Hot, arid south-eastern region between Andalusia and Valencia, known for the Mar Menor salt lagoon, the under-visited capital city, and the irrigated vegetable plains that supply most of Spain’s exported produce.
Spain’s most mocked city is actually a brilliant, uncrowded alternative to the major tourist hubs. With 50,000 university students, a thriving tapas scene, and jaw-dropping historic architecture, Murcia completely defies its boring reputation.
Forget typical Spanish holiday resorts. Cartagena is a fascinating, multi-layered city where you can drink coffee in a 19th-century French mansion built directly over a 7,000-seat Roman amphitheatre that locals completely forgot existed until the late 1980s.
