Granada’s Alpujarra is one of the most charming geographical areas of Andalusia. A place where you will be able to enjoy nature and where we encourage you to travel. There are many charming villages in this area, although we would like you to get to know Órgiva, one of the most important and also the capital of the western Alpujarra.
This town is part of what is known as the Guadalfeo river valley, in the Lújar and Sierra Nevada mountains, where the Chico de Órgiva and Guadalfeo rivers meet. It offers the tourist a wide variety of activities and points of interest that you cannot miss, and which we are going to talk about so that you do not leave anything behind to visit.
Formed by nine localities, this municipality was known as Exoche, since it was a Greek colony. Nowadays it has an urban centre where a wide variety of cultures meet, there is even a hippie community. That is why we say that Órgiva opens its doors to all travellers.
If we talk about the points of interest for worship, we must undoubtedly talk about the Parish of Nuestra Señora de la Expectación, in which the Renaissance style can be clearly seen. You can visit it for free. A mixture of history and religion is also the chapel in honour of its patron saint, Saint Sebastian, which was built on a fortress of the Visigoths.
Leaving religion aside, we find other civil buildings, starting with the Casa Palacio de los Condes de Sástago, built between the 16th and 17th centuries and with a tower from the time of Arab rule. It is one of the most important buildings in Órgiva as it is the seat of the Town Hall and is of Cultural Interest.
A walk through the Barrio Alto will transport you to the most characteristic of the Alpujarra. Its steep streets, with white houses dotted with the colours of the plants that adorn them, and its narrow passages will immerse you in the essence of the Alpujarra.
The Plaza de la Alpujarra can be a perfect stop, it is more modern as it was built in 2004 and where you can see photos of every village in the region. If you have any doubts, you can solve them since the Órgiva Tourist Office is located here.
The last stop on this tourist route has much to do with Don Quixote, and is in the Cervantine Room of the Municipal Library. Here you will be able to find numerous editions of Spain’s most famous work of fiction in many languages.
And after a good route, the body needs to recharge its batteries, and if it is with some typical local cuisine, so much the better.
Here you will be able to taste the meats, which are the hallmark of the Alpujarra. Enjoy a good ham or eat some of the typical dishes. The most typical are the lamb choto al colorín, cod in paprika sauce or toasted garlic. In any establishment of this town, you will be able to try all of them.
And if you want to organize your trip to Órgiva depending on the festivities, on the 20th of January they are held in honour of San Sebastian and you can also take advantage of the trip to enjoy your personal favourite snow sport in the mountains of Sierra Nevada.
Another of the most important festivals is that of the Santísimo Cristo de la Expiración and among the most curious, the Dragon Feast organised by the hippie community of the area. It is an unauthorized celebration although it brings together the largest concentration of hippies in Europe every year.
Undoubtedly, a place worth visiting, and in an incomparable environment.
