Alhama de Murcia

The A92 - autovia del Mediterraneo, sweeps past the town as if it were a nucleus for negative impulse.

At first glance there appears not be much that attracts anything towards the town of Alhama de Murcia. Sitting at the feet of the Sierra de Espuña, it appears to have been deposited there almost casually, a confetti of houses with random distribution.

The road leading into the town is, however, a hive of activity with new warehouses and office complexes going up - a sign of life and a belief in the future. The town signpost shows a castle sitting artistically on top of a rock. It's not until the castle actually comes into view that it can be verified as an accurate representation.

Take a closer look.

Once past the uneventful veneer, Alhama opens like a flower - perhaps a bit tatty round the edges, but a flower nonetheless.

There is indeed a castle. Perched on an isolated peak a ruined castle, the historical roots of which extend back to the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, presides over the ant-like workings of man far below.

The castle, with its splendid view of the surrounding countryside, provided visual protection (and early warning of the next invading wave of civilisation) for the changing cultures that have all left their signatures on the land.

But it's not all. At the bottom of the rocky outcrop that supports the castle the baths are located.

These baths, sympathetically restored to reflect the more than 2000 years that have passed since they first attracted the attention of the Romans, are constructed over a natural spring that, due to a geological accident, provided hot mineralized water that became famous for its' rejuvenating and invigorating potency.

The modern archaeological centre that sits astride the excavated ruins allows the visitor to appreciate a window through time; to experience how the Romans and, later, the Moors must have used this natural resource.

Walk round the streets. Unfortunately, Alhama de Murcia is not as the town planners would have wished it. There is a general atmosphere of urban decay and, to the casual observer anyway, a feeling that the present day inhabitants don't share the same sense of pride as those of days long gone must have done.

Something for the palate: Alameda’s rich cuisine is based on the many fruit and vegetables that are grown around the town.

Nearly every class of vegetable is grown in Murcia in earth that has been won from the desert and artificially irrigated since the Arabs introduced innovative irrigation techniques over 1000 years ago.

Fruit and vegetables of all categories are all found here and the food that is served in the restaurants reflect the region’s abundant harvest. Desserts are a speciality; the result of evolution over many centuries of recipes being passed from parent to child with each generation contributing its own subtle flavour.

More information: http://www.alhamademurcia.es