Private transfer from Alicante Airport to Murcia

A cathedral bell tower 90 metres high. The Cathedral of Santa María stands on Plaza del Cardenal Belluga, in the old centre of Murcia. Its bell tower was built from 1521 to 1791, which is why its two lower tiers are Renaissance, the third is Baroque and the belfry is Rococo. The tower is 90 metres high, or 95 including the weather vane. You can only climb to the top on a tour led by cathedral staff, which starts at 12:00. Visitors first walk up ramps and then a spiral staircase, so the climb is not possible in a wheelchair.

Jaime Bort's façade and the Vélez Chapel. The main façade of the cathedral was designed by the architect Jaime Bort, and Cardinal Belluga helped to get it built. Inside the cathedral is the Vélez Chapel, in the Flamboyant Gothic style, under a ten-pointed star vault. The cathedral museum occupies the former cloister: it holds 14th-century Italian painting, canvases by Luca Giordano and sculptures by Francisco Salzillo.

The Puente de los Peligros over the Segura, 1718-1742. The stone Puente de los Peligros took 24 years to build. It is the oldest surviving bridge in Murcia, and locals also call it the Old Bridge. At its end on the El Carmen side stands a small shrine to the Virgen de los Peligros: people once prayed to her for protection from the Segura floods. On Holy Wednesday the Los Coloraos procession crosses the bridge. The bridge is open around the clock, and on the left bank, in the 19th-century flour mills of the Molinos del Río, there is a museum.

The Arab Courtyard of the Real Casino on Calle Trapería. Work on the casino building began in 1847, and in 1983 it was declared a national historic and artistic monument. Craftsmen used more than 20,000 sheets of gold leaf to decorate the courtyard in the Neo-Nasrid style. The building also has a library with a carved wooden gallery, a Neo-Baroque ballroom and a ladies' room with ceiling frescoes of the goddess Selene. The casino publishes its opening hours and ticket price on its website, realcasinomurcia.com, so check them before your visit.

The Salzillo procession at 7 a.m. on Good Friday. Holy Week in Murcia has been declared a festival of International Tourist Interest. The main procession sets out at seven in the morning on Good Friday, carrying Francisco Salzillo's sculptural groups: "The Last Supper", "The Prayer in the Garden", "The Arrest" and "The Scourging". In 2027 Holy Week runs from 21 to 28 March. Salzillo's Nativity scene and the Church of Jesús with his sculptures are part of the Salzillo Museum on Plaza de San Agustín. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, and on Sundays and public holidays from 11:00 to 14:00.

The Bando de la Huerta and the Burial of the Sardine after Easter. Murcia's spring festivals begin straight after Holy Week. The Bando de la Huerta takes place on the Tuesday after Easter, 30 March in 2027. In the morning, locals in the traditional dress of huerta farmers bring flowers to the Virgen de la Fuensanta in front of the cathedral façade, and in the afternoon a parade of ox-drawn carts makes its way through the centre. From the carts, participants throw broad beans, black pudding and sandwiches to the crowd. On Saturday 3 April 2027, around thirty groups hold the Burial of the Sardine parade with giants and floats, and at night the sardine figure is burned to fireworks. Both festivals have also been declared of International Tourist Interest, so book your accommodation and transfer for these dates early.