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Alhama de Murcia has enjoyed tremendous success with its free guided tours of the town programme throughout the last few years, as many foreign residents had never ventured past the shopping centre to discover the beauty of the little back streets and the historical attractions of the town.
Such has been the popularity of the tours that visitors frequently return accompanied by friends and family, so the tourism services of Alhama de Murcia have produced a free English language audio guide which visitors can use to follow the guided route at their own convenience.
To use the audio guide it is necessary to leave personal ID (passport or NIE card) with the tourist office and allow roughly an hour and a half for the tour .
To book audio guides call the tourist office on 968 633512; the staff speak good English.
There is plenty of parking directly beneath the Plaza de la Constitución in an underground car park or in the Recinto Ferial behind the Parque de la Cubana, which is opposite the tourist office.
Visitors are often surprised to find that for over two thousand years Alhama was a spa town of some note, this prestigious position changing only when the waters stopped flowing during the Civil War in the middle of the 20th century.
Although Alhama has been inhabited since prehistoric times, its main population centre was created in the first century BC, when the Romans discovered the healing warm spring waters, a fact which led to its expansion when under Arab rule. The spa continued to play an important role in its urban development and on the guided tour visitors see important remains of the spa as well as discovering a little about the other important activity within the area: agriculture.
First stop, Plaza de Abastos, Alhama
The visit starts at the Mercado de Abastos.
This is the covered food market which was constructed in 1928 by the important modernist architect Pedro Cerdán, who was born in Torre Pacheco. He was responsible for several emblematic buildings throughout the Region of Murcia, designing the Veronicas marketplace in the regional capital (where he also completed the remodelling of the Casino) and the Casa del Piñón in La Unión, amongst others.
Each week on Tuesday there is an enjoyable street market in and around the marketplace, selling a full range of local produce as well as household items and clothing: a colourful and atmospheric introduction to daily Spanish life for anyone visiting the Region.
En route to the church visitors pass by the Jardín de los Patos (the "garden of the ducks"), an attractively tiled and landscaped garden complete with appropriate sculpture, which was formerly the site of the weekly market and held a water irrigation cistern fed from the mountains. Although it's not apparent today, much of what constitutes Alhama was formerly agricultural orchards, and this large tank held the water with which they were irrigated. Walking up to the top of the street it is possible to see glass blocks set into the pavement, with one of the original stone water channels which would have filled the tank below, running beneath the modern street.
Second stop, Iglesia de San Lázaro Obispo, Alhama de Murcia
The church of San Lázaro Obispo is built on the site of an earlier church dedicated to the same saint, who is the first of two patron saints of the Alhama, and for centuries was a site of pilgrimage for those seeking the blessing of the curative waters at the baths next door which were believed to heal skin disease and leprosy. The building was extended in the 18th century under the patronage of the Marquises de los Vélez: this is a name which crops up time and time again across the Region, referring to the powerful, wealthy family owning and ruling over vast tracts of land for centuries; their zone of influence included Alhama de Murcia, Mazarrón and Mula, which all have castles bearing their family name. In the city of Murcia the cathedral houses a family chapel. (click to read the full history of Alhama de Murcia).
The church was rebuilt to its existing simple Baroque design in the 18th century, and houses the figure of the Virgen del Rosario, the second patron of the town. The simple, elegant design is divided into two distinct parts and the plaza is built over the original cemetery, early Christians preferring to be interred as near to God as possible. Have a look at the imposing door - close examination reveals the date of construction punched into the metal.
The third stop, Museo Arqueológico Los Baños
El Museo Arqueológico Los Baños is the archaeological museum of the spa baths which were so important in the founding and development of Alhama: the name of the town comes from the Arabic "Al-hamma", meaning thermal baths.
On this site a combination of Roman and Arabic remains can be seen, together with parts of the impressive luxury hotel built during the 19th century which was in full use until the early 1930s, when the Spanish Civil War changed the face of Spain.
The structure of the Roman baths which were built in the 1st century can be clearly seen, with medicinal baths and recreational baths, containing separate areas for both sexes. The Moors, who occupied the region between the 8th and 13th centuries, re-used the Roman baths and adapted them for their own purposes, making several improvements to the roman structure.
The baths were used intensively until the end of the Middle Ages, but then fell into disuse and it was not until 1848, when a large spa and hotel complex was built, re-using the Roman remains yet again, that the town enjoyed a period of prosperity as the warm waters drew the wealthy from Murcia and the rest of Spain for healthy spa breaks and the recreational pleasures the spa facilities afforded. The hotel was finally demolished in 1972, and the existing museum inaugurated in 2005.
Many cultural activities take place in the museum and it is the site of regular exhibitions, conferences, workshops and concerts.
4th and 5th stops, Plaza Vieja and Centro Cultural Plaza Vieja
Plaza Vieja was formerly the centre of daily life in Alhama, and houses several important noble houses, one of which is now the Centro Cultural Plaza Vieja and has temporary exhibition rooms and a library.
This building was formerly the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) between 1923 and 1986, and one of the best examples of the coat of arms of Alhama can be seen on the façade.
This plaza was formerly the site of the public water supply; until the 1950s there was no running water in private homes, so the townspeople would come to this square to collect water from the Fuente del Cano and water sellers would also draw water to deliver to homes further away.
