PROPERTY SEARCH
HOME > MURCIA REGION > REGION OF MURCIA
Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia: Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia
The Region of Murcia is the 9th largest autonomous community in Spain by size, covering an area over half the size of Wales, and the tenth most populated with 1,474,449 inhabitants (national statistics institute, Jan 2013) of whom 22,000 are British.
It is formed by a single province, and governed by the autonomous regional government, based in the Palacio de San Esteban in Murcia City, and the regional Assembly, the regional parliament, in Cartagena.
The region is further broken down into 45 individual municipalities, each with their own municipal government and Mayor. These are then further subdivided into local pedanías, or diputaciones.
There are three major cities in the Region: the capital City of Murcia, with 441,354 inhabitants (Jan 2013), the historic port of Cartagena which is an important naval base and Mediterranean cruise ship destination with a population of 216,655, and Lorca with 92,865 residents.
The economy of the Region has traditionally relied on agriculture: it is often referred to as the market garden of Spain, and is a major exporter of fruit, salad and vegetables to most European countries, including the UK.
In the 20th and 21st century Cartagena has become a major centre for petroleum and energy production with the Repsol refinery and surrounding developments in the valley of Escombreras and its container port.
In the past there were important mineral mines in the Region, and over the centuries significant contributions to the economy have also been made by the furniture industry in Yecla, various traditional crafts such as esparto grass weaving and of course, being a coastal region, fishing (and, in recent times, fish farming).
There are also many new technological parks, notably the one in Fuente Álamo, and in the last twenty years international tourism has begun to develop.
Murcia is a popular Spanish tourist destination but remains largely unknown outside of Spain. UK tourists make up the largest group of foreign visitors to the region, accounting for more than 50% of tourists, however, many of these either own, are renting or visiting, properties on the 6 residential tourism developments built by the Polaris World Promotor and a number of other residential tourism developments including the luxurious La Manga Club, Camposol in Mazarrón, and Hacienda del Álamo in Fuente Álamo.
These are serviced by an airport at San Javier, shared with the Spanish Air Academy, and El Altet at Alicante (about a 1-hour drive from the region), and an opening date is still awaited for the new International airport at Corvera, near to Murcia City.
Murcia enjoys a warm climate, with 300 days of sun and clear skies a year and an average temperature of 21 degrees. The region is fringed by the Mediterranean Sea, its coastal area known as the Costa Cálida, with 250km of coastline. Murcia also has the Mar Menor, technically an inland saltwater lake separated from the Mediterranean by La Manga, a 22km long sandy strip with high density tourist occupation. This has 73km of internal beaches with a maximum depth of just 7 meters in the centre, making it a major focal point for watersports, with no tidal currents or waves, but having salt water, sandy beaches and steady sailing winds.
The region also has hotspring spas, mountainous interior areas, forested areas and stone fruit growing river valleys, offering a wide range of landscapes, and a rich offering of cultural monuments and historical sites.
Municipalities of the Region of Murcia
The municipalities of the Region of Murcia are Abanilla, Abarán, Águilas, Albudeite, Alcantarilla, Los Alcázares, Aledo, Alguazas, Alhama de Murcia, Archena, Beniel, Blanca, Bullas, Calasparra, Campos del Río, Caravaca de la Cruz, Cartagena, Cehegín, Ceutí, Cieza, Fortuna, Fuente Álamo de Murcia, Jumilla, Librilla, Lorca, Lorquí, Mazarrón, Molina de Segura, Moratalla, Mula, Murcia, Ojós, Pliego, Puerto Lumbreras, Ricote, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar, Santomera, Torre Pacheco, Las Torres de Cotillas, Totana, Ulea, La Unión, Villanueva del Segura and Yecla.
Where is the Region of Murcia?
