Spain Guide
Valencia and Murcia
Lorca
LORCA, an attractive former frontier town whose historic centre still has a distinct aura of the past, was for a time, part of the Córdoba caliphate. It was retaken by the Christians in 1243, after which Muslim raids were a feature of life until the fall of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold. Most of the town's notable buildings – churches and ancestral homes – date from the sixteenth century onwards.
Somewhat unfortunately, the brooding thirteenth- to fourteenth-century Castillo (Easter & mid-July to Sept Tues– Sun 10.30am–6.30pm; reduced hours rest of the year; €10), overlooking the town, has been turned into an expensive, medieval-themed tourist attraction. In August, it offers nocturnal visits (Tues– Sat 8.30pm–1am, last entry 11.30pm).
Lorca is famed for its Semana Santa celebrations; the high point is the afternoon and evening of Good Friday.
Lorca is a reasonable place to stop overnight, with inexpensive rooms all along the highway. Although a bit of a hike from the centre, the friendly, tastefully renovated Hotel Félix (Lorca's oldest) on Avda. Fuerzas Armadas 146 (968 467 654, www.hotelfelix.com; €36-50) has rustic, cool-toned rooms with balconies, and a restaurant that serves up an economical Murcian menú for €10. Despite an unpromising exterior, the centralHotel Alameda has decent rooms at c/Musso Valiente 8 (968 406 600, www.hotel-alameda.com; €51-70). Jardines de Lorca, on Alameda Rafael Méndez (968 470 599, www.hotelesdemurcia.com; B&B €101-150), sits in a restful residential zone.
Restaurante Barcas Casa Cándido, c/Santo Domingo 13 (968 466 907; closed Mon), is the grandaddy of the Lorcan eating scene, but other fine restaurants include Juan de Toledo, c/Juan de Toledo 14 (968 470 215; closed Mon, also closed Sun in Aug). The accommodating, colourful El Hornero, on Plaza San Vicente 4 (968 471 287), offers robust international fare (including veggie dishes). For tapas, the handsome, azulejo-fronted Meson El Camino, c/Alfonso X El Sabio, draws an animated local crowd.
Hourly trains and buses connect Lorca with Murcia, although the train is cheaper and a little quicker. Arriving by train, get off at Lorca Sutullera; buses arrive at the adjacent station. Four daily buses head south to Granada.