A guide to the Spanish region of Murcia

Murcia is the name for both the autonomous community/region and of its capital city. As part of southern Spain, Murcia remained in Moorish hands far longer than the central and northern reaches of the country, and this shows in the city's ancient architecture. The remnants of the city's medieval walls are distinctly Islamic, as are some of the city's older buildings. However, the bulk of the old core, and especially the churches, are Baroque in origin.

Elsewhere in Murcia is Caravaca de la Cruz, with its Sanctuary of the Santísima y Vera Cruz. Originally a Moorish fortress, it was occupied by numerous Christian forces during the Reconquista, including the Templars. Eventually, the building was remodelled into a church. The current facade is only a few centuries old, but the interior is much older and bears features marking all of its previous owner. Lorca is home to a famous castle with 10th century origins. Fans of ancient Rome will love the city of Cartagena, which began life as the Punic city of New Carthage (Carthago Nova in Latin). The ruins there include Punic ramparts, fine colonades and a restored 1st century A.D. Roman amphitheatre.

However, most people go to Murcia city (and region) for the beaches. Several miles of beaches stretch out along the coast from town. As Murcia is not quite as much of a beach tourism magnet as Valencia or Catalonia yet, some of these beaches are still undeveloped and free of hotels and resorts. Outside the city of Murcia are more outdoor attractions, such as the Paredes de Leiba. A solid, wall-like cliff half a kilometre long and roughly 70 meters tall, Paredes de Leiba offers rock climbing routes that are suitable for novices and hardened veterans alike. The region is also home to a lagoon known as Mar Menor. Extremely buoyant due to its high salinity, and never more than 7 meters deep, the conditions of the lagoon are such that it is considered among the best places in Europe to practice numerous water sports.

Murcian cuisine shows a mixture of local dishes with mainstream Spanish cooking, as well as imports from surrounding regions. One is just as likely to see zarangollo, a mix between ratatouille and an omelette, on the menu as a seafood paella. Other dishes on the menu might include arroz y conejo (rabbit rice), concido relleno (meat and vegetable gumbo) and chuletas al ajo cabañil (lamb chops in garlic).

Murcia-San Javier Airport is serviced by a handful of budget airlines, including EasyJet and Ryanair. Cartagena is a port-of-call for some cruise ships, so it is possible to end a cruise in Murcia and keep on travelling. A third alternative is to fly to Barcelona or a regional airport in Andalusia and take either a train or a bus into Murcia.