Nature
Valle de Ricote: mediterranean abundance
Valle de Ricote is a little-known area that grows plenty of oranges, lemons, peaches, abricots, almonds, cherries and grapes.
The brown hills of the area are dotted with date palms, cacti, small ancient churches and ruins. You sometimes imagine yourself in southern Morocco, sometimes in Mexico.
Such a setting continues to amaze, and that less than half an hour's drive from Murcia.
The villages (recommended are Blanca, Ricote, Ojos, Abarán, Bullas and Cieza) are very beautiful, still typically Spanish and all have their own fiestas. The routes to them are enchanting. There are plenty of traditional restaurants where one can sample local dishes and tapas.
The Segura river that cuts through the area is home to many birds and there are plenty of fish to be caught.
The regional park “Salinas y Arenales”
Located in San Pedro del Pinatar, this park is the most important wetland in the province of Murcia. Every year at the end of summer, many flamingos gather here to collectively make the crossing to North Africa. This reserve covers an area of about 2250 ares, part of which is accessible to the public. This part consists of pine trees, dunes, beautiful sandy beaches and crystal-clear water.
The regional park "Calblanque"
This park, located below the Mar Menor, consists of a beautiful coast with high dunes, long golden, pristine sandy beaches and a deep blue sea. Furthermore, many unusual birds and plants can be found in this park. Calblanque can be visited on foot, by bike or on horseback. Guided tours are among the possibilities.
The regional park "El Valle y Carrascoy"
The ‘El Valle y Carrascoy’ regional park, an area of about 16,724 hectares southwest of Murcia, is about 15 minutes from La Torre Golf Resort and is in the immediate vicinity of the city of Murcia.
For this reason, it is sometimes called the ‘city garden of Murcia’. The area received regional park status in 1992 and offers a lot of hiking and climbing opportunities.
Salto del Usero
The Usero waterfall is a natural setting on the north-western slope of Castellar hill, in the hamlet of El Molinar, through which the waters of the Mula River run.
The Salto del Usero is considered one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the Murcia region.
In this natural enclave, visited by thousands of tourists all year round, the traditional ‘Bajada de la Mora’ is celebrated on the night of San Juan (23 June). Hundreds of people then gather around midnight at the edge of the pool to meet Queen Mora to be blessed by her miraculous waters.
Coordinates
Latitude 38.025019992907 – Longitude -1.673730469312
Cañon de los Almadenes
In the upper reaches of the Segura river, near the towns of Cieza and Calasparra, lies this wooded area, which was declared a protected nature reserve in 1992. The gorge covers an area of 116 hectares and a length of 11 kilometres, including 2 km along the Quípar river and the remaining 9km along the Segura river.
As this is a site of Community importance and a protected area for special birds, the gorge is also included in the ‘Natura 2000’ network.
This ravine was carved out over millions of years by the Segura river in the mountain ranges of Molino, Palera and Almorchón.
In this beautiful area, there is also a reservoir (Mulata) and a karst landscape (Losares), where water has formed wells, caves and gorges.
Many animals live on the riverbanks, including beavers, freshwater turtles, natterjack toads and green frogs, as well as salamanders (gallipato) and a number of bird species including herons.
This protected area is also home to two archaeological sites from the Copper and Bronze Age that were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1999, namely the Cueva de los Monigotes and the Sima de la Serreta.