Costa Cálida - Activities
The Murcia Region offers its visitors many possibilities for leisure:
1- For its privileged CLIMATE, present year round, that allows its visitors to enjoy nature, the beaches, nautical sports and the numerous street markets.
- Protected Natural Areas: these are diverse natural environments where visitors can enjoy landscapes of the region
- Regional Parks
- Sierra Espuña
- Salt Flats and Arenales de San Pedro
- Natural Preservations
- Thickets and Forests in the Ribera de Cañaverosa
- Protected Landscapes
- Sierra de las Moreras
- Mar Menor Island
- Other Natural Spaces
- Mediterranean Coast Islands
- Almadenes Canyon
- Street Markets: the taste for these types of open air shops is very popular in the Mediterranean area, which undoubtedly is favoured by the climate. These are made of stands that are installed on certain days that sell a variety of new and used articles, sold at lower prices than conventional shopping centres. These markets attract the delight of visitors that find them unusual. Some examples in the area are:
- Abarán. Lloro Bazaar
- Ph: 968 770 040
Dates and times: no fixed schedule. Occasionally on the fourth Sunday of every month during the months of January through May or during Christmas.
Products: cured meats and sausages, cheeses, bread, honey, crafts, ceramics, esparto grass products, etc...
It is complemented by shows and food tasting.
- Bullas. Zacatín Bazaar
- Ph: 968 652 244
Dates and times: first Sunday of every month all year long. From 9 to 14.
Products: ceramic, metals, wooden products, fabrics, ecological agriculture, honey, bread, sweets, wines, cheeses, cured meats and sausages, natural cosmetic products, jarapas rugs, miniatures, esparto grass products, etc...
There are different crafts demonstrations each month starting at 11.30, that bring back some of the old and forgotten trades. In addition, there are several gastronomic dates to appeal the senses with honey extraction, distillation of aromatic plants...
- Caravaca De La Cruz. Corredera Craftsmanship Bazaar
- Ph: 968 701 003
Dates and times: third Sunday of every month, except July and August. From 10 to 14
Products: nougats and sweets, baked goods, cheeses, cured meats and sausages, carpentry, bee keeping, woodwork, wicker, puppets and jarapas rugs.
- Cehegín. El Mesoncico Craftsmanship Bazaar
- Ph: 968 740 400
Dates and times: last Sunday of each month from September to May. From 10.30 to 14. Closed June and July. In August, it opens on the last Saturday with an evening schedule from 21.30 to 1.
Products: sweets, salted meat and fish, cured meats and sausages, embroidery, carved wood, esparto grass products, handcrafts, costume jewellery, spirits, cheeses, homemade bread, oil, honey, paté and medicinal plants.
- Cieza. Friars' Bazaar
- Ph: 968 453 500
Dates and times: first Sunday of each month from October to May. From 9 to 14.
Products: olives from Cieza, artisan bread, cured meats and sausages, cheeses, forged metals, esparto grass products, rustic furniture, handcrafts, sweets and nougats, fabrics, skins and games of skill.
Between 28 and 32 stands. Street atmosphere with bands, choirs and dances. Live crafts demonstrations.
- Murcia. Barriomar Craftsmanship Bazaar
- Ph: 968 358 749
Dates and times: last Sunday of every month all year long. From 10 to 14.
Products: baked goods, cheeses, cured meats and sausages, bee keeping, handcrafts, esparto grass products, etc...
- Murcia. Xarrat Craftsmanship Bazaar
- Ph: 968 305 186
Dates and times: second Sunday of every month, in the mornings.
Products: baked goods, cheeses, cured meats and sausages, sweets, esparto grass products, paintings, ceramics, sculptures, cosmetics...
2- For its HISTORY of the region, present in thousands of Roman relics, museums and monuments.
