Destination Murcia

By Jane Lavender

Situated in the southeast corner of Spain and benefiting from 320 days of sunshine a year, Murcia’s superb weather is something of a well-kept secret.

Famous for being the agricultural heartland of Spain, its delicious produce is helped by a fantastic year-round climate that typically enjoys very hot dry summers (mid-high 30s) and mild winter months, ideal for pursuing sports such as golf, sailing, windsurfing, hiking and cycling.

With a staggering 2,800 hours of sunshine every year and an average temperature of around 21° c, it is little wonder Murcia is so popular for affordable family and self-catering holidays.

Superb Family Holidays

In recent years the region of Murcia in Spain has caught the British public’s attention due to the phenomenal amount of building development work that has seen approximately 16 new golf resorts spring up in the area including La Torre Golf Resort, Mar Menor Golf Resort, Hacienda Riquelme and El Valle Golf Resort, all designed by golf pro Jack Nicklaus.

Other superb family resorts also include Pereleja Golf, United Golf La Tercia, Roda Golf Club & Beach Resort and La Serena Golf. All these Murcia golf resorts offer excellent facilities for family villa holidays with spacious luxury villas with pools, modern golf apartments, plenty of communal swimming pools, play areas for children and on-site facilities including supermarkets, banks, travel shops, spas, restaurants and bars.

Fabulous Golf Destination

As a newly established year-round golfing destination, golf connoisseurs will appreciate that Murcia is fast becoming one of the best regions to play golf in Spain, with over 20 golf courses now available.

Of course, with Murcia golf resorts come luxury apartments, townhouses and villas with pools that act as the comfortable holiday base for thousands of golfers and holidaymakers alike. There are many 9-hole and 18-hole golf courses in Murcia which professional and aspiring golfers can play; perhaps the most challenging are Hacienda del Alamo, where many tournaments and competitions are held, and the old favourite, La Manga Golf Club.

Affordable Holidays

One key element to the region’s growing popularity is the fact many villas with pools in Murcia, townhouses or family apartments are still considerably cheaper to rent in comparison to some of Spain’s more established Costas such as the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Costa Brava. In the Costa Brava for example a typical 3 bed villa with pool can, on average, fetch up to £4000 per week in the popular summer months, where on average a 3-bed villa with pool in Murcia generally rents for around £1,200 a week in peak season. Apartments and townhouses in Murcia are also great value for family holidays, with many renting from between £400 to £750 a week for a family of four. This incredible good value certainly puts Murcia on the map for British holidaymakers.

Great Family Beaches

With 73 kilometres of coastline Spain’s Mar Menor on the Costa Cálida offers an abundance of great beaches for families, many with Blue Flag status for their calm shallow waters, clean beaches and wide palm-lined promenades.

Some of the most popular include Los Alcázares, which has some of the finest beaches along Spain’s Costa Cálida including Playa de los Narejos and Playa del Espejo, which have won the famous Q Awards for their high standards. The beach of San Pedro del Pinatar is also very popular as are the beaches at Santiago de la Ribera, with its wide promenade.

Murcia’s Events and Festivals

Like all Spanish regions and cities, Los Murcianos (people from Murcia) love their celebrations and festivals – one of the most popular being the Feria of Murcia in September and the incredible Easter processions of La Semana Santa, also known as holy week that take place in April.

The carnival, Rio-style celebrations called ‘The Burial of the Sardine’ that take place after Semana Santa, is also extremely popular with locals and visitors, as is the rather bizarre Baby Jumping Festival in the village of Colacho.

Sport in Murcia

With plenty of wide-open space and a superb year-round climate, it is not hard to see why the region of Murcia is so popular with sports enthusiasts. Options include windsurfing, sailing and fishing to tennis, horse riding, golf, padel and hiking.

La Torre Golf Resort in Murcia features extensive international football training grounds during the cooler and more bearable winter months.

Great Wilderness

Surprisingly, this flat agricultural region of Murcia is also home to the splendid and quite beautiful Sierra Espuña, a wonderful, undulating natural wilderness at the heart of Murcia that attracts hikers and nature enthusiasts looking to discover its unique flora and fauna.

Also, approximately 3 hours away by car, holidaymakers and tourists can reach the dizzy heights of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Spain’s most southerly ski resort.

Murcia’s Historic Cities

The province of Murcia has two beautiful and cosmopolitan cities – the region’s capital, Murcia, and famous port city of Cartagena. Both offer superb shopping, giant Mediterranean malls and the urban café culture you would expect from any substantial Spanish city.

Murcia’s riverside architecture and stunning Cathedral and plazas are certainly something to see, as are Cartagena’s Roman ruins and amphitheatre and popular marina, which attracts hordes of day-trippers in the summer months.