Property for sale in Orba

Buying a house in Orba means buying in an inland village of the Marina Alta that is often counted as part of the Jalón valley, but lies in the valley of the Girona, just to the north of it. The northern part of the municipality is flat, on river deposits; to the south the slopes rise towards the mountains. The village rolls gently and sits lower than the valley villages, with supermarket, pharmacy, health centre and a secondary school close by. Many Europeans live here all year, and the hamlet of Orbeta also belongs to the municipality.

Around the village lie urbanisations within walking distance of the centre, such as El Aspre, with villas and building plots. In adverts you also come across Palmeria and "Orba Valley", though the latter is a description, not an area. Orbeta is a hamlet, the name of an urbanisation and the name of a barranc: with a home "in Orbeta", ask which of the three is meant. The plain on the northern side is farmland along the river. To the south lies Parcent, at the foot of the Coll de Rates, and to the east, towards the coast, Pedreguer.

In the urbanisations around Orba you mainly buy villas, some newly built, and building plots for those who want to build themselves. In the village it is village houses and flats, on the plain and the slopes fincas with land. With a home outside the built-up area, have an adviser check what is licensed and registered on the rural land, and whether the urbanisation has been handed over, with mains drainage or its own septic tank. For building without a licence there is a separate procedure with a hard cut-off date; have that assessed for each home before you make an offer.

Orba is a good choice for anyone who wants to live permanently in a village with amenities: there is a health centre and a secondary school in the village itself, which is not a given in this interior. It also suits those who want the coast at Dénia and Jávea a short drive away. It suits frequent flyers less well: of the inland villages, Orba is the furthest from Alicante. Mind the water: the river and the Orbeta and Trullens barrancs hold so much sediment that less water can get through, and the water authority has a project for them. Fire is also a factor in the area.

Orba lies on the CV-715, which runs north via Pego and south via Parcent over the Coll de Rates. For the motorway you drive via Benidoleig towards Pedreguer, where the AP-7 and the N-332 run. Getting to Alicante airport takes over an hour. The hospital for Orba is the one in Dénia, and the health centre is in the village. The secondary school is a branch of the school in Pego, covering all of compulsory secondary education. To the north-east lies El Verger. There is more on the whole northern coast on the page about the Costa Blanca North.