Activities

Órgiva is the town where Cortijo La Viga is located, it is part of the province of Granada, in Andalusia, and it is located in the valley that separates Sierra Nevada from Sierra Lújar. It has the densest population in the area, with around 5,000 inhabitants, and is the capital of the region.

There is a municipal market in the downtown area of the town where you can buy crafts and fresh fish among other things, as well as having breakfast in your cafeteria or having a drink and tapas. There is also in the main square a varied number of terrace bars and restaurants to eat or toss some canes and taste the tapas that are traditionally served in Granada free of charge. In addition, every Thursday from morning until noon, an outdoor urban market is set up with vegetables, fruits, clothes, etc. at very cheap prices and it is the day of more movement in the town.

There are also pubs and nightclubs for the nightlife during the weekend, although with a quiet atmosphere and without many people.

Some of the most important festivals and events in Órgiva are:

· The Day of the Christ of Expiration, which is celebrated on the Friday before Friday of Dolores;

· And the Royal Fairs and Festivals of Órgiva, where every last week of September activities and events of all kinds (concerts, food contests, theater, etc.) are organized for 4 consecutive days.

On the other hand, every year during Holy Week takes place in Órgiva the Fair of Tourism, Crafts and Food called "Made in La Alpujarra". It has been successfully organized since 2000 and can be found in tourism, gastronomy, handicrafts and organic products stands.

Monuments:

The Church Our Lady of Expectation. It began to be rebuilt with great sumptuousness in 1580, adorned with a beautiful portal, a baroque altarpiece of the sixteenth century and two sharp twin towers that are the emblem of the town.

The Palace House of the Counts of Sástago of the XVI and XVII centuries, with a mixture in its architecture that combines Arab and Christian elements.

You can also visit the ethnological museum of Olías, which collects and describes the customs, beliefs, myths, history, etc, of the municipality of the Alpujarra.

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The Alpujarra

It is a historical Andalusian region located in the foothills of the southern slope of Sierra Nevada and divided between the province of Granada and Almeria. It was the last refuge of the Moriscos, who were allowed to stay there until well after the fall of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada in 1492.

The influence of the Arab population can be seen in the agrarian landscape, the cubic architecture (interacted with the Berber architecture of the Moroccan Atlas mountains), the local cuisine, the weaving of carpets and jarapas and in numerous place names of Arabic origin .

The natural and genuine beauty of the Alpujarra has inspired a surprising variety of authors such as Federico García Lorca and Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, among others. Also international authors such as Chris Stewart, who wrote the bestseller about his trip to the Alpujarra "Driving Over Lemons" and that currently continues to live in the region.

Activities:

Barranco del Poqueira (formed by the towns of Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira). It is interesting to take a trip up the Alpujarra quietly and explore these picturesque villages, very close to each other, taste authentic cuisine and admire its craftsmanship and architecture that transport you to remote places and times.

At the same time it is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the stunning views and landscapes during the trip, being able to make stops in several viewpoints adapted for it. At some points you can enjoy spectacular mountainous landscapes where you can even see from the heights the Mediterranean Sea in the background.

In these towns, one of the favorite activities among its visitors and tourists are hiking and hiking. The idiosyncrasy of the place lends itself to this and also are equally remarkable the routes on horseback.

Continuing the journey and past the Barranco del Poqueira and other small towns that follow, is Trevélez, famous for being the highest town in the peninsula and for its serrano hams cured in a completely handmade way.

Their hams are famous because, according to the experts, the climate of this slope of the Sierra Nevada allows the development of the microbial flora necessary to achieve a perfect cure and a special taste, highly esteemed by experts and profane. This is where the seal is placed on the best Serrano hams from those who were admirers and customers: Queen Isabel II or Napoleon himself who demanded to put this ham on his party.

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Tropical Coast

The Costa Tropical, 30 km from Órgiva, is the name given to the Mediterranean coastline of the province of Granada. Start from the East with the fishing tradition village La Herradura and continue until you pass the town of Castillo de Baños on the edge of the province of Almeria to the west.

