Little Black Book
My Little Black Book
Your compact guide to t he capital of Costa Cálida, by Leaonne Hall
Spain’s seventh biggest city has something for everyone, from the freedom of the fairway to the hidden treasures of the Old Town…
YOUR NEW ADDRESS
This lovely finca with 12 acres of land occupies a rural spot close to Mazarrón on the Costa Cálida. There are four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and the overall condition is excellent. It’s partially furnished and comes with a fitted kitchen. From 202,000 euros. Mercers: 00 34 968 199 188; www. spanishproperty.co.uk
YOUR CONTACTS
BANKS
Murcia is a major city with plenty of banks. Big names include Cajamurcia (Gran Via Escultor Francisco Salzillo 23; +34 968 361 600), Banco De España (Gran Via Escultor Francisco Salzillo 20; +34 968 217 652) and La Caixa (Plaza González Conde 3; +34 968 207 010). You’ll find lots of ATMs dotted around the city.
CINEMAS
There’s plenty of choice when it comes to films. For mainstream movies visit Neocine Thader (Avenida Juan de Borbón, Churra; +34 968 385 880; www. neocine.es/thader.php). For more artistic fare, try the Filmoteca Regional Francisco Rabal (Antiguo cine Salzillo, Plaza Fontes; +34 968 902 201; www. filmotecamurcia.com). Finally, Zigzag is a new leisure centre with 10 cinemas and a wealth of fast-food restaurants (Avenida San Carlos; +34 968 904 422; www.zigzagmurcia.net).
CULTURE
There’s plenty to see and do in the city. For starters, there’s the Cathedral built in the Castilian Gothic style. Then there’s the colourful Bishop’s Palace and town hall, not to mention the sights of the Old Town. Further afield there are plenty of Roman and Carthaginian ruins, as well as the warm waters of the Mar Menor and the walking trails of the Parque Natural de Sierra Espuña. With a couple of theatres, several museums and the delights on show at the Aquarium of the University of Murcia (+34 968 398 563; www. aquarium.um.es) you won’t ever be short of something diverting to do.
GOLF
The region’s well known for its golf, and there are four courses within half an hour of the city, including the 18-hole Club de Golf Altorreal (www.golfalto. real.es) and La Manga Club (www.lamangaclub.com), which has three of the best courses in Europe.
HOSPITALS
Reassuringly, there are plenty of hospitals in the city, including the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca in El Palmar (+34 968 369 511), the Hospital Reina Sofía (Avenida Intendente Jorge Palacios; +34 968 359 000) and the Hospital Morales Meseguer (Avenida Marqués de los Vélez; +34 968 360 900).
NIGHTLIFE
The party crowd will be pleasantly surprised with the vibrant club scene in Murcia, and the best nightlife is found around the university, in Barrio de la Merced. A good bet is Bar Warhol (Calle Victorio 25), but for great cocktails try Barra del Rincón (Calle los Apóstoles 34). For live music, head for the trendy La Puerta Falsa jazz bar (Calle San Martín de Porres 5) or local favourite Garaje de la Tía María (Avenida Miguel de Cervantes 43). For afterhours fun, try Discoteca Palacio Del Caribe (Calle Molina de Segura), which is a salsa and Caribbean disco. If your tastes are even more uptempo, try Café Del Embrujo flamenco club on Plaza Captesa.
RESTAURANTS
won’t be in Murcia is hungry, and if you’re after a good restaurant then head for the Plaza de San Juan. Among the city’s toprated treats are the traditional El Churra (Calle Obispo Sancho Davila 13; +34 968 271 522), which specialises in local cuisine; La Buena Vida (Plaza Santa Catalina 4; +34 968 218 501), which serves awardwinning tapas; and Salzillo (Calle Canovas del Castillo 28; +34 968 220 194) with its superb solomillo al foie PX (steak and foie gras in a red-wine sauce). There are also pizzerias, a Caribbean restaurant and Chinese and Japanese options.
SCHOOLS
El Limonar International School (Colonia Buenavista, El Palmar; +34 968 882 818; www. ellimonarinternational.com) is a bilingual school, and King’s College, the British School of Murcia (Calle Pez Volador, Urbanización La Torre Golf Resort, Roldán; +34 968 032 500; www.kcmurcia.es) is the best English option.
SHOPS
Shopaholics won’t be disappointed here. The alleyways of the Old Town, the pedestrian Calle Trapería and the luxurious Calle Jabonerías are veritable treasure troves. Bargain hunters should head for the flea market on Jéronimo de Roda behind the El Corte Inglés department store. The food market at Mercado Veronica is also worth checking out.
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