Where to go out in Murcia

For an Erasmus student (and non-Erasmus students as well), it is very important to know where you can find the best places to go out in the city that you have chosen to go to. My Erasmus, as a lot of you will know, was in Lublin, Poland, where the prices weren't very high but equally it was good to know where the best offers were. Since, when you are on Erasmus you go out more than usual, and you end up spending more money than you would in your home country.

Well, Murcia is a city with a great university atmosphere. It has two universities: the University of Murcia, which has campuses in Espinardo, La Merced, the Rector Soler Building and the Tourism School in Malecon; and the Catholic University of Murcia, better known as UCAM.

Therefore, the offer in terms of going out is quite varied. On one hand, I am going to recommend to you the locals where I usually go to have some beers or drinks. And on the other hand, I will recommend you some places to go out, whether they be clubs or pubs.

To have a drink/ Pre-drinks

To go out to have a few beers, the places that will work out the cheapest are the locals which are located in Plaza de la Merced. Here, there are locals such as Iberos which has an offer of two quintos for 1 euro, and during happy hour it is even 3 quintos for 1 euro. Here, they also sell tapas and hot-dogs for a really good price. Just to the side you will find Marana, where they have an offer of pints for 1.50 euros and then after you will come across La Playa de la Merced which also has really good offers. These three locals have a terrace, although they are usually quite busy due to how close they are to the university. Just to the side of the square is the famous Menos Cuarto terrace, which is open practically all day, where you can also go and have some beers to your liking. They have mojitos for 2.50 euros and they aren't bad. Also, you can also order some food. It is a really good option for summer nights where it is still a little chilly (although it isn't like this for very long in Murcia, so it is impossible to go inside the locals if they don't have air-con as it is too hot).

If we go down the street which is next to the university, Calle Santo Cristo, you can find the La Merced Convent. We will get to a square where there are some bars like Colmena, quite a big bar, cool for winter days; and there are also several bars on both sides, like Pin up or Aduana, which is a bit smaller. Both have terraces on the street, even though they are usually quite full if you go at popular times.

If you keep walking down Calle Saavedra Fajardo and turn to the left at the end, you will arrive at a square where the bar Refugio is located. In Refugio, there are good offers: like if you buy 5 wine and cokes (calimochos), they work out at 2 euros each, and they also have a two beers for 3 euros, which works out quite reasonable. They have a terrace in the street. In the parallel street to the square where Refugio is located, in front of the Santa Eulalia church, you can find Foster's bar (not Foster's Hollywood), a bar which is usually quite full and to be honest, is my favourite. I really like the decor, the staff and the offers that they have, and I usually go there practically every night. They have pints of beer for 2 euros, and they also have tinto de verano for the same price. What I usually order here with the group that I go with are the pitchers of shots which cost around 6 euros and have a litre (roughly) of a mix of different alcohols (all the different pitchers that are available are written on a chalkboard. Both bars have table football, and Foster's also has a darts board.

Next to this area, you will find Metropolis, a bar where they usually have good, indie-rock style music, and they also have pitchers for around 8 euros, which are stronger than the ones in Foster's and they are also quite good.

In the street on the part opposite to Plaza Merced, you will find the bar Woodstock, which is characterised by its rock decor and its inspired shots. The quality-price value of this place is probably the best, since the prices are more or less the same, but here you are certain that what they serve you is quality alcohol.

The streets parallel to Woodstock are full of bars, but I am going to talk to you about Revolver, a bar with a quite strange decor, good prices and a great atmosphere. Here is where you have to ask for the wristbands to get discounts in Sala Rem, if that is where you want to finish off the night. I will talk about it in the next part.

To have a chilled drink, I have to recommend a place called El Bosque Animado, in Plaza Cristo del Rescate. It is quite a pretty place where you can have a drink for a reasonable price. Another very original place to have a drink is La Muralla. This local is located in the El Rincon de Pepe hotel, a hotel where a while ago they wanted to make a car park, but when drilling the came across the remains of a mural which has been converted into a really cool pub, that I really recommend that you go to.

On the other side, there is the Teteria Shananam, where you can order shishas for a really good price (6 euros for the ones that don't have alcohol), whilst having a chilled drink. The decor is nice and it is a really nice place to have a chat.

Where to go partying

If you want to continue on with the party which you have started, dance and then go home, I recommend that you go the street San Ignacio de Loyola, very near to the University of Murcia. Here, and on the street Calle Enrique Villar, you can find all the locals which I will name later, where you can keep on having drinks or beers. However, different to the others, these are clubs. Normally along these streets they will give you flyers with offers for each place, so you won't have problems finding the different bars.

Farándula, Luminata Bar, Quve, Flou, Parabarap, Badulake (the best Erasmus bar), and the Decana. All of these places usually have a minimum consumption of 3-4 euros, except on certain occasions. My favourite bar is definitely Badulake, for the international music, the people and everything. They usually have deals on Fridays, since they have themed parties and they offer a cocktail related to the theme for a euro. In Parabarap (the only one which never has a minimum consumption), you will probably find the cheapest drinks in the whole of Murcia, for 2.50 euros, and if you go in with the flyer, they will give you a shot. Further on, following Calle San Ignacio de Loloya, going through the garden that you will come across and then taking a right, you will find Believe: another local which is also really good. Normally, this place has a minimum consumption of 3 euros. It has a more calm area, where there are usually people with shishas, and another dance area.

All of these places open until 4 am approximately. Thus, if you want to continue on with the party you have a few different options. Just in front of the last place, Believe, there is Luminata Disco and Sala Rem. Personally, I prefer Sala Rem for the size and the music they usually play, which is more alternative, but it depends on your tastes. Here they usually hold lots of concerts, so I recommend that you follow them on Instagram to keep yourself up to date and be able to buy the tickets for them. Entrance to Sala Rem usually costs around 6 euros, but as I have told you, I recommend that you get the wristband in Revolver.

The price to enter Luminata usually varies depending on what day it is, and it is usually cheaper to enter if you buy the tickets in advance; in addition to the fact that they include two drinks to have in Luminata Disco or Bar, whilst the entrance at the door only includes one.

There is another area in Murcia, Atalayas, where there are different clubs such as Kloe or Theatre, if you are interested. People usually drink at what is known as the Atalayas lake, and then go in after. Me, personally, I don't really like this vibe, and I prefer to go to bars since I think that there are more options and you will never get bored.

If you fancy going out in the afternoon, between others there is the Taller, in Calle Saavedra Fajardo. Another place that I can tell you about is Plaza3, which is behind the big Corte Ingles. They both open at 3 pm, and they don't close until early morning.

I hope that this mini-guide has been helpful, and I will see you in the next post!

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