A truly Mediterranean Cocktail
You could hardly describe the region of Murcia as an undiscovered corner of Spain. After all, the early Romans battled the Carthaginians for it, it was a centre of Moorish culture for almost 500 years and today our supermarket shelves are filled with fruit and vegetables from its renowned citrus groves and market gardens. It only counts with 2 big cities, Murcia and Cartagena. Sprinkled between these two great cities are typical Spanish towns and villages with their weekly fruit & vegetable markets and annual fiestas. Murcia is known as the garden of Europe, producing first-rate fresh produce all year round. A delicious and healthy Mediterranean diet awaits you in Murica. Tomatoes, red peppers, olives, lemons, almonds and saffron are combined with fabulously fresh fish and seafood and meat to create a unique style of Mediterranean cusine, enriched by centuries of Roman and Moorish influence. Murcia region also offers excellent awarded wines produced in the mountainous areas of Jumilla and Yecla.
There are modern medical facilities throughout the region (with a total of 18 hospitals), three universities and four international schools.
Majestic Murcia City
The capital of the region, Murcia, is one of the most majestic but at the same time least touristically exploited cities in Spain.
Murcia is welcoming and friendly, pleasantly modern while maintaining its traditions and moorish influence. Its wonderful old town core is fully pedestrianized. Shop-lined lanes lead into one enticing cafe-lined square after another, each with its own architectural gem, whether it's the imposing 15th-century cathedral, the Bishop's Palace, the Casino (19 th century gentlemen's club), the Romea theatre or the impressively ornate Church of San Juan de Dios.
The city offers numerous cultural events, excellent shopping facilities and a lively nightlife. Murcia's spectacular Holy Week celebrations are followed by the extraordinary Spring Festival with its highlights Bando de la Huerta (Tuesday after Easter, locals put on splendid traditional costumes and spend the whole day in the streets eating and drinking) and Entierro de la Sardina (a Rio style carnival parade that closes the festival with the ritual burning of an enormous effigy of a sardine for good luck). And then in September, after the usual holiday escape from the heat to the beaches, the city fills again for the Feria de Septiembre with various folk festivals, the transfer of the citiy's patron Fuensanta from the cathedral to its sanctuary, the never missing food stalls, a big kermis and bull fights.
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Cartagena culture port
The sea port town of Cartagena has a 2200 year long history due to its perfect natural harbour. It was home and important early settlement to Phoenicians, Carthaginians and later taken by the Romans. At every turn, you will find evidence of its long history, marked by the imprint of different civilisations, battles, ruins, ancient walls, castles and churches. Each summer the battle between Hannibals' Carthaginians and the Romans repeats as it has turned one of the most important costume festivals of the region (Cartagineses y Romanos). The town is well worth a visit for its ancient roman amphitheatre, its museums (archaeological / mining / marine), numerous Art Deco buildings in the city centre, the interntional music festival Mar de Musicas, the religious processions in the week before Easter (Semana Santa) and of course the sea port itself where, while sitting in one of the cafés, apart from fishing boats and yachts you can possibly make out a big cruceship or even an aircraft carrier.
Beaches, Mountains, Culture
The Sierra Espuña nature park is an island of cool freshness, weather walking or cycling or horse riding you will discover splendid scenes of forrest and mountains up to 1583 m altitude. Some of the rock formatioans are ideal walls for rock climbers. If you don't want so much action: Order a Paella in one of the mountain restaurants and enjoy the views.
The town of Caravaca de la Cruz in the north-west has been declared as one of the world's holy cities by the Vatikan, along with Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela.
The Mar Menor (little sea) sea inlet, Europe's biggest natural salt-water lagoon only devided from the Mediterranean Sea by the strip is believed to have great curative properties for ailments such as rheumatism and arthritis. The Mar Menor in particular is also very much appreciated for its healing mud baths.
The narrow strip of La Manga (the sleave) has a length of about 23 km and has been the only touristic hotspot in Murcia region for the past decades due to its exposed location between two seas. The salinas of San Pedro del Pinatar at the northern end of the lagoon do not only produce salt they also attract thousands of flamingos and other birds. During the summer months, the water temperature of the Mar Menor rises to that of a warm bath. The shallow lagoon is a natural water park with more than 170 km² providing of shallow and warm water, it offers safe beaches for children and it is a paradise for all kinds of water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, water and jet skiing all year round.
Some of the best diving in Europe is to be experienced off Cabo de Palos, where a lighthouse marks the southern end of the Mar Menor.
Investment in Lifestyle Property - Why you should seriously think about a new home in Murcia
- Privilleged climate with over 300 days of sunshine per year
- Rental potential from golfers and holidaymakers
- Mediterranean lifestyle
- Excellent accessibility to anywhere in Europe
- Lower costs for the same privilleged lifestyle as comparable areas like Costa del Sol, Mallorca, Côte d'Azur
- Steadily rising property values for quality properties in all top resorts from companies like Polaris World, Calidona etc.
- Legal protection for money invested
- Mortgages at competetive conditions of 80%, in some cases even 100% of the property value
- Legals, mortgages, currency exchange streamlined & non-resident friendly
- Good infrastructure with constant improvements (e.g. new airport, extension of motorway and railway network)
- Dream beaches, mountain scenery, top golf courses, excellent water sport facilities
- Sophisticated shopping, nightlife and cusine
- Growing choice of the finest golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Dave Thomas, Severiano Ballesteros, Greg Norman or José María Olazabal
