The Region of Murcia is a southern autonomous community of Spain surrounded by Andalusia, the Valencian Community and Castile La Mancha and bordered by the Mediterranean Sea.
The region has a dry Mediterranean climate and is made up of a great variety of mountain landscapes, plains and valleys crossed by long rivers, which allow people to practice sports such as hiking, caving, climbing, cycling, horseback riding, hunting and fishing.
Along the Murcian coast, called Costa Cálida, there are large white sand beaches with transparent waters and others smaller, with coves and rocky cliffs, and the largest natural lagoon in the country, the Albufera del Mar Menor. A saltwater lagoon separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a strip of sand called La Manga del Menor.
Also, the Region of Murcia has small volcanic islands in the Mar Menor.
As regards to tourism is mainly concentrated on the coast where there are protected natural areas such as the Regional Park of las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, but also inland, in the area of the Regional Park of Carrascoy y El Valle.
The region is a major producer of fruit, vegetables, preserves, paprika, flowers and wine with Designation of Origin, and its capital is the city of Murcia. In the past centuries it also played a very important role in the production and trade of silk; in craftsmanship that is currently concentrated in the Lorca and Murcia area, and in sacred art, thanks to the impressive sculptures by Francisco Salzillo.
As for the historical and cultural heritage, in the region there are rock paintings of the Palaeolithic; archaeological remains of ancient civilizations, for example the Roman theatre in the city of Cartagena; castles and fortresses from the Arab era in the city of Murcia, which played a very important role during the Muslims dominations; and architectural styles of civil and religious buildings of the last conquerors, the Christians, of which some magnificent examples are in the cities of Murcia and Cartagena.
Gastronomy and traditional festivals are two hallmarks of the region. Among the main ingredients of typical local dishes there are vegetables, rice, meat and fish. For example, the Pastel de carne is a very delicious savoury meat pie that people can taste in the city of Murcia, and the crespillos are famous in the cities of Cartagena and Lorca.
Finally, Holy Week festivals of Lorca, Cartagena and Murcia and the Spring Festivals that take place in the city of Murcia are two highly anticipated events that allow people to deepen the local culture and have fun at the same time.
Among the cities of the Region of Murcia to visit there are:
- Cartagena: a coastal city that has very ancient origins dating back to the first centuries BC, and which later became an important Roman colony. Currently in the city people can see many monuments that still keep alive its strong link with the different cultures who lived there. Furthermore Cartagena has two beaches; churches in baroque and neoclassical style; modernist style buildings; museums of art, archaeology, naval and many others; unmissable festivals such as Carthaginians and Romans and the Holy Week; and it also has an exceptional gastronomy with traditional dishes based on rice, fish or meat, and fresh and genuine ingredients. Read more about Cartagena here.
- Lorca: the “City of the 100 shields” (Ciudad de los cien escudos) for its important heraldic heritage is an inland city famous for its castle, architecture and the Holy Week processions. It also has museums, churches and convents where traces of its past are preserved. To find out more about the local history and culture, read more about Lorca here.
- Murcia: its origin dates back to the first millennia before Christ. It was an important silk producer and in its gastronomy there are delicious dishes that conquer even the most demanding palates. To know more about the city of Murcia, which preserves the heart and bowels of the late King of Castile and Leon Alfonso X the Wise, in the main altar of the Cathedral, read here.
