Cycling in Caravaca: an easy route for all the family between Cehegín and Caravaca
This Caravaca cycling tour follows part of the Camino de Levante pilgrimage route
One of two recommended short cycling trips for beginners and families of all ages, this route follows the steps of the pilgrims who have come to Caravaca de la Cruz to venerate a fragment of the True Holy Cross for many centuries, and who these days arrive in their tens of thousands, on two wheels or clad in hiking boots, every seven years during the Holy Jubilee Year granted by Pope John Paul II in 1998.
This is a fairly flat 24-kilometre circular route and, even with children, is unlikely to last more than two and a half hours. The most natural starting and finishing point of the route is the Plaza del Arco, in the historic centre, where you can see the Town Hall (dating from 1737 and including the majestic archway which gives the square its name).
From there riders head out of town, past the Templete (where the ceremony of the Bathing of the Cross takes place every year on 3rd May during the annual Fiestas since it was built in 1762 on the same location as a former chapel) to the beauty spot and park of Las Fuentes del Marqués, an ideal place to escape the milling crowds and enjoy the great outdoors. So treasured is the site that a special management team is charged with ensuring that it does not become overcrowded or spoilt and that the natural surroundings are fully respected, and within the park is the Torreón de los Templarios, a name evoking the age of the Knights Templar, although the building that we see today was actually part of a residential complex belonging to the estates of the noble family, the Marquises de Uribe.
After a ride around the verdant park, it’s on towards the picturesque and historic neighbouring town of Cehegín, covering part of the Camino de Levante, a route which extends all the way to the city of Orihuela in the province of Alicante. Along the way you’ll cross the bridge over the River Argos which in the 20th century was built to carry a railway line to Caravaca – now it is part of the Camino de Levante greenway.
Once you reach the old railway station of Cehegín it’s time to head back to Caravaca, following part of the Green Belt route which has recently been created by the Town Hall.
All in all, a fantastic way to get out and explore these two neighbouring towns in the north-west of Murcia while enjoying the healthy benefits of the great outdoors and physical exercise - enjoy it!
For more local events, news and visiting information contact the local tourist office (telephone 968 702424) or go to the home page of Caravaca Today.
Address
Calle De Las Monjas, 19, 30400 CARAVACA DE LA CRUZTel: 968 702424 / 968 701003
Caravaca de la Cruz tourist office
More information about the places of interest which can be visited in the municipality of Caravaca de la Cruz, along with what's on and local news can be found in the Caravaca Today.
Caravaca de la Cruz, in the north-west of the Region of Murcia, is one of only 5 Holy Cities in the Roman Catholic world, a centre of pilgrimage, along with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela and Santo Toribio de Liebana, and is home to the Cross of Caravaca, the Vera Cruz.
The status of Holy City was bestowed by Pope John Paul II in 1998, granting the City a Permanent Jubilee year every 7 years for perpetuity, the first one held in 2003 and the next in 2024.
The strategic and natural advantages of Caravaca de la Cruz have attracted the attention of settlers for more than 800,000 years, the Cueva Negra yielding remains of Homo Heidelbergensis, forbears of the Neanderthals and the municipality also houses important archaeological remains from the Argaric, Iberian and Roman cultures. many of these can be seen in the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
As a border town caught between the Catholic forces of Castille and the last remaining Moorish stronghold in Spain, Granada, Caravaca had a turbulent medieval history, but it was during this period that the legend of the Cross of Caravaca was born, bringing the religious orders which shaped the structure of Caravaca today, with its impressive hilltop castle and eclectic collection of churches and monasteries, religious tourism today being a backbone of the town´s economy.
Caravaca de la Cruz is a municipality with important natural resources, including extensive forests, part of which have protected status due to their wealth of flora and fauna, and due to the abundant water supplies is also a major area for canned fruit production, apricots in particular being an important crop.
Caravaca is renown for its important May Fiestas, held in honour of the Vera Cruz, which also incorporate the Moors and Christians celebrations and the Running of the Wine Horses.
Caravaca de la Cruz is also the home of Europe´s largest collection of ethnic instruments at Barranda, the Museo de Música Étnica Barranda and is the location of the Barranda festival de Cuadrillas, which celebrates the Region's ethnic music traditions.
The municipality is home to around 26,000 inhabitants and shares boundaries with Moratalla, Cehegín, Lorca, Puebla de Don Fadrique in the province of Granada and Vélez-Blanco in the province of Almería.
Tourist office opening times:
Weekdays: 10.00 to 14.00 and 16.30 to 19.30
Saturdays: 10.30 to 14.00 and 16.30 to 19.30
Sundays and public holidays: 10.30 to 14.00
Click for map, Caravaca de la Cruz Tourist Office