What makes the Costa Tropical unique compared to the rest of the Spanish coasts is its mountains, the Sierra Nevada, which presides from the heights and falls down to meet the Mediterranean Sea. It is indeed one of the most impressive in the whole Spanish Mediterranean coast and has always been a very popular destination for the people of Granada and the rest of the country in the hot times of the year.

Along the Costa Tropical are the prehistoric paintings of the Nerja caves and many Roman ruins such as roads, bridges and buildings, as well as reminiscences of the many centuries of Arab domination in the region.

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Granada city

Granada is 53 km from Órgiva and it constitutes an urban nucleus of different tourist possibilities for its monuments and its approach to places like the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort.

It is also a young city, the University of Granada is the fourth nationally by number of students and is one of the most popular destinations for European university students of the Erasmus program.

Some of the most important festivals and events in Granada are:

-The Corpus Christi is the Feria de Granada, normally held in June.

-The Day of the Cross (May 3) crosses are erected in many areas of the city by all kinds of cultural associations with a contest to reward the best.

-The Holy Week in Granada, as in other Andalusian cities, is an event of religious and cultural importance.

Places to visit:

-The Alhambra. It is the culmination of Nasrid art, work that was carried out in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1984, together with the Generalife garden and the Albaicín, it is one of the most important monuments in Spain and the most visited in Europe.

Due to the important demand, limits of visitors have been established for their proper conservation. Therefore, if you want to visit the Alhambra, it is advisable to buy tickets in advance. You can do it online by clicking here.

-Other interesting site to visit is the Mirador de San Nicolás. It is in the historic center of Albaicín, where from the heights you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Alhambra dominating the city of Granada that extends into the plain. The Albaicín (or Albayzín) is a neighborhood of Andalusian origin, visited by tourists who come to the city due to its historical and architectural connotations and its landscapes.

-The neighborhood of Sacromonte, known for being the old neighborhood of the gypsies, who settled in Granada after the conquest of the city.

-The Science Park of Granada. It is the first interactive science museum in Andalusia and one of the most relevant in Spain.

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Sierra Nevada

It is a beautiful and imposing mountainous massif, the highest altitude in all Western Europe after the Alps, and is also the roof of the Iberian Peninsula with the 3,482 meters of its Mulhacén Peak. Because of its isolation and altitude, Sierra Nevada has remained as a refuge for innumerable plants and species that are typical of the place. With this particular and important biological diversity, it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1986 and, in 1999, a large part of its territory was declared a National Park due to its botanical, landscape and natural values.

Activities:

The ski resort of Sierra Nevada. With more than 100 skiable kilometers, it is the highest altitude ski resort in Spain. For these characteristics it is usually ideal for skiing and also enjoys very good weather. The station hosted the 1996 Alpine Ski World Championships, as well as several events of the Alpine Ski World Cup.

It has good services for skiing, but also offers other possibilities, such as sleigh rides pulled by Nordic dogs, a snow park or recreational park of the Fuente del Mirlo Blanco. In summer, mountain sports are practiced.

In addition to the well-known Ski resort of Sierra Nevada, there are many leisure opportunities in these places. There is a much less known cross-country ski resort in Puerto de la Ragua, and countless hiking trails.

Some of the best-known hiking routes are:

Route of the Trevenque peak. Due to its popularity and its outstanding silhouette in the outer zone of the Sierra Nevada, the Trevenque is known as "the king of the low mountain".

Vereda de la Estrella It is a path that runs along the banks of the streams that make the head of the Genil River and offers interesting views of the north of the mountain massif.

Integral of the 3,000 meters of Sierra Nevada. The Integral Sierra Nevada, as it is better known, is a route that begins in Jérez del Marquesado, in the northern part of the massif, and ends in Nigüelas, in the west. Its name is due to passing through almost all peaks over 3,000 meters high.

Route Sulayr. It is a trail of 340 km in length that surrounds Sierra Nevada, designed and promoted by some public institutions, for which they have recovered several traditional trails and cattle trails.