This small market town is at the centre of the Granada section of the Alpujarras. Orgiva (pronounced: OR-khi-va) is situated at 450 metres above sea level and is the cultural and architectural meeting-point between the traditions of the rest of the province of Granada and the Moorish influences of the Alpujarras. The town lives from the fertility of the well-watered valley that surrounds it. The mild, almost subtropical, climate permits the cultivation of oranges, lemons and mandarins, harvested at any time from December to May.

 

Orgiva lies between two mighty mountain ranges: the snow-covered Sierra Nevada to the north and the Sierra Lujar to the south, both with peaks of over 2000 metres.
The Rio Guadalfeo runs past the town on its way down to the sea.

 

Each Thursday on market day the town is filled with the colour and bustle of the farmers, stallholders and artists who come to sell their wares. Orgiva is a pleasant place to live, because it still offers the authentic flavour of Andalusia at reasonable prices, with the marvellous surroundings and agreeable climate all included. You can reach the sea by car in 35 minutes, whilst the whitewashed "Alpujarra Alta" villages are a similar drive away. The journey to Granada takes about 1 hour.