Sonja recently spotted a post in a local Facebook group advertising a guided walking tour of Murcia City by Mediterranean Cartagena Tours. The tour was created to mark the city’s upcoming 1,200th anniversary in 2025 and promised to showcase Murcia’s most treasured highlights – including the magnificent Cathedral, a masterpiece that took more than 400 years to complete.
Despite having previously lived near Murcia for almost a decade, Sonja was embarrassed to realise how little she actually knew about the city’s history or landmarks. So, determined to put that right, she persuaded Tim to join her on the guided tour.
Booking was very straightforward. The company provided clear details of where to meet, where to park, and even shared a Google Maps pin. Communication was excellent throughout – including a reminder message from the guide the day before.
On the day, it was easy to park at the Verónicas car park beside the very grand Ayuntamiento building (town hall). From there, it was just a short walk to the meeting point at the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi. It wasn’t hard to pick out the tour group….it was 11th November, a warm 24°C expected, so the tourists were happily in shorts and T-shirts while the locals were wrapped up in coats because, well, it was winter! Murcia’s claim of 320 days of sunshine was definitely holding up.
Our guide arrived: a small, warm-looking gentleman in a beret, dressed for cooler weather. He introduced himself as Ignacio Benedicto. After checking everyone in, he led us to the riverbank where we admired views of the historic El Puente de los Peligros (Bridge of Dangers) and beyond, and heard the story of Nuestra Señora de los Peligros (Our Lady of Danger), believed to protect the city from the floods.
One of the most fascinating revelations was that Murcia did not exist until the Moorish settlers founded it. They brought advanced irrigation techniques, turning what had been unmanageable dry land into fertile and prosperous ground by virtue of rechannelling and splitting the Rio Segura. Only centuries later, when the Christians reconquered the region, did Murcia become “Spanish” in the way we know it today. Ignacio weaved this history into the whole tour, with each stop adding another piece to the puzzle.
Over the next couple of hours, Ignacio guided us around bridges, monasteries, towers, the grand Cathedral that took over 400 years to complete, and a mix of architectural styles, Baroque, Renaissance, Gothic and more
Ignacio
Ignacio’s storytelling was engaging and often humorous. He pointed out, for example, how one wealthy family built their chapel in the Cathedral as a dramatic statement of status, the historic equivalent of someone nowadays buying a football club to show off. There were quips on marrying a woman called ‘Danger’ and funny tales of invading Moorish armies getting drunk on wine and music and failing in their missions. He found humour in all of Murcia’s history, never forgetting the seriousness of the subject.
We also learned the story behind the large sardine sculpture in the river and the relevance of springtime festival known as the Fiesta El Entierro de la Sardina , (the Burial of the Sardine), which we now definitely want to see someday because it sounds like a riot. And yes, we were shown the chain. According to Murcia legend you haven’t truly visited until you’ve heard the story and seen the giant stone chain for yourself.
We don’t know if all the guides are as good, but we certainly felt fortunate to have Ignacio. His enthusiasm, humour, and his obvious love for Murcia were infectious. And by the end we definitely understood that Murcia owes its very existence to the Moorish invaders.
After the tour, we relaxed in the Cathedral Square for a drink and a light lunch, reflecting on what an enjoyable and eye-opening experience it had been.
As an aside, something we’ve noticed time and again throughout the region of Murcia is how often school groups are out exploring their own heritage. Wherever we go, from the tiny bridges of Ojós to the city of Murcia, there are always children being shown the sites and learning the stories of where they live. It’s genuinely refreshing to see a region take such pride in its history and pass that pride on to the next generation. (Gosh, that sounds like something only proper oldies would say, doesn’t it?!)
And one final observation we always seem to make: everywhere is spotless. From the centre of Murcia to the beaches, they are consistently clean and well-kept. Combine that with good, inexpensive, coffee at every stop, and it’s hard not to grow very fond of this place.
The tour cost €15 per person and was worth every cent.
If you visit Murcia, we hope you get the chance to experience Ignacio’s passion too.
Definitely gets the Grumpy Old Guides thumbs up. 👍
Note: This is not an ad – we paid for this tour.
Ignacio can be contacted via the following if you would like to follow in our footsteps and catch some of his enthusiasm:
Website: https://mediterraneancartagenatours.com
Email: Ignacio.benedicto@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedCartagenaTours
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