The Real Spain — Route from Valencia to Murcia

Valencia

Valencia is known for its amusing graffiti, interesting architecture, incredibly handsome men, and motorcycles and mopeds everywhere on the streets. Fountains, carved facades of houses, narrow winding streets, shops with old books and records. It is in Valencia,, in the Cathedral of Saint Mary, that the Holy Grail is kept. The Spanish consider it to be authentic, which has been confirmed by the Pope. Whether this is true or not, the reverence with which the locals treat this relic is captivating.

Valencia was founded by the Romans, conquered by the Moors, liberated by the Spanish, then recaptured by the Moors (the Spanish burned the city during their retreat) and liberated again by the Spanish. After that, the Kingdom of Valencia became one of the most powerful states in the Mediterranean. Even today, it seems that every Valencian feels connected to that great era.

And, of course, Valencia is paella, which you can try in many different varieties at almost every restaurant.

Guadales, or the City of Power

The town of Guadalest has a population of 246, and the fortress itself is rightly called a place of power, with the surrounding landscapes considered the most beautiful on the Costa Blanca. The fortress was founded by the Moors in the 11th century and conquered by the Christians in the 13th century. Two million tourists visit this place every year. Imagine — 246 residents for 2 million tourists!

The fishing town of Calpe

Even if you don't like seafood and the smell of fish makes you feel sick, you should still visit Calpe's seafront. You will realize that your dislike is a regrettable misunderstanding. We recommend trying a seafood platter at one of the coastal restaurants, and then watching the fishing boats unload their catch at the fish market. There is no smell there — everything is clean and beautiful.

And in the middle of the city, there is a salt lake with pink flamingos: birds play, flap their wings, search for food at the bottom of the lake, while cars drive by on the road. What can I say? It's fantastic.

Alicante and the Santa Barbara Fortress

In the narrow streets of the old town, which are more like a beehive, people relax, dry their laundry, and children play. In the "new town," you will see many palm trees (here they are particularly monumental), giant ficus trees with roots hanging from the trunk and sometimes not even reaching the ground, interesting buildings with beautiful balconies mixed with new office centers, and a promenade covered with tiles with a wave-like pattern (if you walk along it for a long time, it even makes you feel a little seasick).

Santa Barbara Fortress is easy to reach—you can drive right up to the entrance, where you get the deceptive impression that it is not a fortress at all, but some kind of entertainment venue. And at the very top, from a great height, you can see the whole city spread out before you.

The fortress was built in the 9th century by the Arabs, captured by the Spanish in the 13th century, and used as a military structure until the 18th century. It withstood sieges, and some of the towers still bear traces of cannonballs. And what a view of Alíсante opens up from there! It's a must-see.

A place of happiness, or briefly about Torrevieja

The sea, the sun, cozy houses, old people on the beach, lots of cafes on the promenade, the "dead lake," black mud, white mud, palm trees, palm trees, and more palm trees. 25 km of beaches for every taste.

Torrevieja is a paradise on earth. But that's today. Until the 19th century, it was a small fishing village, unremarkable except for an old tower. Incidentally, the tower collapsed over time, and the townspeople rebuilt a new one at their own expense so as not to disappoint tourists.

The city has two salt lakes with different colors of water — pink and blue. Both lakes are therapeutic, as is the mud around them. There are no equipped swimming areas, but that doesn't stop the locals and particularly adventurous tourists.

In Torrevieja, as in other coastal towns, there is a marina—a port for yachts where they "spend the night." And it looks just like a picture from a fairy tale: boats lined up in a row, masts creaking, the steady thud of ropes. The setting sun paints the water in different colors and is reflected in it. The smell of the sea and fishing gear takes you back to your childhood — you immediately remember books about sea adventures. An imperturbable cat sleeps on a rock warmed by the afternoon sun. And somewhere in the distance, the noisy and crowded city ofhosts the Abaneras choir festival.

Orihuela — a city lost in time

Once a powerful and great city, founded presumably in the 8th century, it managed to "negotiate" with the Moors, gained some independence and even did not pay tribute. For four centuries, it was the episcopal capital of the province, and then became a springboard for a decisive blow against the Moors. Today, the city has about 80,000 inhabitants, an unusual old quarter, a large number of architectural monuments per square meter, and... no tourists at all. This city is called underrated.

At the same time, the old quarter is not particularly promoted, although it has all the necessary amenities for tourists: signs, opening hours. Local children play ball near the ancient walls (right against them, yes), while the rest are taking a siesta, even the dogs are sleeping, sprawled out on the stone floor. But none of this prevents the old buildings from living and legends from existing.

In the new part of town, everything is different—it's noisy, with fountains splashing, lots of cafes, shops, and office centers.

Orihuela is wonderful, and tourists who want to get to know the real Spain should definitely visit it.

The city with the beautiful name of Murcia

The city was founded in the 9th century by the Emir of Cordoba, Abd al-Rahman. Then, as usual, there were wars and conquests, and in the 13th century, Christians finally drove out the Muslims, and the prosperous kingdom of Murcia was established. But in the 19th century, misfortune struck the city one after another: it was plundered by Napoleon's troops, hit by an earthquake that killed 6,000 people, and ravaged by plague, cholera, and floods.

The city has a population of about 440,000 (although this is not evident on the half-empty streets). There are many architectural monuments, fabric shops (the city was once famous for silk weaving), giant trees (which turned out to be ficus trees), an avenue of plane trees, open-to-the-public attractions and a closed main cathedral, funny monuments and fountains, a musical instrument shop where you can buy a harmonica and castanets, a very beautiful casino, and recreation areas with sunshades (Murcia is called the "Spanish frying pan" — it is very hot there in the summer). Murcia is monumental and charming at the same time, religious, judging by the number of religious souvenirs, and mischievous — someone painted the monument with "Save the Arctic" prints.

A trip to Spain never ends; it only fuels the desire to come back again and again. With so much left to discover and explore, there is only one solution: plan another trip.