Click for map, Region of Murcia
Why jellyfish are invading Spanish beaches this summerWarmer waters, fewer predators and changing currents are all behind the rising number of stings, say marine experts With summer now in full swing and many of us heading to the coast to escape the heat, beachgoers are being warned to watch out.. 05/08/2025
Yecla announces guided visits for the remainder of 2025From history to wine-tasting, from rural hikes to the famed December fiestas, Yecla welcomes all visitors to these fascinating tours between August and December! The Tourism department of the Town Hall of Yecla in the north of Murcia has published its.. 05/08/2025
Ryanair ground staff extend Spain-wide strike throughout AugustThe industrial action will impact flights to and from every airport in Spain Ryanair passengers flying in and out of Spain are facing widespread disruption this month as ground handling staff have announced plans to extend their strike action across.. 05/08/2025
Historic convent-church of San José in Caravaca to benefit from million-euro restoration projectThe Convent of San José was founded by Teresa de Jesús 450 years ago The Town Hall of Caravaca de la Cruz has announced that work will begin in the last week of August to restore the former Convent and Church of San José, one of.. 05/08/2025
July brought the most rain in 40 years to the Region of MurciaIt was also one of the hottest on record across Murcia, with heatwaves and tropical nights dominating the month It is not every year that a month manages to be both one of the wettest and one of the hottest on record, but that is exactly what happened.. 05/08/2025
Thousands of tonnes of algae cleared, but the Mar Menor is still in deep troubleAnother spike in chlorophyll levels has raised serious concerns about the fragile state of the Mar Manor lagoon Despite the removal of more than 4,200 tonnes of algae from the Mar Menor coastline already this year, scientists are again sounding the.. 04/08/2025
Extreme heat alerts return: Murcia weather forecast August 4-7The thermometers will approach 40ºC in large parts of the Region of Murcia this week Weather alerts in Murcia on Tuesday August 5 The weather will continue to heat up in the Region this coming week, with large parts of central Murcia.. 04/08/2025
Spain prepares for once-in-a-lifetime trio of eclipsesThe government has created a special commission to handle hundreds of thousands of eclipse chasers as Spain has a front-row seat Spain is about to become the hottest destination for astronomy fans worldwide, with an incredible trio of solar eclipses heading..
Murcia photo of the month August 2025Here’s the top image of the month taken by the Los Alcázares Digital Camera Club (LADCC) For many LADCC members, the prospect of a morning’s photographic outing to the beautiful city of Cartagena was too good to miss, or was.. 01/08/2025
Fresh push to revive illegal mega-resort sparks fury in southwest MurciaThe Marina de Cope mega-project on the coastline of Águilas and Lorca was ruled illegal over a decade ago A controversial plan to revive the long-abandoned Marina de Cope mega-resort in Lorca and Águilas is sparking fresh outrage among.. 01/08/2025
Will Spain's new emergency lights lead to traffic fines?The V-16 beacons are connected to the DGT in Spain, but authorities say there’s no need to panic From January 2026, all cars in Spain will need to carry V-16 emergency lights. These compact beacons are replacing the old warning triangles that.. 01/08/2025
House prices in Spain still rising fast - with one region up 37%New data shows property prices in Spain continue to climb, especially in Murcia and the Basque Country House prices across Spain are continuing their upward trend, with new figures showing an average year-on-year increase of 6.7% in May 2025. While.. 01/08/2025
Netflix is ending its Basic plan in Spain in September: these are your options if you don't want adsThe streaming platform is discontinuing this ad-free subscription in Spain, forcing existing users to upgrade Netflix has rolled out a significant change to its plans in Spain. From September 1, the ad-free Basic plan, which cost €9.99 per month.. 01/08/2025
Jumilla continues to invest in sustainable tourismImprovements to hiking and cycling routes, the botanical garden and the 1700-year-old Roman mausoleum of El Casón are among the projects undertaken by Jumilla Town Hall The Town Hall of Jumilla continues to implement its Sustainable Tourist Destination.. 01/08/2025
Highway robbery: Southern Spain toll charges spike just in time for summerThe AP-7 from Alicante to Cartagena costs 76% more between June and September than the rest of the year As if soaring grocery bills, sky-high fuel costs and rising electricity prices weren’t enough, now drivers in Spain are being slapped with.. 31/07/2025
Fruit and vegetables in Spain have shot up by 18 per cent in the last 12 monthsMeat and dairy prices have also climbed sharply across Spain, but beverages and potatoes are cheaper If you’ve done a food shop recently, you might’ve noticed your fruit and veg bill creeping up, and you're certainly not alone. &.. 31/07/2025
