Olvera is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.

As always we were surprised by the enormous wealth of our villages. Olvera (Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain) is full of art and history, its streets are a permanent reminder of its Moorish past and it is a delight to stroll and lose oneself in its white corners covered with flowerpots and its steep, narrow streets.

In the distance the image of Olvera is haughty and impressive.  Perched on a crag between the sierras of Grazalema and Ronda and dominated by the castle, at its feet the hamlet of Olvera stands tightly packed together. It is the outline of the frontier strongholds of the Nazari kingdom of Granada to which it belonged until the reconquest in the 14th century.

Olvera's history reflects the vicissitudes of the events that have marked the history of Spain. It may have been populated at a very early date, as the caves and vegetation of the mountain slopes offered an attractive refuge for prehistoric man, but it was in Roman times that we first heard of it. Conquered by the Arabs, taking advantage of the internal disorder caused by the succession crises of the Visigoth monarchy, it belonged to the cora of Saduna and was a stronghold dominated by a citadel on the border of the kingdom of Granada until its late reconquest in the 14th century. We hardly know anything about Olvera in the Modern Age, which indicates that after the conquest of Granada by the RRCC a period of decadence began that has lasted practically up to the present day. It formed part of the territory dominated by the French in the War of Independence, during which many works of art were plundered and some of its best civil and religious buildings destroyed. The crisis continued in the 19th and 20th centuries and many of its inhabitants had to emigrate to the north of Spain and to countries such as Holland, France, Switzerland and Germany.

Nowadays the village is recovering by taking advantage of the resources that its environment offers and the regeneration capacity of its inhabitants: the rural tourism favoured by the passing through its municipal district of the Vía Verde de la Sierra and above all the cooperative industries dedicated to the extraction of oil and sausages.

The castle is a Moorish fortress built at the end of the 12th century which curves around the rock, adapting itself to the terrain. The castle as we know it today has obvious Christian features in its construction, the result of successive remodelling that the castle had to undergo since it was taken by the Castilian troops, by Alfonso XI after a hard siege in the year 1327. After the negotiations that followed the surrender, Ibrahim-ibn-Utmán managed to ensure that the integrity of the Moorish garrison of Olvera was respected and that each of its inhabitants kept their homes and possessions.

From then until the fall of Zahara de la Sierra and Ronda, after the campaigns of 1482, it was the main Christian outpost on the border.

Of the castle, the entrance gate, through which one enters the enclosure, a stretch of the wall and the keep with two floors covered by a half-barrel vault connected by a steep spiral staircase carved into the living stone have been preserved. The view from it is impressive: a small cemetery, the white houses and in the background olive groves and mountains and we can see the landscape of three Andalusian provinces: Cadiz, Malaga and Seville, which shows its high strategic value in its time.

The church of La Encarnación is a neoclassical building from the 18th century, built on top of an older Mudejar Gothic building of which only the apse remains.
The present church has three naves with a barrel vault, and the Italian marble used in its renovation stands out. Its two twin towers on the façade also stand out.

Pueblos Blancos (White Villages series):

- Chapter II  - Jimena de la Frontera y Castellar de la Frontera:

- Chapter I - Arcos de la Frontera, Espera y Olvera:

Superb views, Truly beautiful scenery.

Was that an insect on the lens in clip two?

Blériot53 Posted at 2-9 11:11
Superb views, Truly beautiful scenery.

Thanks! Glad to know you liked it

Blériot53 Posted at 2-9 11:13
Was that an insect on the lens in clip two?

No, I didn't see anything while editing the video and I don't see anything on YouTube.

Discover Spain Posted at 2-9 11:32
Thanks! Glad to know you liked it

My pleasure

Discover Spain Posted at 2-9 11:33
No, I didn't see anything while editing the video and I don't see anything on YouTube.

Yes, in Pueblos Blancos II  it appears several times, to the right of shot. A small black spot on the lens.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-9 12:02
Yes, in Pueblos Blancos II  it appears several times, to the right of shot. A small black spot on the lens.

You didn't specify the video so I looked at the first one.

I have one of the camera lenses with dirt inside it. As the lens is sealed and waterproof, I have used the warranty and strangely enough, they have returned it to me anyway, saying that they can't see any problem.

Should I send them the video?

Discover Spain Posted at 2-9 12:18
You didn't specify the video so I looked at the first one.

I have one of the camera lenses with dirt inside it. As the lens is sealed and waterproof, I have used the warranty and strangely enough, they have returned it to me anyway, saying that they can't see any problem.

Well it would certainly support your case.

Great castle, cool setting.

Beautiful footage.   

Fantastic footage.  Love the castle.    Quite the history behind the castle and that area in general.

Discover Spain Posted at 2-9 12:18
You didn't specify the video so I looked at the first one.

I have one of the camera lenses with dirt inside it. As the lens is sealed and waterproof, I have used the warranty and strangely enough, they have returned it to me anyway, saying that they can't see any problem.

Should I send them the video?

I'd sure give it a try as it is evident there is something in the lens as seen in the 2nd video.

Depp Posted at 2-9 23:08
Great castle, cool setting.

Thank you very much!

The truth is that the village is very beautiful and very grateful to shoot.

DAFlys Posted at 2-10 00:39
Beautiful footage.

Thank you!

DowntownRDB Posted at 2-10 03:34
Fantastic footage.  Love the castle.    Quite the history behind the castle and that area in general.

Glad you liked the video and the history of the place!

In Spain we have too many stories to tell and many to correct as they have always been told incorrectly.

Great footage, Thanks for sharing this with us. Cheers.

Discover Spain Posted at 2-10 06:20
Thank you!

You're very welcome.

Discover Spain Posted at 2-10 07:13
Glad you liked the video and the history of the place!

In Spain we have too many stories to tell and many to correct as they have always been told incorrectly.

    Keep up the great work.

These are interesting images, thank you for sharing them.

ShiuRao Posted at 2-10 22:01
Great footage, Thanks for sharing this with us. Cheers.

Thank you for watch and comment it!

ro_flyer Posted at 2-12 14:37
These are interesting images, thank you for sharing them.

Glad you liked the video

Hello there Discover Spain. Good day and thank you for posting this beautiful video that you have filmed and created. Great work and keep flying. .

DJI Stephen Posted at 2-14 21:44
Hello there Discover Spain. Good day and thank you for posting this beautiful video that you have filmed and created. Great work and keep flying.  .

Thank you and have a good day!

Discover Spain Posted at 2-14 12:20
Glad you liked the video

Discover Spain Posted at 2-15 04:39
Thank you and have a good day!

Hi there Discover Spain. You are very much welcome and thank you for the reply. Have a safe and a happy flying always. .

Very well captured!

Montfrooij Posted at 2-18 00:13
Very well captured!

Thank you!

Discover Spain Posted at 2-19 11:56
Thank you!

You're welcome!