Logbook · 10 places

What to see and do in Orce

What to see and do in Orce (Comarca de Huéscar, Granada): 10 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 3 Monuments · 1 Nature · 3 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

When to go to Orce: festival calendar

January: Danzas de las tentaciones de Orce (enero (San Antón y San Sebastián))
May: Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza en Orce (last Sunday of May)
August: Museo de Prehistoria y Paleontología de Orce (agosto de 2015)

How far each place is from the centre of Orce

Towns near Orce

What to see in Galera 6.8 km · 6 places
What to see in Huéscar 11 km · 12 places
What to see in Castilléjar 14 km · 7 places
What to see in Cúllar 18 km · 9 places
What to see in Benamaurel 23 km · 6 places
What to see in Chirivel 23 km · 9 places
What to see in Puebla de Don Fadrique 27 km · 6 places
What to see in Cortes de Baza 27 km · 7 places

Spain › Andalusia › Granada › Comarca de Huéscar › Orce

What to see and do in Orce

Orce
Village
Documented in 1324 when the Nasrid king Ismail I recovered the town amid a Castilian crisis. In 2025 it has 1,116 inhabitants divided among the settlements of Orce, Fuente Nueva, and Venta Micena.
Yacimiento de Venta Micena y el 'Hombre de Orce'
Historical milestone
Bone fragment found in 1982 by the paleontologist Josep Gibert, presented as the oldest human remain in Europe. Its human nature and its age remain disputed among the scientific community: there is no consensus.
Alcazaba de las Siete Torres
Monument
Fortress predating the 11th century; its main tower was rebuilt in the 16th century after an earthquake.
Museo de Prehistoria y Paleontología de Orce
Activity
Museum opened in August 2015 that brings together Pleistocene remains from the Guadix-Baza basin, including the materials at the center of the debate over the Man of Orce.
Palacio de los Segura o Casa de los Cirilos
Monument
Palace built between the 16th and 17th centuries, with 18th-century alterations, notable for its ironwork grilles and an interior courtyard with marble columns. It is popularly known as 'Casa de los Cirilos' because of a 17th-century ghost legend.
Atalayas de la Umbría y el Salar (Orce)
Monument
Orce preserves a chain of 15th-century watchtowers, including those of La Umbría and El Salar, built when the area was the border between Castile and the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
Piscina natural de Fuencaliente
Nature
About 2 km from Orce toward Galera, the natural swimming spot of Fuencaliente offers mineralized spring water that keeps a constant temperature all year round.
Danzas de las tentaciones de Orce
Activity
During the January festivities of San Antón and San Sebastián, Orce holds the 'danzas de las tentaciones' (dances of temptation), a singular tradition performed by eight dancers in distinctive costumes, accompanied by guitars, lutes and percussion.
Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza en Orce
Activity
Pilgrimage to the hermitage of the Virgen de la Cabeza, held the last Sunday of May.
Hermanamiento de Orce con Tautavel
Curiosity
Orce has been twinned since 2005 with the French town of Tautavel, home to another landmark European paleoanthropological find, Tautavel Man.