A curious legend exists that early in the 19th century a coffin arrived in Cartagena from an unknown destination, crossing Spain to La Coruña, stopping off in this square. As it travelled it left a trail of bloody murders, bloodlettings and incidents of vampirism which formed what became known as the route of horror, Alhama de Murcia home to one of these incidents...........
6th stop, El Pósito Municipal, Alhama de Murcia
The Pósito Municipal, or municipal grain store, is an 18th century building used to house cereal crops, a vital commodity in an agricultural region. In times of scarcity it was a source of food, but also a source of loans, as taxes paid to the council were paid in kind.
These were extremely important functions to the local economy as grain could be distributed should adverse weather conditions destroy the new crop, and discontent caused by hunger could be quelled should sufficient reserves exist to ride out natural disaster. In 2006 the building was restored and it is now an exhibition venue.
7th stop, Casa de la Tercia
A little further along is the Casa de la Tercia, which is the grain store built by the Marquises de los Vélez. It is called the house of one third, because this is the quantity taken by the landlord of the total harvest collected by the townspeople as a tax or tithe. They also had to pay one third to the church, so were left with very little for themselves after the rich and powerful had extracted what they deemed to be their fair shares.
In the 19th century the building was remodelled to serve as a place of celebrations and social activity, and it then served as a school during the 20th century for dramatical representations until becoming a prison during the Civil War. Today the coat of arms of the Marquises de los Vélez can still be seen on the outside.
Stop 8, El Jardín de los Mártires
El Jardín de los Mártires was formerly the original watercourse of the Rambla de la Cruz, and was built in its present form during the 1950s. The columns give it a classical appearance and it is a popular site for locals to relax and enjoy cooling shade in the heat of the summer.
The figure on the fountain is a reproduction of the original which disappeared mysteriously in the 1970s, and was created using guidelines taken from old photos found in the municipal archive. It was inaugurated in 2009, restoring the gardens completely to their former splendour, and the park is now an excellent place from which to view the castle.
Stop 9. La Iglesia de la Concepción
The church of La Concepción was built in honour of the Virgen Inmaculada to attend the needs of the poor and the sick. A little later a hospice was built alongside the church.
There are references to a convent on this site dating back to the 17th century, although the current building is in typical Murcian Baroque style and was fully restored in 2009.
Stop 10, Centro Cultural V Centenario
Opposite the Iglesia de la Concepción is the Centro Cultural V Centenario, or Casa Amarilla, which was originally built at the beginning of the 20th century when Alhama was undergoing a period of economic boom, due to the presence of the spa and hotel. Wealthy families built country homes in what is now the main urban area of Alhama, and this house belonged to the powerful and influential Saavedra family of Murcia, who enjoyed the warm springs and the idyllic existence of their "country home" in amongst the orchards of the area. The area surrounding the house would have formed part of the original formal garden.
The house is popularly known as the Casa Amarilla (yellow house) by locals, and is nowadays a venue for cultural events.
Stop 11, the castle of Alhama de Murcia
From these gardens there is a fine view of the castle of Alhama, located on the hill known as El Cerro del Castillo.
The original fortress was built in the 11th and 12th centuries by the Moors and was part of the fortifications controlling the Guadalentín valley and the important trading routes which unfurled inland.
This whole area formed part of an important series of border fortifications of the kingdom of Granada which lay to the west and the kingdom of Aragón to the north, and was protected by castles stretching across the centre of what is now the region of Murcia.
Following the Reconquista, the castle and Alhama itself were given to the powerful Fajardo family (later the Marquises de los Vélez) at the end of the 14th century, together with other towns and land. Rebuilt as a medieval symbol of power and control it finally fell into disuse as the threat of Moorish invasion ceased when the "reconquering" of Spain concluded in 1492 and the country was united for the first time, the last Nazrid Kingdom of the Moors falling to the "Catholic Monarchs".
Gradually it declined, but has recently undergone process of restoration so that features such as the painted walls inside the Torre de Homenaje can be visited and enjoyed by the public.
Stop 12, Ayuntamiento de Alhama de Murcia
The modern day Ayuntamiento or Town Hall, was built at the same time as the Casa Amarilla, the beginning of the 20th century, and belonged to the Artero family. It was originally surrounded by trees in very much the same fashion as the Casa Amarilla, and faces what is now the Parque Municipal de la Cubana, which surrounded the property of another wealthy local figure, Don Lorenzo Rubio .
Both the park and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento are the focal point for many of the cultural events and fiestas which take place in Alhama throughout the year, combining the historical past of the spa town of Alhama and the future of modernity in a practical and welcoming Murcian town.
It's interesting to look inside the Town Hall as although the external façade belongs to a 20th century house, the inside is a practical, modern, open plan office building with light and internal garden spaces.
Although the spa waters disappeared in the 1930s a new source has been found, so one day the healing waters of Alhama de Murcia may flow again, but in the meantime Alhama is an interesting and enjoyable morning out for visitors to the region and boasts a fine selection of atmospheric bars, restaurants and shops, which bring visitors back with their friends time and time again.
The audio guide for the tour is available free of charge from the excellent tourist office, with helpful, friendly, English speaking staff who go out of their way to make sure English visitors are well cared for and enjoy all of the benefits Alhama has to offer.
About one and a half hours is required to complete the route, and sensible shoes are advised as some of the tour crosses cobbled areas.
For more local information in English, including news and forthcoming events, visit the home page of Alhama Today.
