Albacete

The underground cavity has the longest horizontal run of the Region of Murcia and its more than 700 meters long. It has different astonishing rooms and spectacular rock formations with three fantastic audiovisual shows. Locution and synchronized lighting with LED technology and exciting walkways all provided. Also specialized guides for excursions. The Cueva del Puerto Reception Centre of Calasparra has a cafeteria, a multipurpose hall also used for conferences, interpretative room, terraces for activities, parking lots, cave tourism centre, etc. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/cueva-del-puerto-5270/

Anyone who loves nature and places untouched by the human hand will find the Almadenes Canyon a landscape of singular beauty. On the other hand, there is a rich biodiversity of flora including poplars, ashes and willows and wildlife such as the eagle owl, the short-toed Eagle and the otter. In this attractive touristic enclave, you can pursue adventure sports such as trekking, canyoning, and of course, the river descent by inflatable boat or kayak which offers every visitor the opportunity to travel down the river irrespective of their age or physical fitness. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/natural_area/ca%c3%b1on-de-almadenes-4508/

The origin of this museum dates back to the 19th century. At that time, the life and work of Francisco Salzillo were soon enveloped by popular legends of romantic taste. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/museum?ficha=45

On the Islamic-Mudejar palace of the Emir of Murcia, Ibn Hud, the monastery of Santa Clara was founded, which since 1365 houses the Clarisas nuns. In this building come several centuries of history and different cultures such as Islamic, Gothic and Baroque. The museum space and the nuns coexist in total harmony. It conserves one of the oldest Arabic pools in Spain. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/museum/museo-de-santa-clara-102/

With more than 150 years of history, the eclectic building of the Romea Theater is one of the most important cultural references of the city. Built after an earlier one that suffered two fires, the current theater was inaugurated in 1900 thanks to the architect Justo Millán. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/teatro-romea-955/

The most important temple in the Region is a magnificent merge of styles, a catalogue of stone which summarizes more than six centuries of art and history. Its construction began in 1394 over the remains of an old Arabic mosque and in 1462 its vaults were finished. The oldest entrance is La Puerta de Los Apóstoles (the door of the Apostles). Its only storefront is flanked by pointed archivolts with statues of the apostles on it. La Puerta de las Cadenas( the door of the Chains) dates from 1513 and has original pilasters and archivolts. From the 15th century dates the Capilla de Los Vélez covered by a ten-pointed star vault and profusely decorated. Another famous chapel is that of Junterón, whose oval ground plan is covered by an extremely original vault. Its baroque main façade (Imafronte), Jaime Bort¿s work, is an exaltation of Levantine art (the 18th century eastern Spain art). It is divided as an altarpiece into two parts and three vertical sections. The tower, divided into five parts, is 92 meters high. Its construction started in 1511 and the fifth body hosts twenty-five church bells https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/catedral-de-murcia-327/

This one was demolished to give a much cleaner view to the facade of the Cathedral. Currently the Episcopal Palace occupies a place close to what used to be the Palacio del Alcázar. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument?ficha=329

This thousand-year-old city neighbourhood grew between two walls, the Muslim and the Christian. A walk through its labyrinthine cobbled streets flanked by imposing medieval buildings takes us to back to other times in history. http://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-visit-valencia/must-sees

In honour of the Valencian ceramics industry, the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics is located in what is considered to be the best example of Baroque architecture in Spain, the Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. The museum houses the largest national collection of ceramics, dating from the 18th century to the contemporary period, and includes pieces by Picasso. A museum in which you can also find merchandise from the Silk Route and discover how they lived in one of the most iconic Valencian noble families of the age. https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-do-valencia/valencian-culture/museum-in-valencia/ceramics-museum-marques-dos-aguas-palace

The work of Valencia’s own Santiago Calatrava, this is an example of architecture at its most futuristic. The colossal structure houses an IMAX cinema (situated in the Hemisfèric), as well as Europe’s largest aquarium – the Oceanogràfic, http://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-visit-valencia/must-sees

Protected natural beach with sand dunes and salt lakes. It is located in the regional park Parque Regional de las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, between the beaches Playa de Las Salinas and Punta de Algas. This is the first one of the beaches that can be found in La Llana, as well as the only place where some shaded areas can be found, in the shelter of a group of palm trees. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/beach/playa-de-la-llana-(playa-de-la-barraca-quemada)-545/

