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
Thousands of shrubs and bushes planted at Lorca CastleMore than 1,500 native plants and trees will adorn the hillside near Lorca Castle viewpoint Lorca Castle is now the focus of a large-scale environmental restoration initiative aimed at preserving the historic site and its surroundings for future generations.. 22/04/2025
Play boules at Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort every TuesdayMake friends and play a gentle and fun sport with a great group of people at the Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort in Murcia Every Tuesday at 4pm, you can go along to play boules/petanque/petanca at the Pistes area next to the tennis courts of the.. 22/04/2025
Man accused of beating his stepson to death in France arrested in MurciaA joint operation between Spanish and French police leads to the suspect’s arrest after a week-long search A man was arrested by the National Police early on Sunday morning in Murcia, in connection with the death of his 18-year-old stepson.. 22/04/2025
Fourth lane to be added to Murcia-Cartagena A-30 motorwayThe €12 million project will ease traffic jams on both the A-30 and MU-30 roads Relief is finally on the way for Murcia drivers on one of the A-30 Cartagena-Madrid motorway’s worst bottlenecks. The Ministry of Transport has announced plans.. 22/04/2025
Impressive Grand Designs house in Águilas under investigation for illegal buildingOne person is under investigation for putting up two large homes, complete with pools, on protected land An eye-catching property in Águilas, which wouldn’t look out of place on Grand Designs, has found itself at the centre of a police.. 22/04/2025
Electric Movibus buses roll into testing phase on Murcia-Molina routeA greener future for public transport is taking shape in the Region of Murcia This week sees the launch of a pilot scheme testing fully electric Movibus vehicles on the route between Murcia and Molina de Segura. The trial is being run by the Regional.. 22/04/2025
Anger grows in Los Nietos as the town continues to deteriorate“Never in the 60 years I've been in Los Nietos has the town been so dirty,” according to the local residents’ association Frustration is boiling over in the Cartagena town of Los Nietos, where residents say years of neglect have.. 22/04/2025
Currencies Direct golf competition April 2025 results at CamposolThis month’s Camposol golf competition benefited from even more fantastic prizes up for grabs! The Currencies Direct April golf competition took place this month at Camposol Golf Club, with players competing in two divisions in a Stableford.. 22/04/2025
Soaked and scorched: Spain faces floods as Europe sets new heat recordMarch 2025 was the hottest of all time in Europe, but it was also ravaged by torrential downpours and storms Since we’re in danger or wearing out our brollies and raincoats here in Spain, it might be a little hard to believe, but we have just.. 22/04/2025
Holy Week in Lorca exceeds all expectations with more than half a million visitorsDespite the unpredictable weather, Lorca’s hotels, bars and restaurants were packed to capacity Lorca’s mayor, Fulgencio Gil Jódar, has hailed this year’s Holy Week celebrations as “a resounding success,” praising.. 21/04/2025
Seahorses all but vanish from the Mar Menor as conservation plans get underwayThe creation of new Posidonia meadows, a crucial habitat for the Mediterranean’s marine life, has entered a promising phase An ambitious environmental effort is underway along Murcia’s coast, where the Hippocampus Association continues.. 21/04/2025
Murcia braced for massive storm this week: This is when the rain will hit, says weather forecast April 21-24Meteorologists have one last thunderstorm prepared for us before a steep rise in temperatures towards the weekend Just when it seemed that the weather was going to remain permanently calm and sunny until the end of the summer, Murcia has been thrown.. 21/04/2025
When is the next festivo coming up in Spain?Several regions of Spain will enjoy a four-day weekend next month For most of us, the Easter holidays are already a distant memory. In a few regions, including the Valencian Community and Catalonia, Easter Monday, April 21, is also a festivo, so those.. 21/04/2025
Spain enjoys half a day of free electricity before prices reboundPower prices hit rock bottom in Spain on Easter Saturday, costing virtually nothing for an entire 11-hour period Electricity in Spain was practically free for much of Easter Saturday, with prices in the wholesale market crashing to just €1.72.. 21/04/2025
New private urbanisation with 300 properties given planning permission behind IKEA in MurciaA new residential development in Cabezo de Torres marks the latest expansion in Murcia’s growing housing market The City Council of Murcia has given the green light to a major new housing project in Cabezo de Torres, located just behind the.. 21/04/2025
UK bans all meat and cheese from the EUPassengers flying to Britain from Spain will temporarily be stopped bringing certain food items British holidaymakers returning from Spain and elsewhere in the EU are now facing tightened restrictions on bringing meat and dairy products into the country.. 18/04/2025
