Murcia, how beautiful you are. It is a motto repeated ad nauseam, but it is no less true. This community in the southeast of Spain is a late discovery for many, with occupancy records that it breaks every year.
If you have not visited the Region of Murcia this summer, the mild temperatures of autumn will allow you to enjoy it with equal or greater intensity. You will be able to go sightseeing in the city of Murcia and enjoy a getaway through its towns, which rival the capital in beauty. The maximum distance from Murcia to any point in the rest of the community never exceeds an hour by car – with the exception of Otos, known as the last town in the region -, so you can travel from one end to the other without investing much time.
Moratalla, the city of National Geographic
In the northwest of the Region of Murcia, there is a city that surprises with its charm and cultural richness. This place, which caught the attention of National Geographicis a destination that invites you to lose yourself among its historic streets and unique natural landscapes. With the largest regional offer of accommodation and rural cottages, Moratalla has the largest extension of natural areas protected by the Natura 2000 network. More than 75% of its territory is protected by this network, which constitutes the largest natural protection area in the world. A unique biodiversity area, framed in the Mediterranean basin, which is home to a significant percentage of the world’s flora and fauna species. In Moratalla you can discover one of the last native Mediterranean forests in southeastern Spain.
In addition, it has more than 50% of the rock art discovered to date in the Region of Murcia, making it the largest number of cave paintings listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together with the neighbouring town of Nerpio in Albacete, it is one of the most densely populated areas of prehistoric rock art in the world.
Cehegín, rural wonder
Cehegín, declared a Rural Wonder of Spain in 2019, is a town between two waters. Located between the Argos and Quípar rivers, this mountainous town has been a settlement of Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and finally Christians. All have left their mark on this town that houses a rich heritage legacy, such as that exhibited in the Archaeological Museum, located in the old Council House and in the Fajardo Palace.
It contains cave paintings that are more than four thousand years old. They are found in the Peña Rubia massif, a limestone mass of geological interest, and which reflects an image of a funerary nature, quite rare in Levantine cave art. This space was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1998.
You cannot leave Cehegín without visiting the lost city of Begastri. Of Iberian foundation and later episcopal status, it has one of the oldest paleochristian crosses in Europe. The Begastri Cross, symbol of the city, and which anticipates the pilgrimage to Caravaca de la Cruz. The site was discovered thanks to the excavations of the old railway tracks, which today lead to the greenway, and which are also distributed between farmhouses, palaces and homes, where we can see remains of ancient columns of the site and ashlars embedded between the buildings. Renaissance. In the historic quarter of Cehegín we can even find the remains of an old synagogue, testimony to the cultural wealth and fusion of the societies that enjoyed this land.
Blanca, the green heart of the Ricote Valley
Blanca, nestled between the Sierra de la Pila and the Ricote Valley, offers a surprising biodiversity in its natural spaces. It is the ideal space for hiking tourism, with routes that can be traveled all year round.
The Sierra de la Pila, with its vast forest massif of Aleppo pines and holm oaks, is home to a variety of wildlife, from birds of prey such as Bonelli’s eagle to mammals such as wild boar and fox. The riverside forests of the Segura River are home to kingfishers and otters, while the river beach of El Arenal is a haven of peace amidst the natural hustle and bustle. With its crystal-clear waters and wooded surroundings, El Arenal invites you to get in touch with nature, becoming an oasis of serenity in the heart of Blanca.
The urban area of the municipality also has much to offer. The Blanca Castle, an imposing medieval fortress, rises above the town like a guardian of the past, offering impressive panoramic views. The parish church of San Juan Evangelista, with its baroque architecture, is a symbol of artistic splendor. The Old Bridge, of Roman origin, is an architectural jewel that connects the past to the present. The stately homes and cobbled streets are silent witnesses to the history and cultural legacy of this Murcian town. In every corner of Blanca you can breathe the legacy of past generations, honoring its unique identity.
Caravaca de la Cruz, beyond the jubilee year
Gastronomy, nature and tradition come together in Caravaca de la Cruz. It is generally a city known for its religious tourism, but it has much more to offer. The Jubilee Year of Caravaca de la Cruz, granted in perpetuity by the Pope of Rome, is celebrated every seven years and attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims in search of the True Cross of Caravaca and its lignum crucis.
In the Strait of La Encarnación, a natural passage dug by the Quípar River, you can see the remains of the patrimonial legacy of different cultures from the most remote times. Hidden in this town is Cueva Negra, one of the most important Lower Paleolithic archaeological sites on the continent, where the biface and fire made by the oldest hominids in Europe, approximately 850,000 years old, have been discovered. A place like few others since the dawn of time.
The Fuentes del Marqués area, declared a historical site, is one of the great attractions of the municipality of Caravaca de la Cruz. This area is a natural park on the outskirts of the city, just over two kilometres away. It can be accessed either by Avda de los Andenes (by car), then following the Camino de Mayrena, or by following the Camino del Huerto, if you prefer to walk.
The two routes converge in “El Molinico”; from there, the route is unique until “Las Fuentes del Marqués”, located at the foot of the Sierra del Gavilán and Buitre. The particular microclimate of the area, characterized by the presence of water, gives the biotic and physical environment a special peculiarity, with a large number of animal and plant species found in a small area that give the area a clear uniqueness.
The springs from which the water flows are located at the end of this long area and are commonly known as Sartènes, large and small. The first mentions of the place are due to the Arab geographer AI-Himyari, who lived between the 13th and 14th centuries.
