Lorca, a baroque city in the Murcia region

Lorca is a beautiful town in the Murcia region .
At the feet of a fortress it is a different way for you to meet the Spanish history.
In the past, in 1964 the  old center was declared a town of Historical and Artistic interest.
By many visitors ii is called the ” baroque city” .
Due to the large heritage of the baroque period.

Lorca
Lorca

Situation of Lorca

Lorca is located between the mountains of Calo de los Enamorados and Penarrubia.

It is a an hour drive from the city of Murcia. So a day trip to Murcia is worthwhile.

A day trip to Murcia for its fine buildings, riverside walks and excellent dining is worthwhile.

We went to Lorca for a weekend, and we enjoyed every minute of the 48 hours.

Adventuring in the countryside, visiting small towns and villages and sampling the local produce is a popular pursuit.
Also an hour drive to the beaches Cartagena or Mazarron and the blue Mediterranean Sea.
The beach of Aguilas is also very popular by the locals and a half hour drive from the city.

Furthermore, the lovely city is approximately 1.30 hour drive from the Airport of Almeria.
Or 1 hour 30 minutes from San Javier Airport Murcia .
And from Alicante, El altet airport  1 hour 45 minutes.

Lorca Baroque city
Lorca Baroque city

Climate

Indeed it is a typical Mediterranean climate.
The weather is splendid, it is the south of Spain.
The nearby coast is the Costa Calida, the warm coast.
So the winters are very smooth. The spring and the autumn are excellent to travel. The summer is very hot.
Nearly every day , there is the sun.
Also, it is protected by the surrounding mountains.
In 1986 the WHO recommended the climate as one of the most equitable in the world.

 

History of Lorca

From the roman times , till now a variety of cultures came to the town.
Now, the many archaeological sites are the witness. To sum up : The Milaria Column from the Roman Age, The Alfonsina tower, the San Antonio Porch or gate…

The medieval fortress.

The most impressive is the  medieval fortress.
The Lorca castle  has been for centuries the border between the Moors and the Christians.

So we recommend it  strongly to start your visit of the City with the castle.
The  entrance is 5 €. Including an audio guide in English, French, Spanish….
The opening hours are from 10:30 till 19:30 from Monday till Sunday.

Lorca Castle
Lorca Castle

In the old center of the town, the narrow cobbled streets and the many plaza’s are very popular.

The Archaeological Museum.

The town has a fine Archaeological Museum.
The three roman milestones are exhibited. You can also see the oldest reminds from the Paleolithic to the Medieval Times.
The entrance  is free .
The opening hours are from 10:00 till 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:00.
From Tuesday to Saturday.

Lorca Museo Arqueologico
Lorca Museo Arqueologico

Visitors center

Built on a the remains  near the medieval wall of Lorca is the visitor center.
Indeed, at the permanent exhibition you can learn more about the history of Lorca, its habitats, its traditions and its territory.
You can find everything to start to love the city and its spirit of baroque.

The palace of Guevara

The palace was built-in the 17th century. It constitutes one of the best examples of the Civil baroque Art of Spain.
The entrance is free.

And the opening hours are  from Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 19:30.

Lorca Palace of Guevara
Lorca Palace of Guevara

 Las Alamedas

This garden is  the largest green area in the city. It is considered as one of the most important places in Lorca.

Lorca Alamedas
Lorca Alamedas

The Alamedas were created in the 18th century. It is a large walking garden with little bars and children play gardens.
Nearby the garden is the bullring and the railway station. This location shows the importance in the 19th century of the Alamedas gardens.
We did make several walks into beautiful garden to go to our hotel who was nearby.

Lorca Bullring
Lorca Bullring

 

Markets of Lorca

The markets are a part of the history of Lorca. In the past, in the 15th century the king granted a free market.  With even a pig market. Yes, pigs are popular is Spain , because of the excellent ” Jamon”.

Nowadays  the weekly market is every Thursday. There are also two food markets one at the Plaza de las Hortalizas and one at the Explanada de la Estacion.

