Walking and Horse Riding:
Walking and horse riding can be arranged locally. Please ask the booking agent for more information. It is a particularly delightful area to explore on foot and there are many well-signposted walking routes, ranging from a short stroll, to day long hikes into the Sierra Nevada. For the really serious walker there are two famous long-distance foot paths that cross La Alpujarra. One is the GR-7 which begins in Tarifa in Cadiz Province and crosses Europe all the way to Greece. The other is the GR-142 which runs from the spa town of Lanjarón (only 15 minutes from Casa de las Flores) to Fiñana on the northern side of the Sierra Nevada in Almería. And before your walk, you can fill your own water bottles at the spa in Lanjarón.
Cycling and Mountain Biking :
Cycling and mountain biking are hugely popular in the area, partly due to the 325 days of sunshine and stunning, mountain scenery. Las Alpujarras are Spain's southernmost mountains and include the longest downhill in Europe. If you bring your own bike, Casa de las Flores offers secure bicycle lock-up facilities. Alternatively, you can hire a bike locally. If you want to 'do your own thing', then this is an ideal base. The property is located on the main A-4132 road to Trevélez, which passes through the famous Alpujarran 'pueblo blancos', including Carataunus, Pampaneira and Pitres. A short detour takes you to Bubión and Capileira in the Poqueira Gorge from where you can ride up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and up the track to Pico Veleta (3,400 metres). The trails are generally quiet and in the mountains, devoid of traffic. If you want to take part in an organized group or rent equipment, please contact the rental agents, who will put you in touch with a local biking company.
Beaches:
The closest beaches are those of the Costa Tropical, approximately 40 minutes drive away. The town of Salobreña has a good beach with lots of beachside restaurants and cafés. And if you don’t just want to sit on the beach, you can visit the 10th Century Moorish Castle in the old town. A further 10 minutes drive west along the coast, the resort of Almuñécar has seafront restaurants, shops, a weekly market, a castle, botanical gardens, a bird sanctuary and a water park.
Ski:
The impressive snow covered ski slopes of the Sol y Nieve resort in the Sierra Nevada are just a 1hour 30 minute drive from Órgiva. It has practically guaranteed sunshine and some of the best snow conditions in Europe. As one of Europe’s highest resorts, it has a surprisingly long season by traditionally opening in November and running to the first week in May. The Alpine skiing championships took place there in 1994. Whilst staying at Casa de las Flores, it is possible to get to the ski slopes in the morning and return to sunbathe by the pool in the late afternoon.
Golf:
There are golf courses at Granada (1hr) and Motríl (35 minutes). There are numerous other courses on the coast towards Nerja. A new course is also being built in Órgiva and is expected to be completed within the next couple of years.
Other Activities:
Bird watching
