Ceheguín, what to see and visit?

The town of Ceheguin Belongs to the Northwest Region from the province of Murcia. It is an area that has been populated since prehistoric times, as demonstrated by the cave paintings found in its municipal area.

But it was also an important Iberian, Roman and Visigoth settlement, from which the remains of the city of Begastri. In addition, the town has many other monuments that have allowed its historic center to be classified as Historical-Artistic Set. And, if that were not enough, its surroundings present spectacular nature which allows you to do many hiking routes. We are going to talk to you about all this during our visit to Ceheguín, starting with its monumental heritage.

Cave paintings and ruins of Begastri, the origin of Ceheguín

The cave paintings in the area belong to those of the Levantine Arch ensemble, which have been declared Heritage by UNESCO. They are found in the Palomas, Conchas and Humo caves, which are in the mountain blonde rock. You can visit them, but you have to ask for it at the Archaeological Museum well in advance.

For its part, the ruins of the city of Begastri It is located about three kilometers from Ceheguín, in the so-called Cabezo de Ródenas. It is an Iberian settlement dated around the 4th century BC, although it was also inhabited by the Romans, the Visigoths and even the Arabs. At some times it was an important town. For example, with the Goths he held the category of episcopal city.

Sanctuary of the Virgin of Wonders and other religious monuments

In reality, this sanctuary is a complex formed by the Church of Our Lady of Wonders and convent of San Esteban. It was built between the 1976th and XNUMXth centuries and is in the Baroque style, although the chapel of San José is already neoclassical. Likewise, since XNUMX it has been classified as National Historical-Artistic Monument.

As you may have deduced from its name, the church houses the image of the Virgin of Wonders, who is the patron saint of Ceheguín. But we also recommend that you take a look at the main altarpiece, also baroque, and the beautiful cloister.

On the other hand, Ceheguín has other beautiful religious monuments. You should also visit the church of Santa Maria Magdalena. It is located crowning the Plaza de la Constitución, one of the nerve centers of the old town. Its construction is attributed to the 16th century Renaissance architect Jerónimo Quijano.

Likewise, they are Renaissance the churches of La Soledad and La Concepción. The first stands out for its bell tower, the chapel of the Virgin and the so-called house of the Santero. As for the second, look at its impressive wooden Mudejar roof. Since 1980 it has been a National Monument.

Finally, in the Murcian town you have several hermitages, each one more beautiful. Among them, we recommend that you see those of San Ginés and Santa Bárbara, but, above all, the most important hermitage-sanctuary of the Virgen de la Peña.

Historic center of Ceheguín: the Jaspe palace

Many of the temples that we have just shown you are located in the historic helmet of the Murcian town, which is one of the best preserved in the entire province. As we have told you, it is a Historical-Artistic Complex and also has several gems of civil architecture.

It has many popular buildings dated between the 12th and 19th centuries. But, above all, it has others of great artistic value. It is the case of jasper palace. It is an 18th century construction that combines baroque and rococo styles and belonged to the Salazar and Massa families. At the end of that century, it was acquired by the City Council to convert it into Town Hall.

The Fajardo palace, which stands out for its exposed brick façade combined with masonry panels and framed by plaster. Its beautiful balconies and the Fajardo Roca family coat of arms also stand out.

More curious are the arcades of the Castle Square, dating back to the 18th century. Originally they were covered boxes that housed the wealthiest families when there were shows at the venue. Later, it became a market. On the other hand, the Caravaca gate It is the only vestige that remains of the old castle, which once had five towers, while the Royal Mercy Hospital It is a baroque mansion from the 18th century.

Finally, although it is no longer in the historic center, you must see the roman arch, which is located in a small square surrounded by hedges and benches. It is a remains of the ancient Roman aqueduct that brought water to Begastri and is about nine meters high.

Archaeological Museum

Precisely, it has its headquarters in the Fajardo palace that we just mentioned to you. But it also has other sub-headquarters in a stately home on Calle Mayor and in the old Town Hall. In total, it has an area of ​​2800 square meters that is distributed in twelve exhibition rooms, another for dissemination and a library.