Shopping

Like anywhere in Spain , there are department stores of the Spanish branches. For example: Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Cortefiel, Lefties, … You find them in the main street but also in the shopping center ” Parque Almenara”.
Of course there are also many fine boutiques and local arts and craft shops .

The countryside

For the lovers of walking and running there are in the countryside great opportunities.
We will try the “Ruta del Cajo de los Enamorados ” of the lovers .
If you are prefer easy cycling there are many quit rural roads in the countryside.
For the more trained ones , there are pretty routes up in the hills and the mountains with splendid views.
In the high mountain you can also hang gliding. If you want to try it, place to be is the top of the Penarubia.

Cuisine of Lorca

The Murcia region is fertile with a large range of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Rice is also very popular here. Rice is a basic ingredient for the region cuisine and gastronomy.
The Mediterranean Sea with the fish and sea food is just a drive away.
So take the mix of fish and  the meat of the mountains and you become the cuisine of Lorca.

To sum up some dishes : “Arroz Marninero” ( seafood ) , “Paelle Huertana ( vegetable paella ), ” Arroz con conejo” ( rabbit ).
Try also the “potaje ” a rich stew and  also the Caldo Murciano ( soup dish). The local caviar is called ” Huevas de Mujol. They are all culinary specialty of the Murcia region.

Lorca Huevas de Mujol
Lorca Huevas de Mujol

 

 

 

 

 

We went to a superb “Taberna” to enjoy a racion de Jamon with bread, a nice local wine  and the local olives. Furthermore the owner treated us also with free little home made tapa’s. Life is good at Lorca.

Lorca Jamon
Lorca Jamon

 

So, Lorca is a very nice city  and sure worth the visit.

 

InterContinental Murcia

In the first place , the InterContinental Murcia Mar Menor Golf Resort and Spa is a luxury resort.
This hotel is situated in the region of Murcia.

InterContinental Murcia
InterContinental Murcia

As Murcia is located in the south east of Spain, between Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol the weather is very good.
This part of the Spanish coast is also called Costa Calida. Indeed this means the warm coast.

Indeed, the climate is a Mediterranean climate. As a result very warm summers and the others season are  very smooth .

 

The resort.

Again, the InterContinental Murcia Mar Menor resort is beautiful.
Equally important is that most of the rooms have a stunning view on the landscaped outdoor pool and the golf. Specifically  f
or the experts: it is a 18 hole golf course.
During the time while the ladies are enjoying the treatments in the Spa, the men can have a great day playing golf. Or visa versa.

 

Intercontinental Murcia Mar Menor Spain
Spa at the Intercontinental Murcia Mar Menor Spain
Intercontinental Murcia Mar Menor
Intercontinental Murcia Mar Menor

Further on , there are 64 luxury rooms.
In the spacious suites , you find everything you need and most of them have private balconies.

Indeed , in the InterContinental there is also a luxury Spa. This Spa got an indoor pool and a lot of wellness treatments.
The best is that this treatments are holistic. As a result that the caring is a total caring of head and  This total luxury caring is personalized with excellent trained employees.
The Spa Treatments can be for example  an Ayurveda treatment, a hot stone treatment, body massages, body wraps or intensive facial cares.

The resort is a place where you can combine the best of pleasure with sports, spa  and culture.
Naturally this 
 5 star hotel is fabulous and very good maintained.

Rooms.

First all the  rooms are lovely, with spacious bathrooms. Some rooms have a Jacuzzi.
Then , the beds are very comfortable and the pillows very good.
Next, all the rooms have English TV stations and free WiFi.
And on the balcony you can have a fantastic view on the resort.

intercontinental Rooms
intercontinental Rooms

Restaurants.

Consequently,there are different restaurants like a Mediterranean restaurant, an Italian restaurant and a Japanese restaurant.
In fact, there are excellent and correct prized. Consequently, the Mediterranean restaurant is specialized in Murcian traditional cuisine. The traditional local rice dishes are delicious.

