Travel

We are going to orgiva in the middle of september for a week,never been to the area, any tips or advise.

Cheers Adrian

bump

Orgiva's more in the Alpujaras than the Sierra Nevada which is about an hour or so away. Nice place though set in lots of rolling foothills with characterful white villages etc.

I've mostly mountain biked around there, but there's scope for some fantastic multi-day high level stuff using refugios - huts - in the Sierra Nevada up to Veleta, across to Mulhacen then dropping down I think. You can buy walking guidebooks in Granada, ditto maps.

Granada is a great night out and you have to go and visit the Alhambra moorish palace, it's mind blowing.

If you want to try some mountain biking, get in touch with my mate Simon at www.freeridespain.com - he's lived out there for around four years now. In fact might be worth getting in touch for walking, his partner's father also lives out there, near Orgiva, and runs walking holidays.

September's a great time to visit as well, not too hot, but still warm. Can get chilly higher up though as the Sierras go up to around three and a half thousand metres. Great area, relaxed culture, tapas free with beer, you'll love it.

And you can buy nice ceramics in Orgiva, what more could you ask for? If you meet any Brit mountain bikers complete with a short haired German pointer called Oscar, that'll be Simon, so say hello. He's based just up the road in Llanjaron.

The high Sierra Nevadas are great but take
care if planning routes up there. Only Refugio Poquiera is open. The rest are just old stone shelters which are falling down and have been used as a latrine once too often. If you're doing a couple of the 3000'ers then bring a tent as Poquiera is 500m below the main path.

There's loads of walking to be had if you don't want to do the high sierras. There's a few gorges you can wander up and the high alpujarra villages are well worth visiting. Contact me off-forum if you need more specific info.

If you are off to Andalucia, make sure to visit the best city in Spain. Sevilla.

Totally lovely city. Wonderful people, great food, relaxing shopping and great sights to see.

How envious am I that you are off to Andalucia...?

Not at all, you'd rather be in Uttoxeter, pearl of the waste midlands ?

Uttoxeter is THE centre of the universe.

Everything else just revolves around it.