Murcia is a large city in southeastern Spain, 40 km from the Mediterranean Sea, and is the capital of the autonomy of the same name. The city's population is approximately 450 thousand people. The city attracts with its stunning 18th-century Baroque architecture, as well as vibrant religious festivals and folklore.
You can see the beauty of the city from above in this video:
Murcia is located in an arid and hot, but fertile valley on the banks of the Segura River. Thanks to the use of greenhouses, Murcia, referred to as the “Spanish frying pan”, has become the “Spanish greenhouse”, supplying excellent vegetables throughout Spain and even to Europe.
The main advantage of Murcia is the small number of tourists with a high concentration of attractions. No less interesting places are located in the surrounding area - ancient Cartagena, Monteguado Castle, Sierra Espuña Natural Park, etc.
How to get to Murcia
40 km from Murcia there is a small, cozy airport in the city of San Javier, which also receives international flights. Buses run from here to Murcia.
From Alicante
Alicante, which is 81 km from Murcia, is known for the cheapest flights. From here you can get to Murcia by train - the journey takes about 1-1.5 hours, the fare starts from 15 €.
From Valencia
There are trains and buses from Valencia to Murcia - the journey takes about 3.5 hours, the fare starts from 28 € (by train) and from 24 € (by bus).
From Madrid
There are trains and buses from Madrid to Murcia - the journey takes about 4.5 hours, ticket prices start from 47 € (by train) and from 35 € (by bus).
When to go
Summer is not the best time to visit the “Spanish hot water” - it’s dry, the temperature reaches +35°C (and higher) and there is no sea to cool off. The best time to visit is spring and autumn with temperatures of 20-27°C. In addition, in spring and autumn Murcia hosts colorful and cheerful festivals. Winter in Murcia is also very mild and hospitable - the average daily temperature is 15°C. There is no need to be afraid of rain, because precipitation is very rare here.
Story
The name of the city is associated with the Latin words Murtea - “country of myrtles” or Murtae - “mulberry”.
The first inhabitants of this territory were Iberian tribes, but the city of Medinat Mursiya was founded by the Moors in 825. The Arabs created a large network of canals for irrigation from Segora, which turned the arid valley into an agricultural region. The silk business and the first paper production in Europe flourished. This time was also fruitful for local artisans, whose ceramics were sold even outside the country.
With the arrival of Christians in the 13th century, Murcia lost its former grandeur, but flourished again in the 18th century thanks to the production of silk. It was during this time that most of the architectural objects that are now of cultural value were built.
Attractions
Photo: Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Catedral de Santa Maria en Murcia)– the best place for a first impression of the city. Built from the 14th to the 15th centuries, it grew to embody Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. The architecture of the main facade is recognized as the most striking example of temple baroque in Spain, and the 98 m high bell tower has become the symbol of the Cathedral. The arched Gate of the Apostles is magnificent, decorated with a traditional Gothic “rose”.
The heart of Alfonso X the Wise is buried in the sarcophagus of the central altar of the temple. On the basis of the Cathedral there is a Museum with an exhibition of masterpieces of art and jewelry products from the ancient Romans to modern masters.
Bishop's Palace (Palacio Episcopal) 17th-18th centuries located in Cardinal Beluga Square. It is believed that Bishop Mateo built his residence so that the façade of the Cathedral could be seen from it. The palace, impressive with its brightly painted facade, consists of two parts: the “hammer” (bishop’s lookout) and the residence itself in the style of Italian mannerism.
Inside the palace, the imperial staircase, the arcaded courtyard and the bishop's chapel are interesting. The shield on the main balcony is dedicated to Bishop Roja, who completed the century-long construction.
Murcia City Hall (Casa consistorial de Murcia) located in Glorieta Square. The elegant Town Hall is designed in a neoclassical style, with numerous cafes nestled next to it.
Photo: Murcia City Hall Old Bridge over the river Seguru Built in the mid-18th century, it is also called the Bridge of Perils, because in its southern niche there is a wooden sculpture of Our Lady of Perils.
From the Old Bridge, right in the river you will see a 12-ton bronze sardine 23 meters long. This fountain by sculptor Miguel Llamos dedicated to the ancient rite “Funeral of Sardine”.
Malecon is a pedestrian bridge 6 m wide and 60 m long. The uniqueness of its design is that it does not have lower supports and is supported by steel cables.
