← Maratón de Murcia·Day trip

Orihuela: Churches on the Segura

A cathedral city twenty minutes down the Segura from Murcia, with a Gothic cathedral, a Baroque university college and a flat riverside centre.

DurationDay trip
TransitTrain, about 20 minutes from Murcia del Carmen
DepartsMurcia del Carmen

After the Maratón de Murcia: Orihuela

The Route: Murcia del Carmen → Orihuela → Murcia del Carmen Logistics: Cercanías C-1 or regional train from Murcia del Carmen, about 20 minutes. The centre is a walk of 15 to 20 minutes from Orihuela station. Marathon Month: February Duration: Day trip

Murcia del Carmen ──(about 20 mins train)──> Orihuela ──(about 20 mins)──> Murcia del Carmen

Orihuela is the shortest trip out of Murcia and the easiest on tired legs. It sits on the same river, the Segura, 20 km downstream, and its old centre is a flat strip of churches, palaces and squares along the water, with a hill and a ruined castle behind it that nobody needs to climb the day after a marathon.

February in Orihuela is mild and usually dry, with afternoons in the mid to high teens. The town is known for its Holy Week processions, which fall later in the spring, so in February the churches and streets are quiet.

Trains to Orihuela leave from Murcia del Carmen station, south of the river. Cercanías line C-1 and regional services both stop there, and the journey takes about 20 minutes. The station is on the edge of town; walk or take a taxi to the centre.

The old centre

The Catedral del Salvador is a Gothic cathedral, smaller than Murcia's, with a cloister moved stone by stone from another convent. It sits a few minutes from the river on level streets. Check visiting hours before you go, as they change through the week.

The Colegio de Santo Domingo, at the western end of the old town, is a former university college with two Renaissance cloisters and a Baroque church. It is the largest building in Orihuela and the one to see if you only have time for one. Opening hours are limited, so check them on the day.

Between the two, the Iglesia de las Santas Justa y Rufina and the Palacio Episcopal line the main street. The whole old centre is about a kilometre end to end and flat, with the river promenade running alongside.

Orihuela was home to the poet Miguel Hernández, and his house museum is in the old town at the foot of the hill. The house itself is simple, but the street climbs slightly.

Lunch and the return

Cafés and restaurants cluster around the cathedral and the main street. Trains back to Murcia run through the day; check the last departure before settling in for a long lunch.