Where to go hiking in the mountains

I wanted to write about this experience as I have taken it into account that I talk a lot about my walks in the mountains in a rather scattered fashion all over the website. However, I haven't done a complete summary yet, so it can be a bit difficult to find where to go. If you want to go hiking near to Murcia, the first question to be asked is: a walk or a real full day hike?

Two hour walk:

For the walk, I recommend this one of an hour or two, (it all depends if you stop on the way to see the museums and have a drink) which goes from La Fuensanta to the village of Algezares where The San Antonio el Ermito museum is found. To get to the points of depart, there are two possibilities:

1. Take the bus from Murcia to Algezares (lines 6, 50, 59 from the company, Latbus) or
2. Take the bus from Murcia to the village of Alberca (below the Fuensanta) (Latbus line number 6). It is best to look on the company website because there might be more times or lines. In any case, the buses run on bank holidays which means you can go to the mountain when you want.

For the return journey, it's the same principle. You can go down to the next village.

If you go down to Algezares, you will see a tourism office where they give out maps. However, you have to walk a bit - from the bus stop to the foot of the mountain.

Then the walk starts from the little pathway after the tourism office, which parts to the left. It's a grainy and earthy pathway. Follow it and you'll find that the things there are to see are normally more or less indicated.

For example, on the way you will see the San Antonio hermit museum. It's a small fraction of it's cave, conserved and placed under ice. The visit lasts around twenty minutes. It's quite short. There are information boards on Murcia and a voice over which explains the hermits' history and tries to convert you to Catholicism. Behind the museum, you can go up the mountain on a wooden staircase, built into the rock.

On the left there is a little waterfall. It's pretty. Then, continue to follow the path towards the left and follow the tar road. You will arrive at the second part: el centro de la luz (the light center).

It's a modern building divided into two parts: on the ground floor, there is a museum on the day to day life in Murcia and ancient Spanish customs. On the first floor, there is a bar/restaurant. It's cheap and I think you are well fed there. There are terraces with a panoramic view of Murcia - It's very pretty! I highly recommend it, even if it's just to have a drink and several roasted almonds. In front of the building, there is a small archaeological site with some Roman baths and villa ruins. It's small but it's nice to take a look if you are passing by.

Next you should continue on your way on the tar road, suddenly a bit less beautiful but at least you can see the landscapes and town. You can go up to La Fuensanta (a tall, white church) which looks like this:

Next to the church there is a little tapas bar. I have eaten there and it was around 10 euros each. It was average but the landscape is worth the detour. However, the octopus was tinned so don't have that.

Afterwards, you can either go back down the road or via a pathway in front of the church, covered in coloured tiles, and then down the road towards the village.

Three or four hour walk:

Still leaving from L'Algezares, it is possible to make the walk a little longer (you can also do it the other way around, starting from La Fuensanta. However, it is harder because the trails are less visible).

You can pass by the tourism office and get a map. You should continue on straight ahead after the tourism office, towards the botanical garden and the area where there are barbecues and plenty of hungry Spaniards. There to the right, is a path with stairs which goes up. Follow it and then the yellow and black coloured indications: If you have any doubts, ask for the pathway. The first pathway has a name but I've forgotten it. :s Ask for 'the path leading to Relojero'. All the same, you don't have to go all the way to Relojero on this walk. At some point, there is a crossing and you have to take the road to the left to return towards la Fuensanta. You then arrive at the edge of a mountain, where you will see buildings below and La Fuensanta to the right under the trees. Look there and you will see a path descending into the woods. This is the one which will bring you to la Fuensanta.

Five to six hour walk:

If you want to go even further, you can. To go on the walk that I am about to describe, go up to Relogero instead of turning to the left. It's at a height of 800 meters. There are antennas up there, so it is easily spotted. To get there, you have to take a path indicated by a sign and then retrace your steps to find the road.

You can then follow the signs and go and the the lunar landscape (not very lunar however in Winter because there is a lot of vegetation) and the King Kong mural. However, if you have the map, you will see that it is possible to do a loop. Personally, I got lost trying to do it so I recommend you rather, to retrace your steps.

Next, follow the sign 'Las Navetas' and take the path which goes towards La Fuensanta. I didn't see it and continued on up until Las Navetas then La Cresta del Gallo. It's another option. There, you can go back down towards the village 'Las Gares' or to 'San Jose de la Vega'. However be careful because if you follow the road, it's very long. Personally, I had to stop. Another time, I followed a path but even then, keep your eye on the time because in Winter, it gets dark fast...

If you begin at La Cresta del Gallo:

One day, I got the bus stop wrong and ended up in the village Los Gares. There, you can see the mountain behind the village. If you want to go up there (which is what we did because we got the pathway wrong), you can go towards the cemetery and take the left. Follow the dirt road up to behind the cemetery. It then turns into a pathway which goes up the mountain. If you persevere and continue on a while, (despite it sometimes turning into a mini mini path) you will be mounting it for one short hour, arriving at the road which leads to La Cresta del Gallo. It's a way of not following the road for kilometres and shortens the journey.

If you have a car, of course, you can go up to the La Cresta del Gallo car park directly. At one point, there will be a crossing. If you continue to go up it, you arrive at La Cresta del Gallo, otherwise go towards La Fuensanta on the right and re-descend there. All the same, the road is less pleasant.

It is best to take the path which leaves from Cresta del Gallo, follow the path of Las Navetas and arrive below La Fuensanta. There is a path there to re-descend.

La Sierra de Espuña:

If you're after a larger mountain chain, I advise you to go to la Sierra de Espuña. You can access it from several towns. Each time I went personally, it was from La Alhama de Murcia. I didn't find any maps but I went there with an ipod with GPS. Be careful not to get lost. Sometimes the signal goes and it takes a while to load.

La Alhama de Murcia is around four kilometres away from the beginning of the mountain. Therefore we had already spent an hour 'walking' before the actual walk, so to speak, had actually started. If you have a car, it's easier. You can start the hike further in and take advantage of the more beautiful landscapes, although we were fully satisfied with those that we saw.

It's a lot of paths and quite badly indicated so watch where you are going. People get lost there every year.

La Alhama is a beautiful village if you have the opportunity to stay there for a day or two. Along the road which leads to the food of La Sierra, there is a pretty cool bar where you can eat. When you come back from your twenty kilometre walk, clearly, this is welcome.