Plaza de las Flores– a pleasant place where locals love to spend time over a cup of coffee. You should refresh yourself with some delicious tapas here before continuing your tour.
Photo: Square of Flowers in Murcia Royal Casino (or Club), opened in 1847, is located north of the Cathedral in the historical center on the street. Traperia. A Victorian library of 20 thousand volumes is stored here. The pompous building is an architectural medley: a modernist-neoclassical façade, a late Baroque entrance and a Moorish-style sophisticated courtyard. The Baroque-style Dance Hall, built in 1875, is especially luxurious.
Teatro de Romea The 19th century building on the square of the same name is designed in a non-classical style. The theater is named after the outstanding Murcian actor Julián Romea and plays a key role in the cultural life of the city.
Photo: Teatro Romea in Murcia Plaza Santo Domingo- one of the most beautiful in Murcia, which in the 18th century was a market and was called Market Square. The Santo Domingo Cathedral of the 17th and 18th centuries is also located here, which was the reason for the renaming. It is very convenient to get here along Traperia street directly from the Cathedral.
Museums
Photo: Salcillo Museum In addition to the Museum of the Cathedral in Murcia, there are many more interesting museums, slightly removed from the historical center.
Salzillo Museum- the most popular of all Murcian museums, dedicated to the work of the famous sculpture and native of Murcia - Francisco Salcillo. Biblical scenes with wooden sculptures look as if they were alive: “The Last Supper”, “Gethsemane”, “The Nativity of Jesus” and others. The museum itself is housed in the Church of Jesus, and his works are exhibited in its arched niches. Here you can see 5 figures of Christ that are used in the procession during Easter Week.
Museum of Fine Arts– an old museum dating back to the 19th century. The collection includes paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, as well as the work of Murcian masters. Museum guests can visit interesting thematic exhibitions, for example, costumbrism (an almost documentary depiction of events), allegorism, etc.
Museum of Science and Water (Museo de la Ciencia y del Agua) With its interactive exhibition, children will be interested - the museum exhibits can be touched and turned on. At its base there is a planetarium, as well as an aquarium with a large collection of inhabitants of the underwater world.
Campillo Sculpture Park– an unusual open-air museum. 9 bronze sculptures depicting women in everyday life and a bust of the master himself are collected here.
Attractions in the surrounding area
Photo: Monteguado Castle Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fuensanta of the late 17th century is located in the village of Algezares (4 km from Murcia). She is considered the patron saint of Murcia, and the place itself is the goal of pilgrims from neighboring cities. The figure of the Virgin Mary, which is kept here, takes part in the “Funeral of the Sardine” ceremony and in the September fiesta in her honor.
Monteguado Castle gracefully rises above the city of Monteguado, which is only 6 km from Murcia. The medieval castle is located on a 149-meter cliff, repeating its outline, and is crowned with a large statue of Christ (14 m) with open arms (Corazon de Jesus).
Cartagena- the oldest city on the seashore 50 km from Murcia, founded by the Carthaginians. A huge architectural heritage of the Roman and Byzantine eras, magnificent baroque and modernist buildings has been preserved here. In September, beautiful historical reconstructions of “Carthaginians and Romans” are held here.
Photo: The ancient city of Cartagena Mar Menor Lagoon is a unique natural phenomenon and a prestigious resort near Cartagena. This blue lagoon, where the water warms up to 30-34°C, is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow strip of land - La Manga. The local beaches are luxurious, and the lagoon water is healing with a high concentration of iodine, as well as mud.
Sierra Espuña- a natural park 52 km from Murcia, which is called the “green lungs of Murcia”. This varied landscape is rich in diverse flora and fauna, as well as stunning views from its many peaks. The average altitude of the park area is 800 m, and the highest peak is Morrón de Espuña at 1583 m.
You can also visit the equally interesting cities of Lorca and Torrevieja, which are 60-70 km away from Murcia.
Holidays
Photo: Holy Week in Murcia Vibrant fiestas are one of the features of the Murcian flavor. Tourists from all over Europe come to see the spectacular processions.
The first significant holidays start in April - Holy Week, and then the continuation of the Spring Festival, which ends with the famous “Funeral of the Sardine”. Many legends are associated with the emergence of the last holiday.
In May, the Three Cultures Festival is held, dedicated to the Muslims, Christians and Jews who cohabited here. In autumn, the Fair of Murcia takes place in honor of its patroness, Our Lady of Fuensanta.
