Is the region of Murcia typical Spain?

 Hi, I have been living in the Region of Murcia 5 months now and although it has some lovely scenery and of course Sierra Espuna which is wonderful, it all seems a bit boring. I have been to the Costa Blanca and to Costa Brava, but only in holiday season. Both these areas seemed a lot more vibrant. There does not seem to be much going on in Murcia in terms of sporting activities. It all seems a bit dull but perhaps I am not looking in the right places? 

In answer to the thread title, I don't think there's such thing as "typical Spain".  Each area of Spain is very different, with it's own cusinine, accents/dialects/languages, ambiance, architecture, customs, traditions etc.

The region of Murcia has much to offer, watersports, close access to the Sierra Nevadas for skiing in the winter months as well as being a good base for visiting the Alhambra palace etc Along the coast there are many excellent towns where you can experience quality seafood and eating out in general is probably cheaper than the Costa Blanca/Brava in my experience.

However a large amount of the region was developed along the "Polaris" formula ie. villas and aprtments set around a golf course in a gated community, which although great for travelling golfers is clearly not "traditional Spain".

@Spainishhomeseeker: Actually there are only limited pockets that are developed along the Polaris model when you consider the size of the overall province and being non-golfers we avoid those.  Like you it's real Spain we enjoy 

btw I agree there is much to do and sporting activities in abundance and tons of water based sporting activities along the coastline

@niclavida: What types of sporting activities are you looking for and whereabouts in the region are you?

 I tend to agree that Murcia seems a bit boring but it has not been overrun by Brits either. I enjoy  Cartagena and Murcia for a day out. It is primarily an agricultural region . All in all it does feel more like Spain to me than say Costa Del Sol /Costa Blanca. The main turn off for me is graffiti and litter in the area which don't seem to be cracked down.

I agree with Sanchez, it is impossible to put your finger on "Typical Spain". Like any American that has watched "Inspector Morse" or "Downton Abbey", then arrived at Clapham Junction...

I mean what is typical England? Morris dancers skipping about around a maypole, how often do you see that happening?

I like Murcia alot, as others have mentioned much of it is comparatively unspoilt. But I truly believe if you want to get an idea of a more authentic Spain you need to travel inland a fair bit. Sevilla, Toledo etc. What I would say is that there are areas of Spain that are barely Spanish at all. For the first 5 years I lived in Spain I´d go back to the UK every summer for a couple of weeks, then I discovered, it worked out cheaper to rent a house near Torrevieja and fly my family over. I could still get my annual fix of fish and chips, bacon and eggs, English radio stations etc but hey! guaranteed sun, and beer wasn´t 5 quid a pint! My brother in law lives up North in Vigo and the greeness and rain feel like Ireland, (oh but the food!) My wife´s parents live in Zaragoza and that´s another kettle of fish.

That´s not to knock anyone that has bought on the costas, we love it there, but it is strange driving 4 hours to Villamartin and finding that after 11 months of speaking only Spanish, suddenly my wife (who is Spanish) feels like the foreigner and she literally can´t communicate in some bars! We´re still shy of our 40´s but our intention at the moment is retirement that way, we love it down there.

I suppose much of it depends on what your expectations were. You say there´s not much going on, which to me sounds ideal, but I mean, what exactly were you hoping would go on? If you´re in a small pueblo could you not initiate something? There´s always something going on in our local hall, at the moment everyone is flocking there on some Dukan thing! Or were you thinking more of amusement parks, zoos etc.

If you get really bored, check the weather forecast for the UK on the BBC website, having done that retire to your patio / balcony and open a bottle of wine that cost you less than 2€, then sit back and congratulate yourself on what a wise move you made :)

All the very best

 Well said Orinoco, I especially like the last paragraph. We are from Ireland and have a place in Murcia and cant wait to retire there.

Julie

Haha, I´m really biased. I´ve lived in a small town of 1500 people for the last 6 years and it´s fair to say I know most of them. The only one that speaks any English is an African immigrant, who I must add is a top bloke, but even so, his dialect is so strange we tend to speak Spanish. I´m a Londoner and was used to a very vibrant, multi-ethnic environment, and for me rural Spain took some serious getting used to. I didnt speak a word of Spanish when I arrived :) Really there were times early on when I questioned what I was doing here, but I stuck at it, we have 3 children now, and honestly, I couldn´t imagine any other way of life.

I really hope you will enjoy your retirement here, the fact you already have a place will make it a much easier transition. We all know Spain´s shortcomings, we know the legal system here can let us down, we know many politicians work for themselves as opposed to those who they are supposed to represent, but it is still a great country and many of those shortcomings are starting to be addressed. Find me a town square in the UK where pensioners can shuffle about in their slippers, play dominoes, have a chat at midnight withouth the fear of getting bottles thrown at them by hoodies.

You´ve got to love this place, it is the perfect spot to raise a family. Neighbours who once you get to know them are passing home grown tomatoes, peppers, peaches over the fence. It would take a lot to tempt me back :)

We live in a larger town (it actually has the status of city) with over 25,000 inhabitants, some of whom live in nearby pueblos.  There are three outdoor swimming pools, plus an indoor pool for the winter months.  We also have an indoor sports hall for various activities and the outdoor sports centre with football pitches, an athletics track, tennis courts etc.

