Murcia Province

The Murcia region offers a tantalising choice of landscapes and sights, ranging from the chill-out beaches and captivating coves of the Costa Cálida to the medieval magic of its towns. The ancient port of Cartagena has a magnificent array of Roman and Carthaginian ruins, while Murcia is a buzzy regional capital with pleasant parks and a cracking eating scene. Earthquake-damaged Lorca has bounced right back and its lovely old town is looking superb again. To appreciate fully the unspoiled hinterland, you will need your own wheels.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Murcia Province.

Castle
Castillo Fortaleza del Sol
The town’s castle, high over town, is an impressive place, a huge medieval complex characterised by two towers. The basic entry includes an audio guide and access to the Torre del Espolón, reconstructed after the earthquake, various cisterns and ramparts as well as exhibition spaces.The handsome Torre Alfonsina and the reconstructed synagogue plus ruins of the Jewish quarter can be visited twice or more daily by recommended guided tour (€4 each). A combined €10 entrance fee includes both tours.
Museum
Museo de Bordados del Paso Azul
Attached to the San Francisco monastery, this is the modern museum of the Azul (Blue) Holy Week brotherhood, and gives an excellent idea of what Semana Santa means to the locals. As well as stirring videos and background information, the marvellous costumes are on display. If you go on a weekday, you may find people at work on them in the embroidery workshop upstairs – a great chance to see the work up close.
Historic Building
Real Casino de Murcia
Murcia’s resplendent casino first opened as a gentlemen’s club in 1847. Painstakingly restored to its original glory, the building is a fabulous combination of historical design and opulence, providing an evocative glimpse of bygone aristocratic grandeur. Beyond the decorative facade are a dazzling Moorish-style patio; a classic English-style library with 20,000 books; a magnificent ballroom with glittering chandeliers; and a compelling tocador (ladies' powder room) with a ceiling fresco of cherubs, angels and an alarming winged woman in flames.
Church
Colegiata de San Patricio
This stately and beautiful gem of a church presides in golden-stone majesty over Lorca's central square. The sober and handsome triple-tiered baroque facade conceals a triple-naved interior Renaissance interior with a fine altarpiece and other paintings. It was heavily damaged in the 2011 earthquake and only reopened recently. Work is still underway; as well as reconstruction, it's been a process of investigation, because the disaster's silver lining was the discovery of previously unknown paintings and crypts. Buy tickets in the adjacent tourist office.
Museum
Museo del Teatro Romano
This impressive complex was designed by top Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. The tour transports visitors from the initial museum on Plaza del Ayuntamiento, via escalators and an underground passage beneath the ruined cathedral, to the recently restored Roman theatre dating from the 1st century BC. The layout of the museum is minimalist, taking you back through Cartagena’s fascinating layers of urban history with a careful selection of statuary, pottery and other artefacts.
Cathedral
Catedral de Santa María
Murcia’s cathedral was built in 1394 on the site of a mosque. The initial Gothic architecture was given a playful baroque facelift in 1748, with a stunning facade facing on to the plaza. The 15th-century Capilla de los Vélez is a highlight; the chapel’s flutes and curls resemble icing. The Museo Catedralicio displays religious artefacts, but is most noteworthy for the excavations on display.
Square
Plaza de España
The highlight of the old town is a group of baroque buildings around Plaza de España, including the Pósito, a 16th-century former granary; the 18th-century Casa del Corregidor; and the town hall. Lording over the square is the golden limestone Colegiata de San Patricio, finally reopened in 2017 after substantial damage in the 2011 earthquake.
Museum
Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática
This excellent, attractive space delves into the depths of the fascinating world of underwater archaeology. It starts off by explaining the work of those delvers in the deep and then sails on into the maritime history and culture of the Mediterranean. There’s lots of old pots, flashy lights, buttons to press, films to watch and a replica Phoenician trading ship to marvel over.
Beach
Cuatro Calas
The big draw in the Águilas area is the Cuatro Calas a few kilometres southwest of town. These four coves are largely unmolested by tourist development (though they get very busy in summer) and have shimmering waters that merge into desert rock: about as perfect as you’ll find on the Spanish Med coast.