Murcia, the Lesser-Known Images of Spain

It took me a week of fairly leisurely driving to get to the capital, which has the same name as the province – Murcia. Since I was not limited by time, I decided to travel by private car. Murcia does, however, have a regular flight connection with Venice. This university town is somewhat smaller than Ljubljana, but it is the students, who give it its vibrant pulse. It is definitely worth a day's visit, even though the inviting coast is only a good half-hour's drive away. Even if you're not interested in historical monuments, the cathedral is worth a visit. It is indeed majestic, but it also offers a visit to the bell tower, which offers the most beautiful views of the old part of the city. In the pedestrian zone, you can find small shops and local restaurants. Both with snacks and local specialties based on seafood.

A gorgeous harbor

Cartagina, the second largest city of the province, invites with a more exotic look, with its coastal promenade accompanied by a mighty palm tree avenue. Cartagena has always been one of the most important ports in this part of Europe. The Phoenician and later Roman colony flourished here. It is reminiscent of the latter, with numerous excavations, from ancient baths to one of the most beautifully preserved Roman theaters in Spain. The Arabs and Christians also made their mark here much later. The tower at the top of the fortress, which dates back to the Middle Ages, houses an extensive history museum and offers the most beautiful views of the city and the rugged coastline from its terrace. Cartagena is marked by numerous musical and other events. Among other things, they dedicate a few days in April to street graffiti artists. They make exploring the city's corners even more interesting. In summer, the city is livened up with a run of more than ten kilometers up the city's five hills, in November it's Medieval Days, and December is, of course, all about the New Year.

A gorgeous coast

Around Cartagena, there's several small sandy bays. One of the most attractive seaside restorts, with the option of swimming, is Cabo de Palos. It is best known for one of the largest lighthouses in Spain, and the surrounding area offers a number of sandy shores. The lighthouse was really worth the climb, as few places on the entire Spanish coast have such a view of the rugged coastline and the port town. You need to register online before visiting. Unfortunately, there is no lift to the top, so you need to climb a spiral staircase with 220 steps. It's worth arranging a dive or even a diving course in the town. The surprisingly deep sea around the exposed headland is one of the best places to dive in Spain. The sea is rich in animal life, and the area around the nearby islands (Islas Hormigas) are full of shipwrecks dating back more than a century. You can also visit the diving paradise in winter, as the days are mostly sunny and still pleasantly warm. In fact, it is probably even nicer then, as there are fewer visitors and the prices are a bit more affordable.

If you're interested in nightlife, the best place to stay is on La Manga, a sandy cape more than 20 kilometers long. The cape is mostly built up with hotels, apartment complexes and various cafes, and from a distance it resembles Miami or some other big coastal tourist town in other parts of the world. A sandy cape closes the road to the Mar Menor lagoon, which boasts even warmer and calmer waters than the open coast. Picturesque coves with sandy beaches are also worth admiring in the nearby nature park, around Argilas, Balnuevo boasts a picturesque eroded coastline, and the beaches around Mazzaron are an attractive stopover. In its surroundings, an abandoned mine surprised me with its surprisingly colorful landscape. Many years of mining have left lasting traces on the land, which are very picturesque thanks to the differently colored ore residues.

Hundreds of kilometers of walking trails

Murcia is lined with hundreds of kilometers of walking trails and even more cycling routes. There are footpaths along the entire 250-kilometer-long coastline, as well as deep into the inland, where there are mountain peaks over 2,000 meters high. The Espuna Mountains are particularly special. The local pine forest is protected as a nature park. Large reforestation contributed to its creating more than a century ago, when the nearby towns were repeatedly threatened by catastrophic floods due to cutting trees. If you get a permit beforehand, you may go camping in the forest, making it much easier to plan visits to hiking trails. Many of them run alongside water canals and springs, so you can get fresh drinking water many places. The biggest animals that you can run into are mountain goats, wild boars, foxes, and a few pairs of eagles nest on the biggest pine trees each year. The mountains are cut by several riverbeds, which are dry for most of the year. One of the attractive exceptions is a river, which created a gorge with a waterfall, near the town of Bullos. The gorge can be reached after two kilometers on a well-marked walking trail, which leads from the edge of the town. Under the waterfall, the river forms a large pool, which turn into a very welcome bathing spot in the hot summer months.