Shopping
Murcia is a large city with a wide variety of large shops. The city's most shopping streets are Traperia and Plateria, with an excellent selection of fashionable clothes. In the city center there is the popular El Corte Inglés, where you can buy anything.
Clothing from well-known brands at very low prices (Mango, H&M, Primark, etc.) can be purchased at the Nueva Condomina shopping center on the A-7 highway. La Noria Outlet is a pleasant place for a walk, stylized as a Mediterranean province, where you can buy branded items at a reasonable price.
The historic center of Murcia has streets lined with jewelry and jewelry boutiques.
What and where to eat
Photo: Chowder “Gypsy Cauldron” In Murcia, like the “Spanish hothouse”, the main culinary ingredients are vegetables and fruits.
Traditional dishes:
- Ensalada murciana - a dish of tomatoes, baked peppers (and/or eggplant), olives, onions, eggs and tuna, seasoned with olive oil;
- Zarangollo - omelet with zucchini, sometimes with potatoes or pumpkin;
- Michirones – large beans with chorizo sausages;
- Gypsy pot (Olla Gitana) - a stew made from beans, potatoes, pears, pumpkin, onions, garlic, bread, etc. According to legend, this “hodgepodge” was collected by a poor gypsy from good people to feed her children;
- Ropa vieja (translated as “old clothes”) – a stew made from everything left in the refrigerator;
- Pan de Garatrava – cream cakes with citrus zest;
- Paparajote - famous pies with lemon leaves and cinnamon.
Establishments
Restaurant los Navarros on Calle Simona García in the city center offers traditional Spanish and Murcian dishes and seafood. We especially recommend the garlic potatoes, Nana pie and paparachotes.
Restaurant El Pollo Rockero– original design, special atmosphere, delicious vegetables, fish, meat and homemade wine.
Institution Vox Populi Gastromercado– a great place to have a quick, tasty and cheap meal (from 10€).
Cafe Bar Gran Via– another place to have a snack and a glass of beer near Piazza Romea.
Things to do in Murcia
10 cases in Murcia:
- See the standard of “baroque” - the Cathedral of Murcia.
- Taste Murcian dishes and delicious wines at the restaurant los Navarros near the Cathedral.
- Find the fun Sardine fountain in the Segura River.
- Buy home local cheeses and wine, for example, Jumalla.
- Buy handmade souvenirs for friends and family.
- Enjoy paparachotes with lemon leaves.
- Take stunning photos on the peaks of the Sierra Espuña Nature Reserve.
- Visit the original Antonio Campillo Sculpture Park.
- Attend the “Funeral of a Sardine” in early April.
- Visit ancient Cartagena to see Roman ruins.
How do we save up to 25% on hotels?
Everything is very simple - we use a special search engine RoomGuru for 70 hotel and apartment booking services with the best price.Bonus for renting apartments 2100 rubles
Instead of hotels, you can book an apartment (on average 1.5-2 times cheaper) on AirBnB.com, a very convenient worldwide and well-known apartment rental service with a bonus of 2100 rubles upon registrationProvince of Murcia- is not the most visited place by Russian tourists and therefore those who want to go here have many questions. For example, how to get to the resort area of the region - Costa Calida? Which airport should you fly to?
Air traffic
There is no airport in Murcia itself. It is located near the city of San Javier on the seashore. The distance from it to the city is 30 km. Apart from this, the nearest airport is in Alicante, about 80 km away.
Regular flights from S7 and Vueling airlines fly to Alicante from Russia. The most budget-friendly way is to fly with a connection from Moscow with AirBerlin or Iberia. Residents of St. Petersburg often fly Norwegian from Helsinki. Tickets usually cost from 15 to 40 thousand rubles.
When arriving in San Javier, the situation is somewhat worse. There are no direct flights from Russia, and with one transfer you can only fly to Iberia. This airline's prices are rarely low. Therefore, Alicante airport remains a priority for tourists.
Car rent
Although public transport in Spain is well developed, it is still advisable to rent a car for a good rest. This can be done directly at any of these airports. In addition to the well-known Sixt, Avis, Hertz and Europcar, large Spanish rental companies also operate here, which often offer more favorable rental conditions. These are http://www.centauro.net and http://www.goldcar.es. You can book a car online without prepayment; on the websites you can choose the Russian language. If you rent a car at San Javier airport, then renting an Opel Corsa class car for two weeks in July will cost you 450-500 Euros with full insurance, and in Alicante - about 500 Euros.
