Ortaffa was clearly a wealthy village once. It has some fine housing and buildings, including a castle and a Romanesque church. But the orchards and vineyards around it have now been replaced by suburbs of villas and bungalows. People have moved from the photogenic village houses to gain modern ameneties and gardens. Not being on the road to anywhere, the centre has died and now there is only one shop left. It describes itself as the Tabac-Presse-Librairie-Crèmerie-Mercerie (Tobacconist-Newsagent-Bookshop-Dairy-Haberdashery)
