This city is the capital of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia and is situated on the river Segura. It is built in the centre of a low-lying very fertile plain in the valleys of the Segura and its right-hand tributary the Guadalentin, or river Sangonera. The area is surrounded by mountains and despite being close to the sea, the temperatures can vary considerably. The summers can be extremely hot and the winters severe with frosts and snow not uncommon. Murcia is steeped in history, dating back to 825AD. It flourished in the 18th century, mainly due to the silk industry and many of its churches and monuments are from this period. The city of Murcia has been the capital of the province since 1838. One of the most famous festivals in Murcia is Holy Week when life sized sculptures are taken out of the museums and carried round the city in elegant processions, full of flowers. The area around Murcia is famous for its agricultural produce especially tomatoes and lettuce and of course oranges and lemons. Further north are the apricot and peach orchards and throughout the area olive and almond trees are grown in abundance.

Fiestas

April 10th Bando de la Huerta

September 12th Feria de Murcia