Ontinyent
Ontinyent is a medieval town built around the cliff like banks of the river Clariano. The church of Santa Maria was erected over the older Moorish mosque, and there are numerous examples of this ancient heritage throughout this old town.
The new section of town boasts every modern amenity and because of the abundance of clean fast flowing water, the town is affluent and sophisticated without the crowds and fast food outlets found in tourist areas of Spain.
Ontinyent is 360m above sea level, in the southwest of the valley surrounded by mountains, in the province of Valencia. This area forms the Val d'albaida, of which Ontinyent is the capital. At the moment 32,000 people live in the 126m2 municipality.
Ontinyent, like mainly Spanish towns, has every fiesta going plus mainly of its own, the main one being the Moors and Christians festival in july, which spreads over a week of full time entertainment.
Ontinyent is a town with everything you need in amenities but small enough to be a community. The town centre has many schools, doctors, hospital, banks, shops, pharmacies, bars and restaurants. Every Monday the town is alive with the indoor and outdoor markets. Hosting many stalls it is a must to get your fresh produce and meet the locals. Travelling around the market stalls in the Plaza de la Coronació you will find handbags, shoes, clothes and plants as well as many other interesting items. Plus, of course the food stalls with fresh date bread and churros.
A new shopping mall, El Teler, has recently opened in Dos de Maig, boasting many designer retail outlets for clothing and home wares, a hairdressers, café, multi screen cinema and SuperCor (El Corte Ingles) supermarket.
The commercial areas of town contains McDonalds, Consum, Aldi as well as several large retail shops and DIY traders.
There are many communal parks and plazas around the town, with one of the main ones being Plaza Mestre Ferrero. Here children of all ages can play, while the older generations can enjoy the refreshments of one of the nearby ice cream or tapas bars.
The large sports facilities available at the local centre include an Olympic sized outdoor pool, an indoor heated pool, athletics tracks, racquetball and tennis courts. The centre also hosts various concerts through the year.
There is a real sense of community spirit in Ontinyent, this is apparent quite clearly during the many fiestas celebrated throughout the year. The main Moors and Christians fiesta in August is an extravagant and exciting affair thoroughly enjoyed by all. During these many festivities, we can see the true Spanish spirit of living life to the fullest.
Trains and buses run from and to the local towns in the area, but giving the option of going further a field to Valencia City. Museums, departments stores, and city life are short journey away. With the recently built CV60 road the blue flag beaches at Gandia are only 45 minutes drive away. Both Alicante and Valencia airports are 1 hour (or less) drive away also.
Old Town
The old town of Ontinyent is basically the area between the River Clariano and Dos de Maig. Many large townhouses are situated in this area with in the labyrinth of small streets. The museums and original state buildings can be found in the Plaza Mayor, including the town hall ( ayuntiamento) and the local/ national police stations. The main road from here to the Plaza de La Concepció is pedestrianised with easy access to the many shops and boutiques along the way. The children's library can be found here along with the Centre de Cultura and Museu Fester. The latter displaying costumes from the various fiestas celebrated in this proud community. From the Plaza de La Concepció you can turn right and walk straight up Daniel Gil avenue through the new town center.
La Vila is the oldest medieval part of town. The narrow winding streets are steeped in history with many religious architectural buildings still standing. These include the gothic Santa Maria Church and the Sant Roc christian door dating 1256. During the Moors and Christians festival in August, a wonderful medieval market is found with in these streets. Smells of roasted peanuts and churros drift through the town. There is a school and nursery in La Vila and all other amenities in the town within walking distance.
San Rafael is just over the river from the old medieval part of Ontinyent. It has its own schools, medical centre, shops and pharmacy. There is a newly built Vidal supermarket, bakeries and greengrocers. A handful of bars and restaurants enjoyed by the local community, English and Spanish alike. A large park with new children's play area and palm trees, where all generations come together in the summer evenings. All in all a self contained community but with easy walking distance to the town centre in Ontinyent.
Facts & Figures
- Ontinyent is 90 km from Valencia
- Ontinyent is 65 km from Alicante
- There is a rail link from Ontinyent to Valencia and from Alcoi/Xativa to Alicante
- Regular buses operate between Ontinyent and Valencia, and most towns in the area including the seaside town of Gandia.
- The population of Ontinyent is approx. 32,000
- On 17th January, there is the Sant Antoni Abad festival when animals and your pets can be baptised!
- Between 15th and 17th November, there is the Gastronomic Fair of Ontinyent which shows off all manner of local delicacies of food and wine. Hic!
- Monday is market day in Ontinyent.
However to get the most out of your holiday we strongly recommend hiring a car. For information and rates on renting either from the airport or from anywhere along the coast, please click here.
