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Murcia and the Costa Calida

Despite property prices increasing in the province, Murcia is still good value compared to other Spanish Mediterranean regions and there is a variety of property at varied prices – “ something to suit everyone ” as one estate agent puts it.

Among the attractions of the region is the relatively unspoilt coastline, with about 240km (150 miles) of beaches. The star of the region is the Mar Menor, the largest saltwater lagoon in Europe, which remains year round at a temperature a little above the nearby Mediterranean Sea, on the other side of La Manga (the sleeve) the 21km long strip of land that separates the two. Here you will find not only lovely beaches but excellent water sports facilities – marinas and sailing schools and you can even scuba dive.

On dry land there are sports like horse riding and golf (around Murcia province there are around 30 further gold developments at the planning stage, though not all have been approved) and, of course, the very exclusive La Mango Club resort. The water of the Mar Menor has a high salt and iodine content which is said to be beneficial for skin complaints and if you feel inclined you can join the thousands who head to Mota de la Calcetera in order to coat themselves with hearing mud.

Top Resort

The La Manga Club is not the only one of Spain’s top tourist destinations but also one of Europe’s largest sports and leisure resorts. The club boasts some of the worlds best golfing. No surprise, then, that it is a favourite holiday spot for celebrities and with its superb sports facilities also sees a lot of world class sporting action. The resort hosts top golfing and tennis tournaments and is the official winter training base for top European football teams.

Two nearby towns provide great opportunities for celebrity spotting for those not staying at the exclusive club resort. There is the fishing village at Cabo de Palos where you can rub shoulders with celebrities at the Sunday market and in the tapas bars and restaurants, and Los Belones, La Manga Club’s nearest town, where the rich and the famous are frequently spotted dining out. Aguilas, an attractive town that was a fishing port as far back as roman times and boasts a fifteenth century castle, and Puerto de mazarron are two of murcia’s other main coastal resorts. Aguilas is very popular for its fine beaches, and there are more than 30 lovely small calas (coves) nearby.

History and Culture

Murcia, the regional capital, and the coastal town of Cartagena are rich with history. Murcia was founded by the Moors in the ninth century and has a lovely medieval quarter. Nowadays, the regional capital and commercial centre is good for shopping and boasts a healthy cultural list. Its Baroque cathedral has a beautiful ornate façade and was built by four different architects between 1521 and 1792.

Cartagena is even older, having been founded in 277 BC by the Carthaginians. It was a strategic port for the Romans, and the city contains many roman ruins, including a theatre. It was the capital city of Hannibal on the Iberian Peninsula and was named after Carthage in North Africa. The city is also home to what claims to be the world’s oldest submarine. It was built in 1888 by a local inventor, Isaac peral, who was then unable to get anyone sufficiently interested in the idea to take the project further. Another pretty and historic town is Lorca, and inland village and former frontier town. It has an impressive historic centre that contains numerous fine building dating mainly from the 16 th century onwards. The town is famous for its Semana Santa celebrations, the best in the region.

Inland form the coast you can find beautiful and untourist regions. There is the green and fertile Ricote Valley (about 45 minutes from the coast), through which the river Segura runs, providing irrigation for many sweetly scented and picturesque orange and lemon groves. The Parque Natural de Sierra Espuna (about 45 minutes drive from the city of Murcia) attracts climbers and walkers to its unspoilt mountains and spectacular scenery of limestone formations and pine forests.

Fiestas, culture and things to do

The provinces most splendid fiestas are the holy week processions, which take place in Cartagena, Murcia, Lorca and Jumilla, though there are numerous fiestas and festivities that take place in the province town and villages throughout the year, including the colourful and noisy fiestas of the Moros y Christianos (Moors and Christians). The end of lent is celebrated with a curiously named fiesta that’s takes place in Murcia shortly after Easter – the ‘Burial of the Sardine’; there are parades, music, fireworks and the burning of a symbolic sardine, which mark the end of the spring festivals.

The Murcia region is well known for its high quality craftwork, clay, straw, wood, wrought iron and silk are all materials that have played a part in local crafts over the centuries. Decorative pottery, some of which follows medieval traditions is made in Totana and Lorca. Another tradition in Murcia, that of handcrafted crib figures dates back to the eighteenth century, when the famous religious sculptor Francisco Salzillo was commissioned to create a Nativity scene. Classic Murcian crib figures of today still follow the Baroque style from the time of Salzillo.

Visitors to Murcia who are also flamenco enthusiasts will be pleased to know that despite Andalucia being the region of Spain normally associated with flamenco dancing and singing, there is flamenco in this part of Spain too. An annual ten-day flamenco festival is held in august in the Murcian town of La Union that’s attracts top singers, dancers and guitarists and flamenco groups.

Murcia province is renowned for it spas and thalassotherapy centres, providing a range of treatments that use seawater, algae, seaweed and mud to cleanse and detoxify and revitalise the body. Centres like the spa at Archena and Fortuna are attracting increasing numbers of visitors, some of whom are drawn by the reputed therapeutic qualities of the waters, others are just seeking to relax in a restful environment.

Another way to get away from it all, this time on the coast, is to visit the Parque Regional de Salines de San Pedro to see the flocks of flamingos which gather there, or to take a stroll in the Parque Regional de Calblanque and enjoy the unspoilt coastal scenery.

Food and Wine

Murcia is known as la huerta de europa (the orchard of Europe), so it comes as no surprise that lots of fruit and vegetables are grown here, including nearly half of all the lemons that Spain produces. Much of this fresh produce finds its way into local markets and onto the tables of the provinces restaurants. This is an important rice growing area and calasparra rice, a renowned rice variety and the only Spanish rice to be awarded a denomination of origin is grown here. Paella and other rice dishes are also very popular. Try the surprisingly soupy caldero, made with fish and rice, and originally a fisherman’s dish cooked in an iron pot. Mero (mullet) and salmonete (red mullet) are delicious local fish to look out for, as well as lubina (sea bass) baked in a salt crust.

Murcia is also gaining a reputation as a producer of quality wines from three Denominacion de Origin regions, Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas. The reds from these regions are full bodied and fruity. Three of the top bodegas from these wine-growing regions are Agapito Rico ( Jumilla) Castano ( Yecia ) and Nuestro Senora del Rosario Co – operative ( Bullas ).