Now, one of the topper is the breakfast buffet, nearly brunch.  As a result, that  the visitor gets a  wide range of choice. After all this luxury star resort have to  please the many nationalities. Indeed, if you go to the Intercontinental in Murcia, take your time to enjoy it.

In sum, the InterContinental resort is a really oasis of tranquility and peace.
As you can see , on the photo, the outdoor pool is very large and with a beautiful view on the hotel.
Additionally , in the summer season, the terrace pool is also available. So you can nip your tasty cocktail in the pool.

InterContinental pool
InterContinental pool

 

 

Even if it is a high range hotel, it’s still a Spanish hotel.
The excellent staff nationality is Spanish leading to the level of English spoken is good. At the reception it is of a good level.

Golf Intercontinental Mar Menor Murcia
Golf Intercontinental

 

Business center .

In addition for the business people there are different meetings rooms with a capacity until 250 persons.

A business center is open from 7.00 to 23.00.

 

 

 

Golf Intercontinental Murcia

They  said that the golf at the golf courses of the InterContinental in Murcia is the best golf experiences in the region.
Because the Irm Golf experience is a designed by Nicklaus design-Golf Courses. This label stands for the highest design and quality standards in the Golf world.

The experience is not only at the InterContinental Murcia but also offers courses at the Mar Menor, La Torre , Saurines , El Valle and Alhama.
So this turns the region of Murcia into one of the best golf destinations of Europe.

 

This label stands for a  high level of service quality. But also for a high level of maintenance  of the golf courses.
This level reflects in the choice of the hotels with the same high standards. The intercontinental in Murcia.

 

 

 

How to get to the Intercontinental Murcia? 

Hotel InterContinental Mar Menor.
Calle Ceiba s/n.
30700 Torre Pacheco.
Murcia.
Espana.

 

From the airport of San Javier Murcia.
It is a 15 minutes drive or 15 km.

First follow the highway A30 from Murcia to Cartagena.
Then, take the exit , when you get to a roundabout take the exit Jimenado, Torre Pacheco, Los Alcazares.
Next, at the next roundabout turn left toward the town of Alcazares.
At last, on your left you will see the entrance for the Intercontinental.

From Alicante airport to the Intercontinental.
it is an hour drive or 90 km.

First, take the highway AP 7 towards Cartagena .
Then, take the exit 790, Torre Pacheco, Los Alcazares.
Next, at the next roundabout take the right turn towards Torre Pacheco. Then on the third roundabout take the left turn.
At last,  continue straight ahead until you see the entrance of the Intercontinental at your left.

In addition, the hotel is reached by passing a guarded gate, which give you an instant feeling of luxury and safety.

The way to enter with the car, is to press the buzzer at the ticker machine. At that moment a picture is made from your car.  From now the car is in a controlled resort safer than every where else.  Then the barrier lifts and you can drive up the alley to the front of the resort. The view of the front is impressive.

To conclude ,your stay in in this hotel will be a superb experience.

 Tips for trips.

South of  InterContinental you can visit the nearby city of Cartagena with his old Roman theater.
East of the resort is  Murcia city with the famous Cathedral and enjoy the real Spanish life.

 
 

Murcia Shopping Centres

Murcia Shopping Centres.
The place to be is for shopping is Murcia. Because it offers lots of shopping center in the region and around the city.
In fact, there are even coaches that especially go to Murcia Shopping Centres. Find out more here on Your Spain.
Indeed, Murcia is the biggest city and shares its name with the province.
While, Murcia is about an hour and half drive from Torrevieja. And one hour from Orihuela La Zenia.
The city is perfect to visit when the weather lets you down or more often if  you just want to escape the heat.
Also worth checking out is Orihuela Costa : La Zenia Boulevard Shopping Centre. It is one of the biggest shopping centres in the area. It is bigger than the Thader Shopping Centre and has a Primark and Alcampo.

List of Murcia Shopping Centres.

Nueva Condomina Murcia.

This Murcia Shopping Centers is located on the north side of Murcia.
In fact, the shopping center is very popular among the British population.They love to visit the Irish Primark.

Adress.
Centro Commercial Nueva Condomina.
Autovia A  7.
Murcia 30110.