In 1990 the first remains of what would be one of the most interesting monuments of the city of Cartagena were discovered accidentally. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive theatres throughout Spain. It was built in 44 BC when Octavian Augustus was emperor and Cartagena was a Roman colony (Colonia Urbs Nova Carthago) going through a period of high population and economic development; at that time it was called Carthago Nova. From its location, the theatre has witnessed different periods of the history of Cartagena, since the Roman Empire, up to the present, overlapping constructions of each of the historical periods. The Roman Theatre faithfully followed the theatre model proposed by Vitruvius. It was built almost entirely in the rock on a hill. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/monument/teatro-romano-349/

ARQUA Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática is the institution in charge of studying, valuing, investigating, preserving, disseminating and protecting the Spanish underwater cultural heritage. It is also home to the Permanent Observatory for the National Plan for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. These tasks are carried out in collaboration with the different regional governments and its research centres and in cooperation with the States who partner with the UNESCO Convention. Furthermore, the ARQUA has recently taken charge of the Odyssey’s treasure. The Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes frigate collection, which consists of more than 570,000 gold and silver coins from the late 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/museum/arqua-museo-nacional-de-arqueologia-subacuatica-132/

You can access there through the Urbanization El Fraile Resort in the highroad Calabardina, where you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of Bahía and Isla del Fraile. The southern area of ​​the beach is open and the eastern area is protected by the island, both, the beach and the island, separated by a 50m width and 1.5 deep narrow canals, dangerous for a swim in stormy days. The predominant eastern current increases its intensity when it arrives at the strait between island and beach, resulting in high quality, extraordinary transparent waters. During the whole summer is a meeting point of sports boats. Its surroundings are very rich in archaeological remains. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/beach/playa-amarilla-615/

his gate is all that remains of the Royal Citadel of Ciudad Real.It dates from the 14th century. It has 6 arches (the 2 exterior ones are ogival and the 4 interior ones horseshoe shaped). http://www.spain.info/en_IN/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/ciudad_real/puerta_de_toledo.html

It is a transitional Gothic building, although its origins go back to a Romanesque shrine. It has been restored several times, the most recent one giving it its current appearance. http://www.spain.info/en_IN/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/ciudad_real/catedral_de_santa_maria_del_prado.html

This museum combines art and multimedia exhibits in tribute to the immortal character created by Miguel de Cervantes. The different exhibitions in the centre are dedicated to Cervantes' famous novel, Don Quixote. Here you can see a montage in which 10 characters from the novel have a conversation. http://www.spain.info/en_IN/que-quieres/arte/museos/ciudad_real/museo_del_quijote.html

Protected natural beach of high landscape value. This beach is located within the regional park Parque Regional de Calblanque, one of the best preserved unspoilt natural landscapes on the coast. Its enormous natural wealth is based on its arid mountains, its long, ocher and golden-colored beaches as well as its lonely coves, the formation of its fossil dunes, its white salt lakes and its mountain massifs, which contrast with the blue sea. https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/beach/playa-de-calblanque-590/

Covering over 125 hectares and comprising more than 15,000 trees, El Retiro Park is a green oasis in the heart of the city. In it you’ll find all kinds of interesting monuments and gardens, including the Jardín de Vivaces, the Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez (Andalusian-inspired classicistic gardens), the Jardines del Arquitecto Herrero Palacios, the Rosaleda rose garden and the Parterre Francés, which holds a Mexican conifer that is nearly 400 years old and is believed to be Madrid’s oldest tree. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/parque-del-retiro

This gallery in Madrid has the most complete collection of Spanish painting from 11th-18th centuries, and numerous masterpieces by great universal artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Titian, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. The quality and variety of its collection makes the Prado one of the world's best-endowed museums. It combines a first-class collection of Spanish painting, the most important works of the Flemish and Italian schools, and various fine examples of the German, French and English schools. It is home to numerous masterpieces of universal art such as Las Meninas by Velázquez, the two Majas by Goya, Nobleman with his hand on his chest by El Greco, the Garden of Delights by Bosch, and The Three Graces by Rubens, among other priceless pieces. Although the museum was created to house primarily works of painting and sculpture, it also contains major collections of drawings, engravings, coins and medals, as well as items of clothing and decorative art. http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/museos/madrid/museo_nacional_del_prado.html

This is one of the most well-known monuments in Madrid. Built between 1769 and 1778 under the orders of King Carlos III, it was designed by Francisco Sabatini and erected as a triumphal arch to celebrate the arrival of the monarch at the capital. The granite gate is 19.5 metres tall and is elegant and well-proportioned. The façade features a number of decorative elements with groups of sculptures, capitals, reliefs and masks, among others. http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/madrid/puerta_de_alcala.html

