Murcia

La Torre Golf Resort is located just outside the city of Murcia, in the region of the same name in southern Spain.  On this page you can find out a little more about the area, and you can click here to see a map of the area as well.

You can read more detailed travel guides on Murcia here and on the Costa Calida here (PDF downloads).

Murcia Region

The Murcia region is one of Spain’s seventeen autonomous communities, with a population of around 1.4 million.  Located on the Mediterranean Coast it is a warm region, well-suited to agriculture.  The region itself did not exist in antiquity, but was a part of the Roman province of Hispania Carthaginensis.  Along with much of the Iberian peninsula it fell to the Vandals in the fifth century, and then the Visigoths and (briefly) the Byzantines, before the Conquest of Spain by the Umayyads in the early eighth century.  The region remained under the control of the Moors until 1243, when the Reconquista saw it become part of the Crown of Castile.

The City of Murcia

Murcia is the seventh largest city in Spain with a population of over 430,000 as of 2009.  It is located on the Segura River, in a region noted for hot summers, tepid winters and scarce precipitation.  The city was founded in 825AD by the Moors, and is noted for its numerous architectural styles which include Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical.  Its highlights include the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, completed in 1467, the Plaza Cardenal Belluga, and the landscaped city square, the Glorieta.

Murcia also hosts an annual Holy Week Procession, one of the most famous in Spain, which portrays the events of the Crucifixion.

Costa Calida,  the Mar Menor and La Manga

Costa Calida – “the Warm Coast” – stretches for 250 kilometres along the Mediterranean Coast, getting its name from the hot annual temperature and degree of aridity.  The Mar Menor – “Little Sea” – is the largest coastal saltwater lagoon in Europe, with a surface area of 170 square km and a mean depth of 3-4 metres.  It is separated from the Mediterranean by La Manga – “The Sleeve””, a 22km spit stretching from Cabo de Palos to the Punta del Mojon.

The high level of saltwater in the Mar Menor makes it one of the most popular places in Europe for practicing water sports.

Cartagena

The historic city of Cartagena is around 15km from La Torre. Founded in 229 BC by Carthaginian general Hasdrubal – younger brother of Hannibal – the city was used initially as a focal point for the Carthaginian conquest of Spain. Better known in antiquity as “Carthago Nova” (“New Carthage”) it was captured by the Roman general Scipio Africanus in 209 BC and remained under Roman rule for the next 600 years, becoming the capital of the province of Hispania Carthaginensis.  It was sacked by the Vandals in AD 435 and then fell to the Visigoths.  From 714 onwards it was controlled by successive Muslim rulers until 1245, when the Kingdom of Aragon took it as part of the Reconquista.

Cartagena’s rich history has left a multiplicity of tourist attractions, particularly the Roman ruins which include the restored theatre. The city is also the seat of the Murcia region’s municipal parliament.