At the time of receiving the car, you will have to pay about 70 Euros for gasoline. When paying for additional insurance, local rental companies usually do not block funds on your credit card.
If you prefer to travel by bus, then their schedule in this region and the cost can be found on the following sites: http://www.alsa.es - buses between cities and airports, http://www.costazul.net - transportation along coast from Alicante to Cartagena, and http://www.latbus.com - bus service in the Murcia region.
Taxi
A taxi from Alicante airport to La Manga will cost you about 100 euros, from San Javier - about 50. If you book an apartment, you can usually order a transfer from the agency. Taxi prices in the region are quite high in the summer.
Railway connection
Another possible way to get to the place is by rail. Murcia, Cartagena and Alicante have train stations with trains from Madrid and Barcelona. Train schedules and ticket prices can be found on the website http://www.renfe.com. If you buy a ticket in advance, you can get a good discount using the web fare. For example, the Madrid – Murcia train takes 4 hours and a ticket costs from 14 to 70 euros. From Madrid you can get to Alicante in 2-3 hours and the ticket costs from 25 to 110 euros. The ticket price depends not only on the class of carriage, but also on the time and day of the week.
Thus, getting to Murcia is possible, although difficult.
With virail you can compare train prices from Madrid to Murcia in no time. What you only need to do is select the date you are planning your holiday and, if you wish, sort and filter the results by price and time. In order to book your perfect trip, virail will redirect you directly to the provider's website for an extremely secure purchase.
Which companies serve the route from Madrid to Murcia?
Among all virail partners, you will also be able to travel with Renfe, serving the train route between Madrid and Murcia.
Renfe is a national Spanish company that offers a very well developed high speed network served by Ave trains. It also covers regional short-distance routes, via the Feve train and international long-distance routes, for example with the Elipsos night train.
How much are low cost train tickets from Madrid to Murcia?
If you have the opportunity to book in advance, you are likely to find cheap train tickets from Madrid to Murcia for MNE. In case you cannot plan in advance, train tickets to Murcia cost on average RUB 15.03.
Murcia from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Murcia.
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The Salzio Museum is dedicated to the master of Baroque polychrome (multi-color) sculptures, Francisco Salzio. The Pasarela-Jorge Manrique and Puente del Hospital bridges are two city structures whose design belongs to the hand of the master Santiago Calatrava.
Every Saturday at 11 am, the municipality of Murcia organizes a free guided tour of all the main attractions of the city.
Registration for the event is required and takes place at the tourist office in Piazza Cardinal Belluga. Gathering of guests and start of the tour there.
Events
Murcia hosts several festivals that deserve the attention of tourists. Sardine's Funeral - As part of the Spring Festival, this is the strangest holiday night with processions of eccentric figures like giants, demons and Brazilian samba bands accompanying 20 boats (each with a specific symbol of the holiday).
The Carnival of Águilas is a three-day spring festival featuring festive costumes of all kinds and colors, culminating in a battle with eggs and confetti after a speech between Don Carnival and Doña Cuaresma.
International Folklore Festival - teams from all over the world organize their national performances.
Questions about Murcia
The cost of a flight always depends on the time of travel. The chart will allow you to compare prices for air tickets from Madrid to Murcia, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.
Statistics will help determine the season of low prices. For example, in July prices reach an average of 24,543 rubles, and in November the cost of tickets drops to an average of 7,929 rubles. Plan your trip now!
We analyze this information and create charts to make it easier for you to plan your trips.
What is more profitable – to buy air tickets in advance, avoiding the general rush, or to take advantage of a “hot” offer closer to the departure date? The chart will help you determine the best time to purchase airline tickets.
See how the price of air tickets from Madrid to Murcia has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the beginning of sales, their value has changed by an average of %. The minimum price for a flight from Madrid to Murcia is 7 days before departure, approximately 24,543 rubles. The maximum price for a flight from Madrid to Murcia is 7 days before departure, approximately 24,543 rubles. In most cases, early booking helps you save money, take advantage of it!
Airfare from Madrid to Murcia does not represent a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes are visible on the graph.
According to statistics, the most affordable option for flights from Madrid to Murcia is on Tuesdays, their average cost is 7,929 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Saturdays, their average cost is 24,543 rubles. It is worth considering that flights on holidays are usually more expensive. We hope this information will help you plan your travels more effectively.