Parking facilities.
Underground.

Opening hours :
Monday: 10.00 till 22.00.
Tuesday: 10.00 till 22.00.
Wednesday: 10.00 till 22.00.
Thursday: 10.00 till 22.00.
Friday: 10.00 till 22.00.
Saturday: 10.00 till 22.00.
Sunday: closed.

Accept all mayor payments types.

Primark Murcia.

Now, the Primark in Murcia is popular. Indeed, low prices of clothes and big choice.
In fact , this often joined by tourists with the Ikea and Murcia City Centre.
Side by side with the Primark is located in the Nueva Condomina Shopping Centre.

Primark Opening Hours.

The openings-hours of the  Primark  are :  daily from 10 in the morning till 10 in the evening.
Instead it is closed on Sunday and other Spanish holidays.
Check the Spanish holidays for 2016 .

Centro Comercial Aguilas Plaza.

In addition, Aguilas plaza is one of the other Murcia Shopping Centres . It is a very nice shopping center with even a cinema in the shopping zone.
As a result, that this make the mall ideal for a nice evening of shopping. And then end it  the day with a nice movie.
In fact, shops are open 365 days a year.
Stores are open from Monday Till Sunday from 10 o’clock till 22:00.

 El Corte Ingles.

Naturally, El Corte Ingles is probably one of the best known Murcia Shopping Centres . This shopping mall has many branches in Spain and is the biggest department store of Europe. As they offer a range of products from Perfume to Electronics. In fact, it is simular  with the french “Lafayette”.
The best is, there are two Corte Ingles department stores in Murcia. They  are even located on the same road.
In particular, the department store offers a range of branches located across the floors.

Opening Hours : From 10 in the morning till 22. Closed on Sunday.
Address: 
Avenida de la Libertad, 1  Murcia.

 Ikea Murcia.

Ikea Murcia Shopping Centres
In particu Ikea Murcia Shopping Centres

S

Indeed, the Swedish retailer Ikea has opened an enormous store in Murcia near the Thader Commercial Park. Lots of people go to this Ikea because it is the only one in the region.
Even buses advertise and organize special trips to Ikea, allowing passenger to carry some of their shopping on the bus.
With a collection of more than 12.000 products to choose from and serving delicious meatballs in their restaurant it’s definitely worth a visit. In fact,  chances are small that you leave without buying something.

It’s also worth buying an Ikea Family card . In other words this give you a free coffee and discounts on lots of furniture and meals.

The shop also offers a delivery service. After all, this is handy when you don’t have a big car and bought some big furniture. Prices of delivery are reasonably cheap and are more interesting than renting a truck for yourself.

Ikea Address: Thader Commercial Park Avenue D. Juan de Borbón, s / n30110 MURCIA.

Opening hours: Monday till Saturday from 9:00 till  21:30  but beware of the holiday and banking days in Murcia.

There is also an Ikea in Valencia and they will build an Ikea in Alicante.

Other shopping centres in Murcia.

Thader Centro Commercial.

Thader Murcia Shopping Centres
Thader Murcia Shopping Centres

 

 

 

 

 

 

The largest mall is Parque Comercial Thader .This is one of the biggest of Murcia Shopping Centres. With a size of 67.000 square meters of shops and offer 8500 parking spots. Thader has a cinema located in the Shopping centre.
You find the mall next to the Ikea. So it is perfectly possible to combine both.
In the Thader Shopping Centre is also an Alcampo. There is also various sport shops like the Intersport or the Decathlon.
For instance, Murcia Shopping Centres Thader also offers a place for electric vehicles to recharge.
In the past, during the financial crisis many shops went bankrupt in Thader or moved away.
Now  there are many new shops.

In brief, its is still one of the better Malls in Murcia.

Thader Opening Hours:
09:00 till 22:00. Closed on Sunday
Address :  Avenida Juan de Borbón, Churra, Murcia.

Dos Mares.

