Your Fortress in the Alpujarra Valley

Are you ready to live the dream in sunny, small-town southern Spain? My home is a unique, traditional-style Andalusian townhouse with a large, south-facing wooden rooftop terrace that may just offer the best view in Orgiva: olive, orange and lemon groves immediately below and the majestic Sierra de Lújar mountains in the distance. On the terrace, you can enjoy eating meals, sunbathing, doing yoga or artwork, holding videoconference calls, and viewing a wide array of constellations year round. Downstairs, the home's interior architecture has a Moorish influence with a beautiful hardwood staircase as its centerpiece. The kitchen offers a gas burner/hob. Log into your digital media account or watch the numerous free channels on the Samsung SmartTV. Heat pumps provide air conditioning and heating in the two bedrooms, a wood pellet stove heats the dining room, and two portable electric oil radiators provide space heating anywhere else. A home security system from Securitas Direct will keep you and your valuables safe and allow you to speak with a call center in English or Spanish immediately if you have a security, fire or medical issue just by pressing a single button on the wall. Free parking is available on the street or in a community lot nearby. I ask only that you refrain from smoking in the house, water three low-maintenance plants every few weeks and do laundry or any other activity that uses a lot of electricity during daylight hours to take advantage of the free energy generated by the solar panels on the roof. The townhouse is conveniently located in the village of Orgiva (population: about 7,000) within walking distance of the Thursday craft and farmer's markets, organic produce stores, cafes, a modern supermarket (Consum), and public transportation. You will not need to speak Spanish because English is widely spoken thanks to the large percentage of foreign residents, who represent about 70 nations according to town records. For decades, Orgiva and the surrounding Alpujarra region has been a magnet for alternative lifestylists and outdoors enthusiasts from around Europe, many of whom now own or operate shops in town. The region offers many opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, hot springs, and spiritual and wellness retreats. I've spotted ibexes (Iberian wild goats, see photo) while hiking in the Sierra de Lújar mountains. Downhill skiing at Sierra Nevada ski area to the north of Orgiva, on a mountain that is the highest in continental Spain and the third highest in Europe, can be a day trip by bus through Granada. Beaches on the Mediterranean coast are 45 minutes away by car. As the locals say, you can ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon. You can buy bus tickets to Granada and Motril on www.Alsa.es. Orgiva is a 90-minute drive from Malaga airport (AGP) or a 60-minute drive from Granada airport (GRX) or I can arrange for a private, professional driver to pick you up for less than half Uber’s rates. I do not have a car because one can live very comfortably without one in town. However, if you do have a car, or are willing to take a 15-minute bus ride, I can direct you to a public spring nearby that locals use to fill up on mineral water from the same aquifer that Group Danone uses to supply its famous Lanjaron bottled water brand. (Hint: it's in the village of Lanjaron.) Orgiva is immensely walkable, but make sure to take strolls outside the village to see the cortijo (countryside homes) and their orchards--of oranges, lemons, olives, kiwifruits, avocados, almonds, grapes and pomegranates--as well as the river at the bottom of the Alpujarra Valley. I also recommend having a meal at Orgiva's nationally-recognized restaurant, Baraka.