If you course allows, there are several choices for enjoyable days or half-days out. A day in Granada , including a visit to the Alhambra palace and the old Moorish quarter, the Albaycín, is a tourist favourite. Another popular alternative is a trip to the beaches of the Costa Tropical (under an hour from Orgiva).

My recommendation is a visit to the white villages high up the mountains, with their narrow, steep cobbled streets built for farmers to lead their mules along. These are the highest populated villages in Europe , and on clear days it is possible to see across the Mediterranean to the mountains of North Morocco .

There are many other possible excursions - hot springs , ancient caves, flamenco performances and so on – but it is so beautiful here that people often choose simply to walk along the river or up the mountainside, or just rest under the blue-tinged olives by the spring water swimming pool.