Murcia

The university town of Murcia is the capital of the province of the same name, best known for its coastline of more than 200 beaches on what is known as the Costa Calida, the Warm Coast. Its focal point is the Cathedral de Santa Maria, completed in 1754 but representing many styles that flourished during its construction, which began in the late 1300s, including Gothic, renaissance and baroque. Each entrance door is different, with the main one — Puerta del Perdon — in a façade that resembles a giant ornate altarpiece. The cathedral’s narrow tower is the city’s symbol. The Portada de los Apostoles opens into the Capilla Mayor, the main ...

The university town of Murcia is the capital of the province of the same name, best known for its coastline of more than 200 beaches on what is known as the Costa Calida, the Warm Coast. Its focal point is the Cathedral de Santa Maria, completed in 1754 but representing many styles that flourished during its construction, which began in the late 1300s, including Gothic, renaissance and baroque. Each entrance door is different, with the main one — Puerta del Perdon — in a façade that resembles a giant ornate altarpiece. The cathedral’s narrow tower is the city’s symbol. The Portada de los Apostoles opens into the Capilla Mayor, the main chapel encrusted in gold. The cathedral’s museum is filled with treasure, but other city museums are worth seeing as well. The Santa Clara Museum, which displays the region’s best collection of Islamic art, explores the history of Murcia from the Middle Ages to the present, and the Museum of Fine Art (MUBAM) houses collections of painting, sculpture and decorative arts from all over Spain and beyond. An Archaeological Museum holds a major collection of antiquities from all Iberia. Museo Salzzillo, in the round church of Ermita Nuestro Padre Jesús, houses the astonishing lifelike baroque Passion figures of the 18th-century master, Francisco Salzillo y Alcaraz, which are carried through the streets in processions during Semana Santa (Holy Week) each year.

About the Expert

Lura Seavey is the author of Fun with the Family in Vermont and New Hampshire and she has contributed to several Thomas Cook guidebooks, including Drive Around Catalonia, Travellers Mallorca, and Travellers Barcelona.