Spain

Murcia city is the capital of one of Spain's least visited regions, but its Baroque churches and 19th century streetscapes make it worth a look. Its university adds a youthful vibe to what is essentially a mid-size city serving the agricultural basin that surrounds it.

Before the 20th century

Islamic Mursiya was founded in AD 825 by Abd ar-Rahman II, caliph of Córdoba, on the site of a Roman colony. The town and surrounding territories were reconquered in 1243 by Alfonso X of Castilla and León (who gave his name to one of Murcia's two main thoroughfares). Enriched by the silk industry and agricultural prosperity, Murcia city was at its grandest in the 18th century, when the magnificent baroque facade of the cathedral was built, together with the urban palaces of the nobility and the rising bourgeoisie. Looted by Napoleonic troops in 1810 and later victim to plague and cholera, the city fell into decline during the 19th century.

Modern history

The modern age did little to revive Murcia's fortunes. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, it was the scene of bitter fighting and many of its churches were burnt down. After WWII, the flourishing silk industry (silkworms had a ready-made diet of mulberries, from whose Latin origin (murtae) the region and its capital derive their names) gradually found itself no longer able to compete against man-made fibres.

Recent history

These days the Murcia area is sustained by local orchards and the associated canning industry. The outskirts of the town have been marked by industrial development, but the downtown area remains an attractive destination that benefits from the vibrant presence of the local university culture.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Murcia's climate benefits from its proximity to the Mediterranean, and displays all the characteristics of a southern Spanish location: mild winters and hot, dry (occasionally scorching) summers.

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Transport

Getting around

Buses operate frequently until early evening from the bus station into town. The town centre can be conveniently navigated on foot.

Getting there and away

There are a number of budget flights from the UK to Murcia's San Javier airport (which is closer to Cartagena than to Murcia town). There are frequent buses to Cartagena, Alicante and Orihuela, and an hourly run to Lorca. There are also frequent daily services to Almería, Málaga, Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. Five trains run daily to and from Madrid via Albacete. Frequent trains serve Alicante, from where options are greater for Valencia and Barcelona. Hourly trains run to Lorca. If you are travelling to Catagena, you're better off catching a bus.