Places to see
Lorca: baroque art city
Lorca is a town located on the slopes of the Sierra de Cano, on the Rio Guadalentin.
The city is located on the A7 motorway towards Murcia and Aguilas and is known as the horticultural area of the Murcia region.
Many Moorish influences are still visible in Lorca. There are also a number of sights to admire in the city, including the Plaza Espana, a beautiful square on which the Baroque town hall and the Baroque church, the Colegiata de San Patricio, are located.
There are nice shops in the immediate vicinity of the square, but of course you will also find numerous small restaurants and cafes.
Lorca's Semana Santa is one of the most renowned in Spain.
n the spring of 2010, Lorca was hit by an earthquake from which the city is still recovering.
Cartagena: Roman heritage
Originally Carthage was a Phoenician colony or settlement, but when the original Phoenician places such as Tyre, Sidon and Byblos became dominated by other peoples, the balance of Phoenician culture and the Phoenician sphere of power began to shift sharply to the west of the Mediterranean, with Carthage as the new center of this. Cartagena was part of the further expansion of this sphere of influence towards the west.
In 232 B.C. the Romans conquered the city and it became part of the Roman Empire under the name Carthago Nova (New Carthage). The name Cartagena is also derived from this. So etymologically speaking, the name 'Carthago Nova' contains the word new in Phoenician as well as in Latin, which may look like a duplicate, but is not, because the Latin 'nova' was added to distinguish it from Carthago in North-Africa.
During the Moorish rule, the city was called Qartayanna, among other things, and had a large degree of autonomy. It was an independent principality that was later united with Aragon.
Cartagena has an archaeological museum in which many excavations from the Roman period can be seen. The city is surrounded by a wall containing 8 gates. The port is the most important military port in Spain and the very deep bay is considered one of the most beautiful natural harbours. The two protruding capes, with the fortresses, protect the city against any attack, as it were. The city has 215,000 inhabitants (2008). Worth seeing is the Santa María Veja cathedral (13th century) and the view from the ruins of Castillo de la Concepción. You will find conviviality on Calle Isaac Peral, near the town hall.
Cartagena is known for the sweet liqueur Quarante et tres (Liqor 43), which is now exported to more than 60 countries.
Caravaca de la Cruz: holy city
Caravaca de la Cruz is located on the border of Murcia and Granada, in the northeast of the province of Murcia.
Since Bishop Chirinos saw the Holy Cross there in 1232, this place has been a shrine and place of pilgrimage for Christians.
Just like the Camino de Santiago, there is also a Camino de la Vera Cruz.
In 1998, the Pope awarded Caravaca the title of Holy City, following Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela and Santo Toribio de Liébana (Potes).
This means that the city can celebrate a Holy Year every 7 years.
The next anniversary year of Caravaca de la Cruz is 2024.
The main monument of the city is of course the chapel of La Vera Cruz.
Cehegin
About 10 km. east of Caravaca lies Cehegín, a partially preserved city from the 16th and 17th centuries.
A tourist walking route runs through the city, which guides you through the city using signs on the road and signs on the most important buildings. In the archaeological museum of Cehegín you can admire special museum pieces from different historical periods (Pl. Del Castillo 1, 10:30 am-1:30 pm). In the evening the city is attractively lit.
The area around Cehegín is very suitable for walking. There is a marked walking route between Sierra de Burete and Sierra de Lavra.
Moratalla
About 15 km north of Caravaca de la Cruz lies the village of Moratalla, a maze of streets and colorful houses at the foot of a 15th-century castle.
A map can be obtained from Tourist Info. In any case, the Castillo Fatalueza and the Iglesia de la Asuncion are worth a visit.
In the area around Moratalla you can visit caves with prehistoric drawings, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.