Due to cancellation we offer a 15 % discount for any booking between the 5th and the 31st of October 2019

In August 2014, after a very long search,we finally found a big house in Orgiva, directly in the centre by the church. It must have been among the first houses in Orgiva. The groundfloor used to be a carpentry, we found some tools still and other carpenter materials. It seemed in a good state and had lots of windows and therefore was very bright and airy.

The negotiations went slow and bumpy, since there were 12 different owners, but we managed and bought it.
The house faces south, overlooking the church and the Sierra Lujar in the distance. It also looked down into a rather neglected garden. We tried to find the owners to find out if we could buy that as well. It came to more negotiations and waiting, but finally we were lucky and could buy it in December.

The carpenter from times gone by was called Jose and had the nickname of “El Garzopo“, so the house was known and still is(!) as “ Joseico El Garzopo”. So now it´s name will be “El Garzopo“. When we told the granddaughter (also an old lady now) of Jose, that we will call the house that name, she nearly started to cry out of happiness!

El Garzopo is going to be a fantastic house! Downstairs will be a garage, the two upper stories living quarters and outside a big garden with pool. It will have 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, so that 6 – 7 people will be able to find ample space. We will heat the water with solar panels, the livingroom will have a big chimney and we also install floorheating for the cooler months. All the woodwork will be done by a local carpenter and the windows will have doubleglazing, which is not usual for here.

Shortly after preparing the house for new rendering, Paco, the builder, called us to tell us, that he could not continue, out of fear, that the whole house could just collapse.
So he asked a friend of his (architect/surveyer) to come and have a look to have his opinion. He came and after a full inspection he told us to pull down the house. I said, that I would never do that and wanted to know his second best option. He had another look around and then said “Pull it down”!
At a later stage we overheard a conversation, that this architect had with another bunch of builders, when he told him, that he had never seen a house in a worse state!

Paco did not want to keep the northfacing doors and windows open, out of fear, that a sudden gust of wind could make the house collapse. At first I was laughing, thinking he was joking, but soon I realized, that he was totally serious!

Of course the building took much longer than planned. We had enquiries for July and August of 2016 and needed to refuse them and a firm booking for Oct 16, which finally we had to cancel as well.

Garzopo is a real jewel. We invested lots and lots of love and positive energy and we think that can be seen and felt now that it is ready.
Everything is flowing, the same style and theme run through the whole house and garden in harmony, all the building and decoration materials match and enhance each other. You will be able to stay even for a longer period and will find yourselves noticing more and more details ever so often.

The house is set in a very quiet part of Orgiva, but right in the centre, next to the church. It must have been one of the first houses in town, being so near to the church. The next bar is a 1 min stroll down the road, where you can enjoy your café con leche y tostada de tomate (breakfast) and there you are already in the centre, with all its shops, banks and restaurants. And all the other facilities you might be looking for.
Entering Garzopo from the garage, you can go upstairs into the house or out into the garden.
Going into the garden you first come to , what we call “the wintergarden”, a built and roofed sitting corner to provide you shade in summer and protection on the very, very few rainy days in winter. Next to it is one bathroom, complete with shower and washing machine.
From here a spiral staircase leads up to the first floor.

Entering the garden you will find the pool to your left. There is an outdoor shower and then steps up to the pool. The pool is heated with a heat pump (extra charge according to usage) and has a built in bench where you can enjoy the airbubbles (Jacuzzi). It is all tiled with very exclusive glass tiles from Italy.
We kept all the 5 trees that were there, when we bought the garden (2 lemon trees, one orange, one mandarin and a very old avocado), offering you lots of shade and quiet corners. There is a pergola to sit under, a lovely and very secluded sitting corner under a lemon tree and another sitting corner with big table under the avocado tree. Of course you will also find a BBQ.
It´s a wonderful and quiet place, with lots of plants, colors and perfumes, just dangle in the hammock and soak up the lovely atmosphere!
Upstairs we have the big open plan living and dining room and kitchen, very spacious, open and bright, with lots of windows. Even in summer, there will always run a light, cooling breeze through the house, making it very pleasant and comfortable. Like in most of the house we used river cane for the ceiling, held in by the original beams and tied together with “zoga” a handmade string made of a local sharp grass and in olden days a common building material.
The walls are painted in different shades of pastel colours, making the atmosphere pleasant and soothing, full of harmony.
The kitchen is fully fitted, with a dishwasher, an oven and microwave and of course all the other utensils, that one uses these days, like kettle, toaster etc..
Passing the dining area it brings you out onto a terrace, overlooking the garden and with views across to the church and onto the mountain range of Sierra Lujar. There is another diningtable and chairs outside, giving you always the option of either eating in – or outside.
The livingroom has got a big and comfortable sofa next to a chimney (with a glass frontage ), there is also another sitting corner. A built in bookshelf , Satelite TV and of course Wifi.
The whole house has floor heating (heated with biomass like olive stones and almond shells) for the cooler months of the year.
The hot water comes from a solar system.
All the house is very well insulated and the windows have double glassing, which means it will be cool during the summer and warm in winter.
All the windows and doors and furniture are carpenter made of very high quality.
The living room leads into a corridor , with another bathroom and next to it another bedroom, that has a small, mediterranean balcony (original)onto the quiet road.
All the terracotta, the bathroom tiles and sinks and most of the decoration come from a family run (two brothers) factory near Granada. Most of it is hand made and hand painted , the decorative inset tiles in the bathrooms are matched, with the same décor in the sinks!
The moorish style terracotta tables in the garden and on the terraces are also handmade by local artists.
This corridor leads into the staircase, which brings you or downstairs, to go into the garage or out onto the road. Or you go upstairs, where you find the masterbedroom, another bedroom and a joined bathroom.
The ceilings upstairs are the original roof. All the beams are original, the river cane also, although it needed some repairs and of course all the before mentioned “zoga” is original too.
It took me months and months to clean, repair and treat all that roof! Making me breath in lots of dust and making my knees complain a lot!
The masterbedroom is southfacing, leading out onto a big terrace, with gorgeous views past the church and across to the Sierra de Lujar. Part of the terrace is roofed over, to provide shade in summer. The bedroom also has a west facing window, with a breeze running just about all the time, making it very pleasant in summer. The bedroom has an attached bathroom (shared with the other bedroom). It is a big, bright and airy bathroom, that also leads out onto the terrace. The chimney pipe from below, runs throught the bathroom, providing an extra means of heating in winter.
The northfacing bedroom has access to the same bathroom and through that to the terrace.