Órgiva is a Spanish municipality, belonging to the province of Granada, in Andalusia. It is located in the southwestern part of the Alpujarra Granadina. Despite having just over 5,000 inhabitants, it is the most populated municipality in the entire region. It borders the municipalities of Cáñar, Carataunas, Pampaneira, La Tahá, Torvizcón, Rubite, Lújar, Vélez de Benaudalla, El Pinar and Lanjarón. The municipal term includes the old municipality of Alcázar, with the nuclei of Fregenite, Olías and Bargís, as well as the nuclei of Bayacas, Los Tablones, Las Barreras and various farmhouses (Tíjola, Los Agustines, Cerro Negro ...).
HISTORY AND ORIGINS Órgiva has been identified as the Greek colony of Exoche, mentioned by the geographer Ptolemy, although it is true that the first written references to this town appear in the writings of Al-Idrisi (12th century) with the name of "Hisn Orgiva "like castle of the heart of Elvira.
During the Nasrid reign it took the name Albastch, which means "plain", and for several centuries it was called Albacete de Órgiva.
In 1492 it was ceded by the Catholic Monarchs to Boabdil as a place of retreat, then it became the domain of the Great Captain and finally passed through the Lordships of the Duke of Sesa, the Córdoba and Ayala, the Marquis of Balençuela and the Counts of Sástago. By order of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has been the head of the party since 1839.
NÚCLEOS DEL MUNICIPIO Orgiva is the capital of the municipality and is made up of different nuclei:
BayacasBayacas is a small town in La Alpujarra protected to the north by Sierra Nevada and to the south by Sierra Lújar. Located 650 meters above sea level on both banks of the Río Chico, a tributary of the Guadalfeo, it is accessed through a small road connected to the 'Alta Alpujarra road'.
Its incredible enclave, its houses painted with lime and hanging from the hillside, its narrow and steep streets and its incomparable landscapes and trails, make it a paradisiacal place for rest and for the enjoyment of nature.
The Bayacas church, built in 1550, is one of the oldest in the Alpujarra. It is a good sample of Mudejar religious architecture from the late 17th century. It is dedicated to the invocation of San Sebastián.
Planks Located 60 km from Granada capital and 30 km from the coast, this Alpujarra town is located in the foothills of Sierra Lújar, on the left bank of the Guadalfeo River. The origin of the name of Planks is due to the fact that in this place "planks" of wood felled in the Sierra de Lújar were stored to build boats in Adra (Almería).
Its history dates back to a series of farmhouses located on the left bank of the Guadalfeo River that grew with the arrival of settlers from other Alpujarra municipalities to cultivate the fertile lands of the Guadalfeo valley.
In this nucleus is the Parish Church of San Marcos (20th century) with Mudejar coffered ceiling and Latin cross plan and the Hermitage of the Virgin of Fátima (20th century).
TOURIST INFORMATION Located in the center of a plain of orchards and olive groves, Órgiva is considered the capital of the Alpujarra region. It is equipped with sufficient and renovated hotel rooms, has good restaurants, countless bars and entertainment venues.
The municipality of Órgiva is part of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park and is located on its southern slope. Nestled at the confluence of the Guadalfeo River and its tributary the Chico River, it is a commercial city that has traditionally supplied the entire region. It combines modern features in its urban planning and lifestyle with others that have survived in the Alpujarra for centuries almost intact.