Furthermore, Dos Mares is also a Murcia Shopping Centres. You find it  in the Murcia region nearby the San Javier Airport.
The nearby Decathlon is open 365 day a year .
The supermarket that you can find in Dos Mares is an Eroski.
The mall “Dos mares” has about 70  shops and about 16 restaurants. Furthermore a cinema and bowling.
In fact, the restaurants located in the Shopping Centre are the same as in the other centre. To sum up, there is a Burger King, 500 Montaditos and a Lizarran. In addition , there is also an large electronic store called “Worten”.

Dos Mares Cinema.

Again Dos mares has one cinema with 8 rooms with digital and 2 with 3D. They have Spanish movies with English sub titles.

 Dos Mares Bowling.

In addition there is also a bowling.
Address: Mares Dos-37 Exit 777 N-332 30730 San Javier (Murcia).

Telephone number :968 547 047.

Also in the new Paramount Theme park Murcia there will be a shopping centre.

Nearby  Murcia is also “Centro Comercial Y De Ocio Águilas” Plaza, Avenida del Hornillo, Águilas.

Parque Comercial Y De Ocio Almenara, Camino de en Medio, Campillo, Lorca.

One other “Centro Comercial Y De Ocio Las Velas”, Calle Catamarán, 1, Los Narejos, Los Alcázares.

Then there is “Centro Comercial Vega Plaza”, Avenida de Granada, Molina De Segura.

Also the ” Centro Comercial Atalayas”, Calle Molina de Segura, Murcia.

And the ” Centro De Ocio Zigzag”, Avenida Juan Carlos I, Murcia.

Further on the Parque Comercial La Noria (Outlet), Centro Comercial La Noria Outlet Shopping, km5, La Ñora, Murcia.

The Shopping Centre of La Noria is an Outlet Murcia Shopping Centres. It is opened from Monday till Saturday from 10.00 in the morning till 22.00 in the evening.
The Restaurants are kept open until midnight.
In the Outlet center the brand products are heavily discounted.
It can also be  reached by  public transport like the bus and tram. The buses that drive to la Noria are Lines 47,44 and 78. For the tram only tram line L will ride till la Noria.

 

Murcia Spain

Murcia Vieuw
Murcia

Murcia City.

First, the city of Murcia is situated in the province of Andalusia.
In the past , Andalusia is a region with great influence of the Muslims.
So, Murcia was founded by the Moors during the 9 st century.
While, the influence of the Islamic culture has lasted over more than 500 years. And can still be seen today.
Since the foundation of Murcia, the town has been a crossing for several civilizations.
The location on the river, Rio Segura, is important for Murcia.

Furthermore, the coast of the region of Murcia is also known as the” Costa Calida”.  It means the warm coast.
The best is that Murcia is one of the most typical towns in this Spanish region. Together with Cartagena it is a typical Spanish city.
Further, Murcia is the capital of the Murcia region.
Visitors certainly will enjoy your time in Murcia. The Moors have influenced the architecture within the old town.
The old town is very beautiful with churches, museums, narrow streets and many cozy plazas.

Tourist information

It is located in the heart of the city, opposite to the Cathedral.
The place is one of the most important meeting points for tourist and locals. One of the reason, the plaza is full of restaurants and bars.

Guided tours in English.

The tourism department of Murcia offers a series of guided tours in English. And this around some of the region most interesting places.

For example there will be a tour in April  of Torre Pacheco. So participants  will visit this municipality and the famous windmill an it museum.
Visitors will have the possibility to participate in the town of Torre Pacheco to the annual windmill fiesta . So visitors can lean more about the heritage of the town and its culture.

In May there is a guided tour of “ Alahama de Murcia” . This tour focus on the most important points  of the city. The tour visit the places in the urban center.  To sum up : San Lazaro church, Plaza Vieja, El Positon, Tercia house,  Los Martires garden, the town hall of the city and the archaeology museum.
The meeting point is the tourist information office.