- ?The heritage of the Region of Murcia offers its visitors endless traces of its past due to:
- Its intense historical tradition
- The superimposition of cultures
- Its condition of frontier land and as a transit between the Flat Lands and Andalusia
- Its significance as a strategic Mediterranean enclave
All of its cultural, historic, artistic and architectural heritage can be enjoyed by visiting any of its monuments or thematic areas in the extensive network of museums found in the Region.
The Autonomous Community of Murcia offers an extensive cultural panorama with an extensive infrastructure of facilities:
- 36 museums and collections
- 8 theatres
- Auditorium
- Convention Centre
- 33 locations dedicated to fairs and competitions
The broad history of this region has preserved an ample Artistic Heritage:
- Ten historic-artistic collections
- Pre-historic ruins of the Dolmen of Bagil
- Cave paintings in the Monigotes Cave in Calasparra, on the banks of the Segura river.
- In Cartagena there are numerous ruins from the Roman period, roads, public buildings and a magnificent theatre and amphitheatre.
- From the early days of Christianity remains a Paleo-Christian basilica in Algezares and the ruins of a Visigoth-Roman city of Begastri.
- The Islamic presence left traces all over Murcia's geography. Among them is the Ancient City of Medina Siyasa, located in Cieza.
- The medieval Christian Murcia is represented by many castles: the Alfonsina Tower in Lorca, the fortress erected by the Order of Santiago in Moratalla and the defensive bastion in Aledo.
- During the Renaissance, many religious buildings were erected: the Religious School of San Patricio in Lorca and the Mudejar "artesonado" (or coffered) ceiling of the Saint of Totana.
- The splendour of the Baroque Age is demonstrated by civil buildings such as the Almudi, an old "grain depository" that today is an art centre of the City of Murcia, or the jetty, a retention wall that was built to contain overflow from the Segura river. Among the religious constructions stand out are the Jeronimos Monastery, the Sanctuary of Vera Cruz's baroque façade made of red marble, located in Caravaca, and the Palace of Guevara in Lorca.
- The Periods of Neoclassicism and Modernism are exemplified in the Casino of Murcia, the exceptional collection of buildings throughout Cartagena and the most beautiful modern market in La Union.
- The Cathedral of Murcia deserves its own chapter because its construction lasting 600 years has resulted in a hybrid of architectural styles. Its magnificent Tower, 92 metres high, is the most recognizable symbol of the city.
Network of Museums
The different artistic displays are exhibited in the network of art galleries of the region, comprised of the archaeological museums of Murcia, Lorca, Jumilla, Calasparra, Caravaca, Yecla, Cehegin, Cieza and Mula. This last one offers one of the best collections of Iberian art in the country. In addition, Cartagena has a Maritime Archaeological Museum.
Other aspects of this community's traditions and cultural displays are exhibited in:
- Murcia's Museum of Art, the first regional art gallery
- The collections of sacred art at the Cathedral of Murcia, Caravaca, Cehegin and Moratalla
- The Naval Museum of Cartagena
- Mining Museum of La Union
- The Ethnology Centre of La Huerta, next to the capital city
- The Museum of Wine "Juan Carcelen" in the wine-growing town of Jumilla
- And the museums located in the city of Murcia: the Science museum, the museum dedicated to the painter Ramon Gaya, and the museum dedicated to the magnificent sculptor Salzillo.
This community's wealth of artisanship, with more than 400 workshops, can be experienced in the Crafts Centres of Murcia, Lorca and Cartagena, where products of various trades are exhibited: clay ceramics, elaborate products made from esparto grass, carpets, silversmithing, embroidery and nativity scenes.
Cultural Displays
Among the most important cultural activities are:
- Mining Songs Festival, competition that brings together enthusiasts of flamenco singing to the mining town of La Union
- "Other Music" Festival, held during the summer in Cartagena
- International Mediterranean Folk Festival
- International Theatre, Music and Dance Festival in San Javier
- In addition, there is a wide array of shows coinciding with the local holidays and the summer season
3- And for the famous Mediterranean GASTRONOMY, that can be enjoyed anywhere in the region.
