Until recently Murcia has been one of the least developed regions of coastal Spain. While neighbouring Valencia and Andalucia were experiencing an explosion of mass tourism and ex-pat home buying, Murcia remained relatively untouched by this foreign fervour for all things Spanish.
It was only the area around the Mar Menor, Europe’s largest salt water lagoon, which attracted the interest of developers during the early “run for the sun” property boom years. But with other coastal areas running out of development potential, investors are now turning their attention to Murcia – a region which some industry experts predict will be one of Europe’s biggest growth areas over the next decade.
The city of Murcia is described as one of the most beautiful and historic in the country. The city stands on the banks of the river and enjoys all year round sunshine. It has the highest temperatures in the region.
The Moorish influences are still visable by the impressive city walls. The Cathedral is the most highly visible, you can spot it from miles away because of its 96-metre tower which houses no less than 25 bells. Construction work on the cathedral started in the mid 14th century, on the site of a Moorish mosque, and lasted for another four centuries.The foundation stone was laid in 1388 by Bishop Pedrosa. There are so many different styles and cultures within, including 23 different chapels.
The city’s 18th century convent church of Santa Ana is another tourist attraction, partly because the sisters of the convent’s closed order bake cakes and sell them to the public through a revolving hatch (to avoid breaking their vow of no contact with the outside world).