Spain: Murcia

Overview

Murcia (population 1.3 million), located in the extreme south-east, is both a region and a province. It’s one of the smallest regions covering an area of 11,317km2 (4,369mi2) and became an autonomous region only because nobody wanted poor Murcia when the regions were created post-Franco! Main towns include Cartagena, Lorca (the prettiest town in Murcia) and the capital Murcia, plus a number of coastal resorts, including Aguilas, Mazarrón and Mar Menor. Murcia (population 391,000, Spain’s seventh largest city) is a lively Baroque town with a fine cathedral and university, and the site of prominent Carthaginian and Roman settlements. Cartagena, the region’s main port and an important naval base, is an interesting historic town of Roman origin (over 2,000 years old) which was the major city of the Carthaginians in Spain and is now one of Spain’s up and coming towns. In general, it’s a flat, parched, character-less region with a lot of industry. However, agriculture is the main industry and includes fruit, vegetables (early produce is grown under plastic) and cereals, pig and goat farming, silkworm farms, plus iron and steel works in Cartagena. The region has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers, similar to the southern Costa Blanca and Almería. Murcia is served by the international airport at Almería and Murcia airport, where several companies now fly all year round, but the region has poor access by modern standards. There are trains to Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia (which also has bus connections). The property market in Murcia (and particularly the Costa Cálida – see below) has taken off over the last two years due to increased interest from British buyers searching for cheaper property than on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, and development is currently intense. Murcia has consistently registered some of the highest rises in properties in Spain – 26 per cent in 2003 and 18 per cent in 2004.

Costa Cálida

The coast of Murcia, known as the Costa Cálida (the warm coast, an indication of the climate), is mostly unattractive, although there are some fine beaches and includes the Mar Menor, the largest salt water lake in Europe with excellent beaches and water sports. The Mar Menor is all but surrounded by residential developments, the main one being La Manga (Spanish for ‘the sleeve’), a holiday and leisure development located on a narrow wedge of land between the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean. The area is popular with summer visitors (it can be extremely crowded in July and August) and is increasingly more popular with foreign property buyers attracted to the coast’s reasonable prices and improved communications. The San Javier airport has recently increased its flights, particularly to destinations in the UK. Alicante airport is also reasonably near the Mar Menor. The property market in the area is currently booming, reflecting the increased interest by foreign buyers, and construction in many resorts is intense. Prices continue to rise (they’ve doubled since 2000), although they’re somewhat cheaper than many other coasts. A two-bedroom apartment costs from €130,000 and a three-bedroom villa on a small plot from €350,000.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in Spain 2006” 5th Edition, David Hampshire.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying a Home in Spain 2006” 5th edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive, annually updated information about buying a property in Spain, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net