Cycling in Caravaca: an easy route for families in and around the historic city
Enjoy monuments in the centre of Caravaca and the natural beauty spot of Las Fuentes del Marqués!
This 14-kilometre circular cycling route, taking you to many of the most iconic locations in the holy city of Caravaca de la Cruz, is a very easy one and is suitable for practically all members of the family other than the very youngest!
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). The route then takes you the Templete, where the ceremony of the Bathing of the Cross takes place every year on 3rd May during the annual Fiestas. This has been a central point for the townspeople since it was built in 1762 on the same location as a former chapel – it stands above a water fountain which has been the scene of a ritual act of blessing the waters of the city and the outlying agricultural areas since at least 1384!
From there, it’s a short ride out of town 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 back to the centre of Caravaca along the Green Belt route which has recently been created by the Town Hall. All in all, this is a ride which, accompanied by children, will probably take you no more than 90 minutes.
A great way to embark on new adventures with family or friends - 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