Built in 1782, the Cibeles Fountain has been standing in this emblematic square since 1895. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, it depicts Cybele, the Great Mother and Roman goddess of fertility, atop a chariot drawn by two lions. It stands in the centre of the Plaza de Cibeles, the square to which it has lent its name and which marks the start of Madrid’s avenue of art, the Paseo del Arte. The fountain is flanked by four magnificent buildings: Buenavista Palace (the Army’s General Headquarters), Linares Palace (which accommodates the Casa de América cultural institution), Cibeles Palace (previously the main Post Office, it now houses Madrid City Hall and CentroCentro cultural centre), and the Bank of Spain. Commissioned by King Charles III it was designed by renowned Spanish architect Ventura Rodriguez. All three figures were made with purple marble from the town of Montesclaros, in Toledo, and the rest of the monument was carved from stone from Redueña, an area 53km to the north of Madrid, close to the La Cabrera mountain range. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/fuente-de-la-cibeles

The stunning Palacio de Cibeles is not only the headquarters of Madrid City Council, it is also home to CentroCentro. A recent addition to the renowned Paseo del Arte, the cultural centre boasts a packed programme of activities that revolve around the city and includes exhibitions, workshops, conferences and concerts. Next to the entrance hall, where you’ll find interactive information screens, there is a colourful lounge where visitors can sit back and read, connect to WiFi or enjoy some people-watching through the large windows that look out onto Plaza de Cibeles. The building has two restaurants: Colección Cibeles on the ground floor and Palacio de Cibeles on the 6th. Both are open Monday to Sunday. Also on the sixth floor is Terraza Cibeles, a great rooftop bar where you can relax with a pre-dinner drink or mid-afternoon snack as you take in the wonderful views of the Plaza de Cibeles and the Madrid skyline. For even more breathtaking vistas, head up to the Mirador observation deck on the 8th floor. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/centrocentro-palacio-de-cibeles

This portico lined square is situated at the heart of Hapsburg Madrid, the old part of the city and one of the capital’s most charming districts. Before Madrid became a capital city, with its wide avenues and boulevards, its footprint consisted of narrow streets, alleys and passageways, which today take us back to the times of swashbuckling swordsmen and medieval rogues. The foundations of Plaza Mayor were laid, when Philip II's court moved to Madrid, on the site of the former Plaza del Arrabal, where the town's most popular market was located towards the end of the 15th century. In 1617, architect Juan Gómez de Mora was commissioned to create a greater uniformity amongst the buildings in this location, which for centuries had hosted popular entertainments, bullfights, beatifications, coronations and the occasional auto de fe. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/plaza-mayor-madrid

This bustling square located bang in the centre of Madrid is one of the city’s most famous sites. With its semi-circular shape, it is a junction for many of the city’s historical and busiest streets such as Mayor, Arenal, Alcalá and Preciados, as well as the starting point for all major radial roads in Spain. Originally the site of one of the city’s gates, Puerta del Sol should be at the top of your list of places to visit. Sitting atop the Casa de Correos building, the current headquarters of the Madrid regional government, you’ll find the famous clock that all eyes turn to on the last day of the year. For over a century now tradition has it that people across the country usher in the New Year by eating 12 lucky grapes to the twelve chimes of midnight struck by this clock. A stone slab on the pavement in front of the main entrance to the Casa de Correos marks Spain’s Kilometre 0, the starting point for all major radial roads in Spain. Across the square, at the beginning of Calle Alcalá, Madrid’s longest street, you’ll find the famous Oso y Madroño. The official symbol of the city, the statue of a bear nuzzling a strawberry tree is a popular meeting spot for Madrileños. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/puerta-del-sol

Opened in May 1916 as a food market, this centenary establishment (one of the city’s few and best examples of iron architecture) became Madrid’s first gastronomy market in May 2009. Throughout 2018, the market will undergo a period of consolidation of much of its gastronomy contents. Located in the centre of Los Austrias Madrid and with over 10 million visitors a year, the San Miguel Market is the city’s gastronomic temple, the contemporary essence of all the corners of Spanish cuisine. From the best Iberian ham to fresh seafood brought from Galicia each day, the Mediterranean rice or the special cheese from Castile, Asturias or the Basque Country. The finest products and wine from the length and breadth of Spain are divided among 30 permanent stands and 3 in a portable format. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/shopping/mercado-de-san-miguel

Madrid's Royal Palace was built in the 18th century by order of Philip V on the site of the old Alcázar fortress, a former Moorish castle. Sachetti began the works in 1738, and the building was completed in 1764. Sabatini designed the southeast wing and the great staircase, or staircase of honour. It has a square floor plan with a large central courtyard. The Puerta del Príncipe gateway on the east side gives access to the central courtyard. The Sabatini and Campo del Moro Gardens are among the Palace's other attractions, as well as its several different façades. There is some debate as to its artistic style; it is thought by some experts to belong more to the Baroque, and by others to the Neo-classical style. Of particular note among its numerous rooms are the Royal Guards' Room, the Columns Room, the Hall of Mirrors and King Charles III's room. It also contains paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco and Caravaggio. http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/arte/monumentos/madrid/palacio_real.html