Another very interesting tour is the  tour called ” Life in the world of Salt ” . This tour takes you to the  San Pedro regional park in San Pedro del Pinitar. The tours take you to the  park  that crosses the salt lakes. Count  to make a walk for 4 kilometers and about 2 hours . So wear comfortable  footwear and clothes.
You  are in Spain, so bring a sunscreen , a hat and water with you. Do not forget your binoculars to observe the wild life at the Salt lakes.
More information about this tour in  June at the Tourist office.

The further the tourist information offers a ” boat trip”. Indeed  the next tour is a boat crossing of the Mar Menor in June.

 

University.

Murcia Plaza
Murcia Plaza

The City is a university town. It is a witness of a splendid authentic rich Spanish classical heritage . You can explore it at the “ caso antiguo “ or the old city.
From here, explore the plazas and the little narrow streets.
In those streets, you will find interesting art gallery’s, nice shops, and small museums.
The town has an array of beautiful historic buildings and museums.

Before starting a visit to the museums, tourist visit the local tourist information. In the office you can find more information about maps, dates and  opening hours.
Because the opening hours can change depending on the winter or the summer season .
Do not forget the Siesta time. The time to relax.
Some museums offers free guided visits, so it is best to get informed.

The shopping Malls.

So, Murcia has one of the largest shopping areas. It is out-of-town but is consist of two large malls and also Ikea. Everyone likes the Ikea, the locals and the expats. Because is just the same as in their own country.  See shopping in Murcia 
The Nueva Condimima shopping center is set over two floors.
The Thader shopping center also has two floors.
Parking is free for the two shopping malls. So keep it calm and take your time to shop.

The football stadium of Real Murcia.

Is popular by the male tourist .

Terra Nature of Murcia.

Terra Nature is an animal park nearby Murcia. it ha s a twin brother in Benidorm. More about this zoo at Benidorm? Read our page .
The park that has over 50 species of trees and plants and more than 320 animals.

Murcia Terra Natura
Murcia Terra Natura

This zoo is 166 000 square meters is split into two zones.
In particular , the  African Savannah and the Iberian Peninsula.

 

 

In brief, Terra Natura is a new generation Zoo . This is a new concept in habitat design. This design allows you nearly to touch the animals trough barriers  nearly invisible to the human eye.

Read more about the prices and the opening hours at our web page Terra Natura, Murcia. 

 

Aqua Natura Theme Park.

Side by side , is the Aqua nature park is a water park.
Indeed, the park has pools and slides for children from 6 to 66 years old.
So, we think it is a nice day trip for kids and adults.
The water park is very clean. There are plenty of life guards.
There are many possibilities to eat. But you can take your snack and drink with you.

In the water park , there are several shows. Plan your day to you can see the shows. Some of them are really amazing.

The prices depend the season.

Till now the Murcia region remains authentic. So it is the perfect time to discover it.

Exploring Murcia’s old town.

Basilica or Cathedral.

The impressive Basilica or Cathedral of Santa Maria is a good start for a city tour.
It is located in the heart of the city, opposite to the modern local Tourist Office.
The cathedral is nearby the  River Segura and the City Hall. So you can find it at the Plaza de Cardenal Belluga.
It is a busy place full of restaurants, local cafés and shops. It is also the start of the end of the pedestrianized street.

Some say that the Cathedral is not so especially big or does not have the majestic  shape of the  cathedrals in Seville .
But most people see the cathedral as a masterpiece of the Spanish Baroque period.

The construction began in 1385 and was completed nearly 80 years later.
Just like many Spanish religious buildings the cathedral was built  over the remains of a mosque.
As so many other city’s in this region and Andalusia, Murcia was an important  Moorish city.
The city was conquered  by the catholic kings in 1266.

The main entrance of the cathedral is  known as the Gate  of the Apostles or ” Puerta de Los aposteles”. The gate is in the Gothic style.
The bell tower was built between 1520 and 1790. The tower had 25 bells and it was very important for Murcia. It was used to alarm citizens of danger, for flooding and wars. But also for celebration , to inform the people of Murcia  of festivities and weddings .
The interior of the Cathedral is Gothic.
The altar contains  the heart of the one of the most medieval kings.
This as a proof of the love of Alfonso X for the city of Murcia.

