IMAGE: ALAMY


WEEKENDER


Local specialities TOP FIVE


CALDERO The Murcian version of paella is a rich, flavourful pot of rice and fish traditionally served with garlicky alioli. Caldero means cauldron in Spanish and it was a fisherman’s staple in the 19th century, ordinarily cooked by the sea over an open fire. The dish is typical to the Mar Menor region, using Calasparra rice, local peppers called ñoras and rock fish such as lubina or European sea bass.


MARINERA MURCIANA A unique Spanish tapa originating from Murcia, combining chopped canned tuna with eggs and potatoes. The dish is served on a crusty savoury doughnut, with salty anchovies as an optional topping. In warm weather, pair this finger food with a local tinto de verano — red wine summer spritz.


CAFÉ ASIATICO Made with Licor 43 vanilla liqueur, brandy, espresso and condensed milk, this Spanish spin on an espresso martini dates back to the early 20th century, when sailors who disembarked on the shores of Cartagena from the Philippines often ordered a version of the drink upon arrival.


PASTEL DE CARNE This traditional, delicate, flaky Murcian meat pie is filled with spiced minced beef and pork mixed with boiled eggs. Try it at Espinosa bakery just south of the old town in the city of Murcia.


MURCIA AL VINO A locally made goat’s cheese, nicknamed ‘drunken goat’ — a nod to the fact that it’s matured in red wine, giving it a distinctive purple rind. Remarkably smooth and creamy, it pairs very well with Murcian red wines.


DAY TWO COBBLESTONE STREETS & CANYONS


Morning Drive west about 30 minutes to explore the pilgrimage town of Caravaca de la Cruz, home to the Caravaca Cross. This double crucifix, flanked by two angels, is believed to possess healing powers. The symbol appears all over town, from the city’s coat of arms to signposts, but make sure you drop by the Basilica of Vera Cruz de Caravaca to see the original. A few metres away lies Calle Cuesta Castillo, a cobbled street famous for its annual Los Caballos del Vino horse race — a local tradition that can be traced to the time when the town was ruled by Moors. Learn more about it at the Museo Caballos del Vino, which displays the dazzling embroidered cloaks worn by the horses during the celebration. museocaballosdelvino.com


Afternoon Make a lunch stop in the old town of Cehegin, a 10-minute drive east. Restaurant El Sol’s rooftop offers views over the cascading whitewashed houses and is a good place to try local wines from Murcia’s Jumilla region alongside calamares rellenos — stuffed squid. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring further north, amid rice paddies in Calasparra — one of the prominent rice-growing regions of the country. The road leads to Almadenes Canyon, a deep gorge where you can hike or join a rafting adventure on the Segura River with Cañon y Cañon. The region is home to river otters, turtles and herons. Tours typically stop at the canyon’s UNESCO-listed Monigotes Cave, scrawled with Neolithic rock art. restaurantesol.es cañonycañon.com


Evening The area between Caravaca de la Cruz and Murcia city is home to such a high concentration of natural thermal springs that it has a ‘spa route’. Heading east back towards Murcia, a good place to dip a toe is the town of Archena, where Romans discovered springs and built the first baths here around the second century BCE. The town’s historic spa complex, the Balneario de Archena, feeds off the mineral spring with sulphurous waters erupting from Moorish fountains. After a soak, head back to Murcia for dinner at Salzillo. This traditional restaurant specialises in regional dishes such as paparajotes — a Murcian dessert of batter- fried lemon leaves dusted with cinnamon. balneariodearchena.com restaurantesalzillo.com


Right: A hiker looks out over the landscape of the Almadenes Canyon


MARCH 2024 49


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