Bullas, Cehegín, Caravaca de la Cruz and Calasparra

The Northwest of the Region of Murcia is a rocky land, a land of contrasts, alternating mountains and valleys, vines and cereals, rice fields and high peaks, like the Revolcadores peak, the highest point of the Region. It is a crossroad between the Andalusian and the Castilian, pure in its Murcian flavour. The Northwest offers you the opportunity to experience history and traditions that will give you a taste of the real Spain off the beaten track.

Directions: From Murcia City, take the roundabout heading for Alcantarilla, and there the C415 towards the Northwest. After the heavily eroded landscape before Mula (exit 20). Pass this exit towards Bullas (exit 40), pass the Cehegín exit and finally arrive to Caravaca de la Cruz (exit 61). From the exit of Cehegín you can take the C3314 to Calasparra. This journey should not take long, as this is a very recently built motorway. Depending on your time and intentions, this could be a day trip, or be enjoyed over several days.

For an extension of the trip, take the C3211 road (a small one) to Moratalla. For an easy rather than adventurous trip, go back to Caravaca from Moratalla, then to Cehegín and Calasparra. After this, rather than going back to the motorway, you can head for Jumilla and midway you will find another motorway (N 301) that will take you in a second to Cieza and the parallel road that crosses the Ricote Valley until you reach Archena, in whose Spa you can relax and recuperate, ready for the real world.

Or maybe at this point you’ll feel more like back-tracking and staying.

Bullas, door to the Northwest

This charming village offers, every first Sunday of the month, a very special mercadillo (street market). It is a traditional street market with a difference: everything sold there is typical from the region, most of it sold by the actual craftsman. More than thirty different stands contribute to create a unique atmosphere, a feeling enhanced by the different live demonstrations organized for each occasion: how the rugs are woven or Christmas sweets, wine or goat cheese are prepared for the public’s enjoyment. Note, if you prefer not to carry shopping bags, some of these articles can be bought online in the Integral Virtual Craftwork Centre: http://www.cvia.org/catalog/.

Bullas is also a member of Vinest, the Network for Small European Wine Areas (), under the motto Connecting Wine Cultures. If you enjoy wine do not miss the opportunity to savour the terroir given by its unique surroundings to the Monastrell grape through the wine route around Bullas.

For a wonderful meal and rest without losing sight of the amazing ‘time travel’ that Cehegín offers the visitor, try the Restaurante del Sol (http://www.restaurantesol.com, in Spanish). You could also stay in one of their rooms or apartments (http://www.restaurantesol.com/lamuralla also in Spanish).

Caravaca, Holy City

Since 1998, Caravaca de la Cruz is one of the five cities in the world where a permanent Catholic Jubilee is celebrated. From 2003 on, every seven years plenary indulgence will be given to all pilgrims to Caravaca.

To make the most of your visit to Caravaca, nature, history and architecture must be taken into account. There is a special unified ticket that allows the visitor to see its four museums, which sum up the keys to understand the life of the city. These museums are: the True Cross Museum, the Fiesta Museum, the “La Soledad” Archaeological Museum and the Centre for Nature Interpretation. Their Spanish names (for map and signage reference) are, respectively, the Museo de la Vera Cruz, the Museo de la Fiesta, the Museo Arqueológico “La Soledad” and the Centro de Interpretación de la Naturaleza.

Calasparra, not only rice

Calasparra is famous for its rice fields, the only inland ones in Europe. It is also the only cereal to hold an official Denomination of Origin (yes, like the wines). It is the base for most traditional Calasparra dishes: rice with chicken, rice with vegetables, with rabbit and escargots, with big beans…

Beware of the bulls in September, as it is bull running season in Calasparra (yes, something like in Pamplona: I you speak Spanish, see http://www.encierrosdecalasparra.es.kz/). During this season bull stew is cooked.

It is a wonderful place to combine rural and active tourism: peaceful traditional houses can be the perfect rest after a day rafting, canoeing, biking, visiting caves, descending the Almadenes canyon or practicing all kinds of rock-climbing, speleology or having a friendly paintball battle… (See www.qalat.com, in Spanish).

As for craftwork, in all Murcia but also in Calasparra you can admire the esparto grass craftwork. Esparto grass is harvested in August, when the plant has reached its maximum size. Then it is dried in the sun and stored. The procedure from this point on can vary: it can be moistened and used as it is for a rough finish, or cooked for a (only slightly) more delicate use, such as shoes or ropes.

Another wonderful sight of Calasparra is the Santuario de la Esperanza, a sanctuary excavated in the rock from the original cave where the small icon of the Virgin was found. It was probably forgotten there by some knight: when the locals tried to move it to the centre of the town, it suddenly became very heavy, a fact they interpreted as Her wish to stay in that area.