One of the most  impressive chapels  is the “Capilla del Marques”. It is considered one of the jewels of the Spanish Gothic architecture.

Cathedral Museum

The cathedral museum is also worth a visit.
The cathedral museum has a collection of religion sculptures and religion altarpieces.

The museum displays some pieces by the  sculptor  Salzillo, religious oil paintings and a part of the remains of the old Mosque.

Both , Cathedral and Museum,  are definitely worth a visit.

Murcia Cathedral

Murcia is the perfect city to walk and to stroll from the one site to the other.
We left the car on the parking under the city hall or  “Ayuntamiento”. This is nearby the river of the Segura, the river of Murcia.
Everything you want to visit and see in this lovely town is within walking distance.
Through narrow streets, we were walking to the “Cathedral of Santa Maria” and the” Episcopal Palace”. They are located in the same place or plaza.
On this plaza you will find the local tourist information.
The Episcopal Palace is made of two parts. The bishops rooms which gives views of the Rio Segura  and the main building  which looks over the Cathedral and the  Plaza.

We enjoyed a Spanish specialty in the well-known cafeteria “Valor”,  who is famous for the great sweet “Churros con chocolate”.

Murcia Churros con Chocolate
Murcia Churros con Chocolate

Churros is a kind of large doughnuts served with heavy hot chocolate.
It is delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

The casino.

Through the “Calle de la Traperia”, we went to the beautiful Casino .

Murcia Casino
Murcia Casino

Now, the Casino is a  private club and a Murcian institution, we had to pay for the visit but it is worth it.
The style is mixed classical and modernist elements.
The entry hall is Moorish patio , influenced by the Alhambra in Granada.

The Casino who is built-in 1847, houses a beautiful Arabic patio, a  library and a Ladies powder room!
But also a splendid Baroque ballroom decorated in the style of Louis XV and private billiards room for the local members of the club.

Murcia Casino
Murcia Casino

 

 

 

Tips Before visiting Murcia.

We went in the eastern vacation. So the time of the year of the ” Semana Santa “.
Murcian people are very devoted, so you need to know that there is a famous ” Semana Santa, the Easter Week. For the locals it is one of the most important weeks full of devotion.
In fact, in the Easter week there are very special holy processions.
Naturally, most of the shops are closed in this week and we did not knew it.
The locals have days off to celebrated the Holy Week or ” Semana Santa”.
So before visiting, always check if there isn’t a local holiday.After all if everything is closed, you van’t not go shopping or visit some museums.

Museums in Murcia.

In fact, there are several interesting and beautiful museums, like the Science Museum or the  Archaeological Museum.

The Sangre Museum houses the procession Holy week sculptures of the 17th to the 20th century. It is owned by the Brotherhood of  the Holy Blood. They are known as the Reds due to the color of the tunics they wear on their Holy Week Parade.

Murcia Museum
Murcia Museum

In other words,the visit to the museum is also the moment to admire a large collection of items  used in the Holy week. Like there are  embroidery, gold, banners, silver and musical instruments.

One of the most important processional images in wood can be found in the Salzillo Museum.

Equal, paintings by Spanish artist from the 16th to the 20th century can be discovered in the Fine arts Museum.

Next, in the Archaeological Museum there is a large collection of Roman, Greek and Moorish artifacts.

Visitor center.

Furthermore, the “Muralla the Murcia” is a visitor center. The center accommodates a section of  the medieval city wall that once surrounded the town. It houses also one of the gates used for centuries to enter the old city.
indeed, the museum learn the visitor about  the most important historical events of Murcia. From the first wall after the foundation in the 9th century and the transformations throughout the history.

Close to the Junterones Palace is located the City Museum. In the museum there are interactive displays. On the displays, you can learn more about the several civilizations that have crossed Murcia the last 2000 years.

Finally, in the San Juan de Dios Church and in its museum you can see various religious woodcarvings.

 

The Rio Segura.

