Puerto Lumbreras, cultural and rural tourism

Located in the Autonomous Community of Murcia, the village of Puerto Lumbreras It stands out for its monuments and places of interest, but, above all, for its wonderful natural heritage.

The latter is distributed among the plain of the district of Asparagus, with its intensive agricultural crops, and the peaks of the Cabezo de la Jara. This area has a great environmental value, as it has Mediterranean forests and groups of holm oaks in which species such as the Moorish tortoise, the eagle owl and other birds of prey live. In this article, we are going to tell you everything you can see and do in Puerto Lumbreras. But first we will tell you a little about its history and further specify its location.

History of Puerto Lumbreras

This area of ​​the province of Murcia It has been inhabited since Bronze Age. This is proven by archaeological sites of the Argaric culture such as that of the Alba Canyon. However, the origin of the town is found in a Muslim-era farmhouse that, like the current Puerto Lumbreras, was located next to the Nogalte Rambla. Already in the 12th century, it was built the castle which you can still visit today.

The great development of the town occurred in the 18th century, when, thanks to complex engineering works, underground water currents could be better used. This was done through a system of pipes and counterpipes, fountains and ponds to store water.

On the other hand, although there were previous attempts, its constitution as a municipality was achieved in 1958, when it separated from the council of Lorca. A few years later he would suffer one of his greatest tragedies. Eighty-five of its inhabitants perished due to terrible floods.

Today, Puerto Lumbreras lives, above all, the Agriculture. The cultivation of fruit trees and also flowers stands out, with several greenhouses for carnations. Likewise, it has a good pig and goat herd, which is complemented by the esparto crafts.

Location and places of interest

As we told you, Puerto Lumbreras is located in the southwest of the Murcia, already bordering the Almería province. In fact, it borders to the west with Huercal-Overa, already belonging to the latter. On the other hand, it borders to the north, east and south with the municipality of Lorca. Belongs to the Alto Guadalentín region and its urban center is, as we also indicated, at the foot of the Nogalte rambla.

As you know, this name is given to the channel of an occasional torrent that is dry for a good part of the year and has water when it melts or rains. It is a fairly common geological form in eastern Spain. In fact, in the municipality of Puerto Lumbreras itself there are also the ramblas of Talancón, Vilerda and Béjar.

As for the climate, it is typical of the area, with mild winters and hot summers. The rains are mainly concentrated in spring and autumn, especially in May and October. However, sunny days abound.

You can travel to Puerto Lumbreras in different ways. Murcia It is 87 kilometers away, but you have Bus from her. It also has Railway Line. The station is located in the aforementioned district of Asparagus. However, if you prefer, you can arrive in your own car. In this case, the main route is Autovía del Mediterráneo (A-7), which communicates it both with Lorca and the capital as with Almería. Once we have told you the history of Puerto Lumbreras, its location and how to get to the town, we are going to suggest what to see and do there.

Astronomical Observatory

You will find it eight kilometers from the town, on a hill almost seven hundred and fifty meters high. Thanks to this, it receives very little light pollution and allows you to have a perfect view of the heavens. To do this, the facility has two powerful telescopes under an automatic dome.

But it also has an audiovisual room. In fact, you can do guided tours both day and night by professional astronomers. During them, you will be able to see the solar system and receive explanations about it, as well as take a tour of the astronomical trail which shows it to scale.

Walnut Castle

One of the main attractions of Puerto Lumbreras is the walnut castle, which, as we indicated, dates back to the 12th century and watches over the town from the Castellar hill. However, it was expanded after the Christian conquest due to its great strategic value, since dominates the entire Guadalentín valley.

For this reason, the excavations carried out on its remains have allowed us to establish two differentiated zones. The oldest is located at the top and would have a polygonal plan, about sixty meters long and eighteen meters wide. For its part, the most modern is the lower or Christian one, which consists of a tower and other rooms. Much of the fortification has been renovated recently.

Cave Houses, an essential visit in Puerto Lumbreras

Without leaving the Castellar hill, you will find these primitive type homes carved into the mountain. They were created with the population growth that occurred in the 18th century and are the only ones that can be visited in the entire province of Murcia. Already at the end of the 20th century, its inhabitants abandoned them to settle in the urban area.

As their name indicates, they are excavated in the hill itself and there were almost one hundred and fifty. Inside they maintained a pleasant average temperature and were expanded depending on family needs. It was enough to continue drilling them.

Several of them have been restored and function as joint museum space, although each one with its own theme. Thus, you have the Craftsman's Workshop House; the one baptized as The Nogalte hill: recovering our history, dedicated to the vicissitudes of the castle, or those entitled Life and traditions in the cave houses, which show how their inhabitants lived there.

House of the elves

Located in the historic center of the town, specifically at the confluence of Francisco Tirado and Doctor Caballero streets, it is the prototype of bourgeois housing in the area. Specifically, he belonged to the family baptized as the Mayorajos. Subsequently, the City Council acquired it to form part of the Medina Nogalte Heritage Complex, which also includes the castle and the cave houses.

In this case, the house was set up for temporary exhibitions and as the headquarters of the Graphology Museum which we will talk to you about below. As for its exterior, it will be unmistakable, since it is painted green. It has two floors and its façade highlights the large entrance gateAs well as wrought iron trellises of balconies and windows.

Graphology Museum Room

As we just told you, the House of the Goblins houses the Augusto Vels Graphology Museum. This character, born in Puerto Lumbreras, was one of the great world figures of the discipline and the exhibition tries to disseminate him while paying tribute to the scholar.

It consists of a room in which the writer's office, with the degrees awarded to him by different universities. It also has shelves with books on the specialty that you can consult. Then you will go to another where they are shown his works and correspondence. But you can also see the graphological analysis he did of famous people through his writing. Finally, a third room shows the sculptural work of Ana Benavent, wife of Vels.

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

Built in the 18th century, you will see it on the main street of Puerto Lumbreras, very close to the Rambla de Nogalte. Although it has undergone several subsequent reforms, it retains its neoclassical features and its beautiful whitewashed façade. Has latin cross plant, with three naves and a cruise covered by a nice dome in which the four evangelists are represented.

The rest of the roof of the central nave consists of a barrel vault, while that of the sides is resolved with groin paths. But, inside the temple, they also stand out a painting of Ecce Homo of the seventeenth century, the penitential chapel, with its spectacular Castilian ashlar masonry, and a french organ of the 19th.

Nature Interpretation Center

In the imposing natural setting of Cabezo de la Jara, Qualified as Place of Community Interest, you have this center that informs you about the nature of Puerto Lumbreras. In it you can see a giant model of the area, but, above all, learn about the fifteen ecosystems that occur in it.

Through interactive panels and games you will discover its flora and fauna. As for the first, we have already mentioned the holm oaks and the Mediterranean forests, while, with respect to the second, in addition to the aforementioned eagle owl and black tortoise, Bonelli's eagles and foxes abound.

Rural tourism in Puerto Lumbreras

The Murcian town is also perfect for enjoying rural tourism. Around the youth hostel you have short-distance trails such as the Botanical or the Astronomical. But, if you want longer routes, you can choose the one of the Peñas de Béjar, where you can also practice climbing. You also have those of the natural area itself Cabezo de la Jara, already mentioned; those of the Sierra de Enmedio or, finally, the Ramblas route. In addition, several of them can be done by mountain bike.

In conclusion, we have shown you what you can see and do in Puerto Lumbreras. As you have seen, it is an attractive destination for a getaway, for example, from Murcia which, by the way, you should visit its beautiful cathedral. Come and discover this wonderful area of Spain.