In 1968, Manuel Herrero Palacios designed these 8 hectares of gardens so that one could sit and admire the magnificence of the Temple of Debod, which had been donated to Spain by the Government of Egypt. The Debod Mausoleum, which is more than 2,000 years old, was rescued from the waters of Aswan Dam by a group of Spanish archaeologists. They brought back every stone and rebuilt it in its present location, after the Government of Egypt donated it to Spain. It was set on the remains of Cuartel de la Montaña, retaining the orientation to the sun it had at its place of origin. From here, the famous Manzanares cornice, with the Royal Palace, Casa de Campo and, possibly, the most beautiful sunsets in Madrid, can be seen. The garden’s parterres on both sides are merely a vegetation frame. They are enclosed with squares, banana trees for alignment and groups of palm trees and Mediterranean plants on the meadows. https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/jardines-del-templo-de-debod

Costacabana Beach is located near the seafront in the residential area of the same name. It is a beach of sand and small pebbles of 1,200 metres in length. It has some stone jetties that protect the coast from waves. It can be reached Costacabana Beach departing from the Almeria coast in the east, by the extension of the promenade, also called Camino de la Ribera. After passing by the University of Almeria, we get to this neighbourhood. https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/playas/costacabana/

From the Alcazaba, descend in a northward direction through the Barranco de la Hoya, a line of wall that reaches San Cristobal Hill, built during the time of King Jairán (1012-1028) in the eleventh century. Here are the remnants of the neighbourhood “amurallamiento musalla”, which descends from the hill via the main street Antonio Vico. On the hill, known in Muslim times as Monte Laham, there are seven towers, three square Muslim towers and four semicircular Christian towers. These were built by the Templars of Alfonso VII, who constructed a strong-chapel following the Christian conquest of the city under the command of the troops of Alfonso VII in 1147. On this hill, which has an impressive view of the city, and located on a large pedestal, is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, constructed of local Macael marble. It was restored in 2000 and it is said to bless the city and the Mediterranean Sea. It was originally built in the twentieth century (around 1930). https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/motivo-tematico/jayran-wall-and-cerro-san-cristobal-hill/

There is no record of the date of the project or the name of the architect author. The only data found in the municipal archives and collected by the historian Emilio Villanueva (“Urbanism and Architecture in Modern Almería”) are proof that the new Apollo Theatre was built in 1881 on the site that had previously occupied the Teatro Calderón. At a time abounding recreational societies was one of them, the Society of Twenty, who promoted its construction becoming the first owner of the theatre. In January 1984, the Directorate General of Architecture and Housing, Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Environment, commissioned the architect Angel Jaramillo Esteban, performing some previous studies for the rehabilitation of the building, and then in 1985 the corresponding project.The works managed by the Hon. Almería City Council, beginning in 1987 under the direction of the same architect and then for various reasons remain stalled between 1989 and 1992, were completed in 1993, having taken part in financing the ministries of Public Works, Transport and Environment and Culture and the Departments of Public Works and Transport and Culture and the Environment of the Junta de Andalucía https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/motivo-tematico/apollo-theater-2/

The museum, recently reconstructed modern building, located on the Carretera de Ronda, houses inter esantesfondos with valuable works from prehistory to the Muslim period. In addition, the museum was awarded the European Museum of the Year Award in 2008, and inside, in addition to continuous exposure other activities such as conferences, exhibitions and festivals are held. https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/motivo-tematico/museo-de-almeria-arqueologico/

The Alcazaba, with its 1430 m. walled perimeter is Spain’s second-largest Muslim construction, after the Alhambra Palace in Granada. It was built at the behest of Abderrahman III in the tenth century after the founding of the city. It is a stronghold which housed three campuses; the first two Muslims and one Christian, last built after the conquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs, which occurred in 1489. The fortress is situated on a hill, overlooking the old centre of the city, the medina. In it, we find a first enclosure where there is a large garden and ponds constructed during the Muslim period. The second area, the vast palatial residence of King Almotacín, stood during the eleventh century. This consisted of a public area, where today are the caliphate wells of the tenth century, a Christian arch of the 16th century. Finally, is the last enclosure of the fortress, Christian, and ordered to be built by the Catholic Monarchs, after the taking of the city. It is a Christian castle within the Muslim fortification. https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/motivo-tematico/the-alcazaba-fortress/