The Rio Segura is a river through the city center.
A walking path runs either side of the river.The “Paseo Del Malecon” near the river Segura is a nice walk out the city and back.
The old bridges over the river, the Rio Segura are called the ” Puente de Pelligros” or Bridge of the pilgrims and the ” Puente  Viejo” or the Old bridge .

Murcia Paseo
Murcia Paseo

Once crossing one of the bridges you arrive in one of Murcia’s popular neighborhoods.
The neighborhood is called ” El Barrio del Carmen”. It is certainly one of the popular by the locals.  The barrio is located on the right bank of the River Segura. It was formed outside the medieval walls of the old city. The first thing to discover is one of the most characteristic spaces of the “Barrio” the ” Plaza de Camachos”.

For the lovers of walking, there are self guided walks for the city described in the Murcia Square booklet. This booklet is  available from the Tourist information Office. The leaflet is available in the different languages.

Furthermore.

The River Mills museum is located in a late 18th century complex of historical interest.
The River Mills is a clear example of the important of the river and the strength of the water.
Those places were important for food and work, were milling grain was an essential part of life.
The building preserves the apparatus  from the day it was active.
It had been restored in the late 1980.
In the library there are exhibitions on the local folklore, the ethnographic and the hydraulic engineering.

Murcia River Mills museum
Murcia River Mills museum

 

 

 

Nearby the university is the Museum of the University, with temporary exhibitions on different themes like arts and science. The museum is inaugurated in 2003 in the former Artillery Barracks.

Aquarium.

A nice visit for families with children is the Aquarium.
The aquarium of the University of Murcia has tanks with fish and corals of the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
And of course learn more about the Mediterranean sea and more especially the Mar Menor. See the page on our website about Mar Menor

For children the Science and Water museum is worth a visit.
Water is the main theme of the Museum, but the building got also a planetarium and a Discovery room.
There is a variety of workshops, exhibitions and courses on a different themes related with water
It has been opened in 1998 on the same place were the old water deposits used to supply Murcia.

For the lovers of ” Carmen” of Bizet, toreadors and picadors : in the bullfighting Museum of Murcia. They see a lot of colorfully posters, costumes of famous bullfighters and materials .
The Museum has a specific library and video collection.

Ramon Gaya  got his own museum in Murcia. He is one the best contemporary local artists.

Murcia Ramon Gaya
Murcia Ramon Gaya

Local craft work is for sale in the Regional Craft Center.

Tip.


The most museums are closed for the siesta which is in the summer from 2 till 5 in the afternoon and in the winter from 2 till 4 .

Shopping in Murcia city center.

The commercial streets are Traperia, Plateria and the avenue Alfonzo X.
There are many local shops but also many well-known shops like the Zara , The Cortes Ingles or Mango.
We even dedicated a page for all the Shopping Centres . or you can even a do a small trip to the Orihuela Costa and La Zenia Boulevard

Eating in Murcia.

In the first place, the city is also famous for its excellent tapas. Murcia serves some of the best food in Spain.
One example , is the  real temptation to spend the whole day between the many tapas bars.
We went to the charming “Plaza des Flores”. In the evening , there are a large number of bars and taverns with great choice of delicious tapas.

For instance , the Plaza des Flores is surrounded by palms and orange trees. In the morning there is a nice flower market.
On the one hand Murcia’s specialty are rice dishes ” Arroz Calder . But don’t forget to taste also , the “Zarangollo” , bean omelet, the “ michirones ” again beans with ham bone. On the other hand the sausage , bacon, bay leaf and pepper, rabbit stew, potatoes with garlic…..
Additionally, the Plaza des Flores is plenty with locals, and there is a great relaxed atmosphere . Indeed, it is the perfect place to sit, relax and enjoy.

Murcia
Murcia

Fruit Market in Murcia.

Indeed, Murcia is well-known for the fruit and market gardens.
You can go to  the famous Veronica market with fresh products straight from the garden.
While , you can taste the fresh “ dates ” on the market. Never tasted dates that were so good.
At the 1st level they sell fish and seafood directly from nearby the Mar Menor.

As you can see, we will surely come back to Murcia, this beautiful authentic lovely Spanish town.