatives in the surrounding areas. After visiting a couple of times and doing a bit of research I felt that Oliva is the place for me. I was just concerned about the recent incidents in the area. I will still be moving out there to start a new life in Spain.

John.

Hi John, 

We are due to complete on a house in the next village in 2 weeks time. 

Of course it’s different to visit a place rather than actually live there but hopefully this recent spike in activity will pass quickly. From what I know, most people live in the are hassle free. Try not to worry too much, of course it’s a big jump you are making and not without stress but remember that these situations are still pretty much isolated incidents. Don’t let one idiot spoil your plan and excitement.. hopefully he will be caught and punished at some point in the near future. Life goes on. 

I've been in the old town up by Bar Pelut for 5 months now, and never had a problem. The curfew may have helped reduce any excess noise over that period though, and it'll probably increase as the weather gets warmer, but this is Spain, not Eastbourne, and after years of coming here on holiday, I'm well used to Spain after dark. I've lived in a fair few rough neighbourhoods in my life... and this isn't one of them. I've had a good wander around town, but wouldn't want to live in any other part. This feels like Spain up here.

Thanky

I am just reviewing areas before spending the next couple of years visiting/short term renting with a view to buying.. came across this post and instantly added oliva to my list.. sounds fantastic! I want a mix of Spanish/English and somewhere vibrant even in winter but not too far from the coast. Couldn't bear to be on a golf resort etc.. love posts like this.. invaluable. Thanks Nancy!