How To Spend a Weekend in Murcia

I adored my trip to Murcia in Spain. It’s a stunning region in the southeast of the country, it is a lesser-visited area by tourists, and it really does sort you out with a food and culture hit!

If you are looking for a weekend in Spain that is a little bit different from the usual city breaks, I recommend trying Murcia.

Here is my ideal weekend itinerary for Murcia for all of you asking how to spend a weekend in Murcia, Spain.

view through the car window with road reaching ahead — Driving through Murcia

woman sits on colourful steps — Weekend in Murcia, Spain

Quick Links To Information In This Post

How to get to Murcia

It’s easy to fly to Murcia either directly to Murcia airport, or Alicante airport which is about a 30-45 minutes drive away. There are flights throughout the year to both airports including budget airlines such as Ryanair, TUI, EasyJet, and Jet2.

Where to stay in Murcia

Murcia city has loads of hotel options across all price points. If you can, hire a car for a road trip to visit the various places I mention in the itinerary. You can either pick one hotel as a base and drive for day trips or book a different hotel each night as I did.

Occidental Murcia Siete Coronas – Murcia city

Hotel Centina – Murcia City

Balneario de Archena – Archena

Hotel 525 – Los Alcázares

Hotel NH Cartegena – Cartegena

Parador de Lorca – Lorca

The ideal length of stay

A weekend is a great amount of time to spend in Murcia. The Murcian region is relatively small so you can easily get around the main areas in a few days. Of course, if you’ve got longer then you can take things at a more relaxing pace and spend a week in Murcia.

night time bridge over right lit up and in the background the top of the cathedral — Murcia at night

Murcia Facts

Currency: Euro

Weather: It is mostly sunny in Murcia. Most of the year it is warm with an average temperature of 27 degrees C in July and 1- degrees C in January. The temperature dropped to around 12-14C when I went in November.

Best time to visit: I love going to Spain in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn when the weather is sunny but milder – great for sightseeing. Although it does get busier in spring with lots of local festivals, that’s more fun in my opinion!

How to get around: Hire a car to make the most of this lovely region and explore everything it has to offer. Each of the towns and villages is easy to get around on foot.

What to eat: Tapas! The Murcians have some fabulous tapas. I’ve mentioned my favourites below.

What to pack: If you go in shoulder season take a cardigan or light jacket for the evenings. Mostly, keep it casual and comfy.

The Perfect Itinerary For A Weekend In Murcia

street view of Murcia city at night — Shopping in Murcia City

Pale pink baroque style building on a square — Murcia city theatre

outdoor pool with rocky hills in the background — Balneario de Archena

arched tiled hallway in the spa — Archena Spa Balneario

Friday – City and Spa

Get the first flight out to Murcia or Alicante so you’ll arrive early to mid-morning in Murcia city. Hire a car and head into the old quarter of town.

Walk around the small streets of boutiques and tapas bars.

Visit the churches and cathedral.

Marvel at the sumptuous interior of the casino and enjoy a long leisurely lunch at a tapas bar.

In the early evening drive out to Archena to check into the spa hotel, Balneario de Archena. Leave your bags in your room and head straight over to the spa and pool area. Enjoy a long lazy dinner and sleep feeling relaxed and rested.

vineyard in the sun — Vineyard in Murcia

table with 3 bottles of wine, bread, chorizo, and glasses — Wine tasting in Murcia

old street at night time — Caravaca de la Cruz at night

Saturday – Wine and Culture

Wake up and treat yourself to a mud massage or treatment in the 19th-century tiled basement of the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel drive out to the wine region of Bullas. Visit the wine museum and take a wine tasting tour along the Bullas wine route.

If you have time, take a quick drive to the Ricote Valley (or little Palestine as it’s known locally), it has some gorgeous scenery.

Drive over to Caravaca, the fifth holy city in Catholicism and home to some beautiful Spanish architecture. Visit the cathedral on top of the hill at sunset for stunning views.

Stay in one of the boutique hotels in the old city such as Hospederia Almunia or Hotel Hospederia La Vera Cruz.

Plate of tapas and a glass of beer — Tapas in Murcia

White flamingo in the middle of the water — Flamingo in Murcia

lighthouse at sunset — Lighthouse at Cabo de Palos

small islet off the coast at sunset — Sunset off the coast of Murcia

Sunday – Sunshine and Seaside

Drive out early to the beach for a spot of sunshine and relaxation. If you head to Águilas, try some of the tapas restaurants for lunch.

If you are short on time and don’t want to head south, try the beaches around San Pedro del Pinatar (to see the white flamingos!), La Manga, Los Alcazares, or the small coves at Cape Palos (where there is also a gorgeous lighthouse).

If you have a chance, check out Miramar restaurant at Cape Palos, it was one of my favourite meals!

I’d recommend staying in Murcia until Monday so you can relax and enjoy your final day before heading home. Spend your final night in Cartegena so you can visit the Roman amphitheatre and old town in the morning before flying home. I recommend staying at NH Cartegena.