L'Enginy (antic ingeni sucrer)

Before the orange, Oliva grew sugar cane. L'Enginy is the 16th-century former sugar mill where that cane was processed, and today it is the most recognisable piece of the industrial heritage of Oliva.

A bit of history

Through the 15th and 16th centuries much of the Valencian huerta grew cane, and Oliva was one of those production centres. The mill crushed the cane and boiled the juice to make sugar, a luxury product at the time. This building is what remains of that industry, and the town council is restoring it in phases, with archaeological digs in the adjoining houses gradually revealing how the whole complex worked.

What to see

It is a visible landmark woven into walks around the Oliva beach area. It works well as a reason to discover a less touristy side of the town, the one tied to its productive past, on a route through its places with history.