It opened its doors in 1977, which makes it one of the oldest in the province of Murcia. Likewise, it was restored in 2004 and houses pieces from all the cultures that inhabited the Begastri site. In this way, it has rooms dedicated to the Iberian, the Roman or the Visigothic. But it also has older vestiges.

For example, those of Neolithic found in deposits of Peña Rubia and the Sierra de la Puerta and the Bronze Age found in the Recuesto fountain. Among the latter, the so-called Lady of Ceheguín.

The Wine School

This name is given to a cultural and training center where you can learn everything related to wine culture. It is based in the warehouses of the House of the Third, which have been restored by the City Council for the purpose they currently serve.

We must explain to you that Ceheguín has been a land of wines since time immemorial. Its wines have been registered in the designation of origin since the end of the 20th century. Bullas Wines, which brings together all those from the Northwest Region of the province. For all this, oenological culture is very important in the town and you can get to know it better at this school.

The nature of Ceheguín

After having visited the main monuments of the Murcian town, we are now going to discover the best of its natural environment. As we told you before, it is a privileged space in which there are many mountains where you can take impressive hiking routes, rivers, plains and even areas of special protection for birds. Next, let's discover some of these places.

Sierra de Lavia and other reliefs in the area

Ceheguín is located 570 meters above sea level. But higher elevations abound in its municipal area. Among them, the most important are the Lavia mountains, which reaches 1236 meters; of Burete, with 1189; of the Ceperos, with that same altitude, and of Quipar, which reaches up to 1017 meters. Furthermore, the first two are those classified as special protection area for birds.

On the other hand, the mountains located to the north and east of the municipality are lower. Among them, you have those of blonde rock, with 805 meters high; of the Heads of the Painter's Fountain, which reach 638; the hills of Cambrones (605) and of the Loins (514), and the Font CapelOf 617.

We have already told you that you can do wonderful hiking trails through all these elevations. But, as an example, we will propose that of the Sierra del Molino, which is not very difficult and offers you wonderful views of the high valley of Segura and the canyons of Quípar and Almadenes. It is about eight kilometers long and has a gradient of 520 meters.

You can start it in Quipar reservoir, which we will talk to you about below. But the most common exit is the environment of calasparra. In the highest part there is an abundance of vegetation and it is a little more difficult to walk. But the views are wonderful.

The rivers, reservoirs and plains of Cagitán

As we have explained to you, the municipal area of ​​Ceheguín is bathed by the Argos and Quípar rivers, which offer you wonderful places. But, in addition, both are used for separate reservoirs, which are connected. He of Quipar, Also called of Alfonso XIII, stands out for its lush vegetation and for being a fishing area.

But even more spectacular is the Argos reservoir, which, together with the aforementioned Mill mountain range and Cagitán Plains It is a special protection area for birds. The latter are an extensive plain framed by the Ricote and Palera mountains and dominated by the imposing Almorchón, almost eight hundred meters high. Dedicated to the cultivation of cereal, they cover areas of the municipalities of the same Ceheguin, calasparra, Cieza, bullas y Mula.

The crafts and culture of Ceheguín

This municipality has also stood out for its brick and tile crafts. In its district of Valentín There are companies that still today are dedicated to manufacturing them along with decorative tiles. In their production they combine technical advances with ancestral ways of manufacturing these items.

Furthermore, the El Mesoncico artisan market It is an important cultural hub of Ceheguín. Currently, four events are held: Flavors of Autumn, A Christmas Carol, Carnival and the Rolls of Spring. But all of them combine local gastronomy with the crafts and traditions of the region. It even has a children's area. And, to get there, there is a tourist train that leaves from the Plaza del Alpargatero.

In conclusion, we have proposed a visit to Ceheguin, the beautiful town of Murcia. As you have seen, it has a lot to offer you. We only have to advise you that, if you go to it, you also do so to other towns in the province such as archena o Puerto Lumbreras. Come and discover this beautiful area of Spain.