June 6 Desafío Arcilasis in the Caravaca village of Archivel
The Caravaca countryside hosts its annual test of strength and resilience
The details have been confirmed for this year’s “Desafío Arcilasis” event in the village of Archivel, where competitors will put to the test their strength, resilience and resourcefulness in a series of energy-sapping challenges based on those faced by Roman soldiers 2,000 years ago.
Archivel, in the countryside of Caravaca de la Cruz, is a fitting setting for such an event as most of the built-up area stands on top of an old Iberian burial ground and on the Cerro de la Fuente (known locally as “El Santo”) a late Roman fortress has been excavated, This dates from the time of the civil wars between Pompey and Julius Caesar and the relics discovered include crockery on the Cerro de la Fuente and a coin from the time of Claudius which was unearthed in Las Casicas.
Many of the building blocks used by the Iberians and the Romans were taken by locals during the repopulation of the 16th century to build their own homes.
The 2026 Desafío Arcilasis offers aspiring soldiers of the Empire the chance to compete in three disciplines; Legionnaires tackle running races of 15, 27 and 50 kilometres, Centurions take on a 50-m cycle ride and Gladiators face a 5-kilometre obstacle course. This latter event usually attracts a large number of competitors!
Desafío Arcilasis takes place this year on Saturday June 6 and registration is now open online here at between 31 and 51 euros.
For more local events, news and visiting information 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
