The Area:
Our house is less than 2 kilometres from Orgiva, and about half way between Granada and the Mediterranean. Orgiva is a market town and the administrative centre for the Alpujarras but I would guess at a population in the town of less than 10,000. It has three quite large hotels and several small supermarkets. The Alpujarra is a fertile area of the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevadas which is irrigated all year round by water from the Sierra. It has been cultivated since Moorish times when it provided most of the food for Granada. Now its main crop is Olives and we have about 80 olive trees. The weather varies from cold winter nights (but usually mild or warm winter days) to very hot summer days. The house is designed and built to provide comfort in all these conditions with heating in the winter and ceiling fans and cooling in the summer. The pool is 15 metres by 5.5 metres and 3.2 metres deep with a proper 1 metre springboard.
The house has broadband and two VoIP telephones.
The Weather:
I can not guarantee the weather but in summer from mid June to into October it is almost always hot to very hot and dry. From November to March it is mainly mild to warm during the day but cold at night. November probably has most rain. April to mid June is rather like a nice English summer and is usually good for both sunbathing and walking. March to April tends to have occasional brief but heavy showers.
Olives are picked in December and January. Wild flowers and almond blossom are abundant in February and March and walking is very pleasant in our area but if you want to walk higher in the Sierra you will need warm clothes. There are large varieties of wild birds and we are in an outstandingly beautifull spot where, even in winter, you can usually sit outside for at least part of the day, though on occasion it can rain for a day or more at a time.
Occasional Skiing:
We are in a position where it is pleasant to eat lunch outside in the sun on most winter days, but about 80 minutes drive and 6,000 feet higher are the more than adequate ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Dedicated skiers won't want to spend that time away from the snow but if you would like to ski one day and laze in the sun the next it is ideal. The Sierra Nevada hosted the 1999 World Championships and offers 2 green, 13 blue, 17 red, and 6 black slopes. It has artificial snow when necessary and its lifts can carry over 31,000 people an hour. It goes from 2,100 to 3,300 metres in altitude and is the most southerly skiing in Europe. It has excellent road access and a huge underground car park.
Ski:
Our house is not somewhere for a group of dedicated skiers, but if your party is mixed, with some who want to laze and relax in almost the warmest place in Europe in winter, and others who would like to ski but don't want to holiday without their partners, parents or whoever, then our house is the place to be.
2 green, 13 blue, 17 red, and 6 black slopes and lots of trails but it is 80 minutes drive away.
Golf:
There is a golf course near Granada, about 40 minutes drive away. There is another ar Nerja, about an hour away.
Other Activities:
Guided mountain treks. Birdwatching. Skiing 80 mins drive away.
marks the location of the property in Sierra Nevada Area