Not much going on?  We are still recovering from the Feria y Fiestas de Agosto in Jumilla.  Click on the link to my website if you want to read all about it:: more than ten days of the Folklore Festival, Moors and Christians, Fiesta de la Vendimia (involving lots of wine, and culminating in around 60,000 litres of the red stuff being sprayed over people on the final evening!) etc. etc

Niclavida, if you say whereabouts you are, I am sure there are plenty of people who can advise you, and there are several websites detailing what's on in the area, such as the Costa Blanca/Costa Cálida sections of AnglINFO, plus Simply Networking.

You asked, is the region of Murcia typical of Spain?  I guess so - in the same way as Tyne and Wear, Norfolk, Lancashire and Devon are typical of England!

Sue 

Orinoco...

Which town do you live in?  It sounds wonderful...just what we're looking for! Do the locals speak Castellano?  Does it get cold in the winter where you are?

Hi Meggie,

We live in place called Trijueque, near Guadalajara. It´s three nucleos and comprises of the old Town, and 2 urbs. We both work in Madrid but prices got so silly there back in 2005 that for the price of an apartment in Madrid we could get a villa with pool further out. It means we do a lot of km every year but we´re 5 minutes away from the NII and with kids it was an easy choice for us. 2 of them are out in the road now playing football with their mates and there´s always someone keeping an eye on them. We couldn´t have had that in a city. We´re 40 minutes from Madrid Barajas which is handy when family come over.

There´s so many similar places 5 minutes away; Brihuega is very pretty, and has some moorish caves etc, Torija has a stunning castle and more services than we have here. Then there are tiny hamlets, Hita, Muduex etc that all have their appeal. Sigüenza is about 20 minutes away, but was just a bit too far out for us to make commuting to Madrid realistic but it really is a beautiful place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sig%C3%BCenza 

We get snow every year, we´re 1000 metres above sea level so the winters can get pretty brutal. The summers are very hot as you´d expect but when it´s 38º in Madrid and you can´t breathe it´s usually 4º or 5º less here, which is lovely when you get home from work.

All the locals speak castellano here. I mean it wouldn´t be everyone´s cup of tea, but for us it does just fine, close enough to Madrid for work, far enough out for peace and quiet. My next door neighbour is a baggage handler at Barajas airport and he reckons 6 hours sleep here is like 8 hours in Madrid because it is just so quiet and undisturbed. Castilla La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Aragon are just full of similar places though, I´m sure you can find something that would suit you just fine. Good luck :)

Thank you for the wonderful insight into where you live in Spain, Orinoco. It's just the sort of place we'd like to be....except for those winters.  I don't mind the cold so much, as long as the sun shines, but my husband is adamant that he's somewhere where the winters are mild if not warm.  The trouble is, it's difficult to find what we're looking for in the warmer areas ie nearer to the coast.  The coastline is so built up in almost every part of southern Spain (where the warmest temperatures are) and we really do want to be in an area where we can use what little Castellano we've learnt, as-well-as improve on it.  We'll have to keep looking...not too much of a hardship!

After living here for 9 years (don't know what is keeping me sane), Murcia has to be one of the most boring, dirty places to reside.  Ok if you want to eat and drink yourself silly, which most people do, but do your homework before losing your life here.  There are far better places and with the way the spanish are always able to 'get away' with what they choose to be right when it suits them, it will be another huge pitfall on your life.  There is no such thing as the 'perfect place', but believe me there is better than Murcia!!!!!!!

 Well......... We have lived in Murcia now for two years and really life is what you make it.

The roads are empty and many are new. There is no frost on the car and the roads are not icy.

Although Winter is cooler than we thought it would be, most days there are at least four hours of lovely sunshine when.. yes it can be warmer outside than inside. Some of the highest temperatures in Spain have been recorded here all Summer.The humidity is higher compared with Madrid etc. Summer lasts until November.

There literally miles of beautiful beaches and promenades.

In the Summer it feels a bit desert like as the ground is barren but all around are irrigated fields full of melons, fruit trees and now as Autumn comes they are planting lettuce, brocolli and globe artichoke to mention but a few.

There are plenty of shopping centres to choose from, cultural activites and many excellent sport facilities.

There are good clubs for children and the schools are very friendly, helpful places.

We have been watching La Vuelta cycle race all round Spain and have seen some lovely places we would like to visit as they don't seem to be like the same country. Much of  the north is very green and lush due to high rainfall.

Can't think of anywhere else we would like to live right now!

 Snaggle,

Where would you prefer to live? and why?

It is easy to drink and eat yourself silly anywhere and there are clean and dirty places in every town.

Snaggle, where do you live?  Many of us live in the region of Murcia and are very happy where we are.  Even if you are talking about the city of Murcia, there are many lovely places to discover.  We went there today with friends, and were sitting in the Jardín de Malecón, enjoying lots of good food and a couple of drinks, the sun was shining and there was a bit of a breeze so we didn't feel too hot.  What's not to like?

We live inland in Jumilla, the city of wine, which has a (mainly Spanish) population of about 25,000.  People here are very friendly and welcoming, and there are lots of local fiestas to enjoy.  We have a lovely theatre where we can go to concerts or watch dancing, plus two smaller theatres in CajaMurcia and CAM, where they also have art exhibitions etc.  There are good sports facilities with 3 outdoor pools and 1 indoor pool, tennis courts etc, an outdoor sports complex plus an indoor sports hall and we also have two local football teams.  Murcia is less than one hour away if we want to go there for a change, like we did today, but we have everything we need on our doorstep.

Regarding eating and drinking yourself silly - we prefer to do it the Spanish way, always having a tapa or something more substantial when we go out for a drink.  We also enjoy going out for a coffee with both British and Spanish friends.

Sue