Culture with your family in Murcia Other Destinatios

Does size really matter? Here yes. The smaller, the better. In the centre of Caravaca you will find the Ángel Reinón Miniature Ethnographic Museum. A place for children to learn in an entertaining way about traditional trades by means of more than 400 exclusive pieces with formal perfection, made of iron and wood. A good way of finishing your day will be to visit the Ethnic Music Museum in Barranda, which shows a complete collection of instruments from all five continents. You'll see and listen how much fun you can have here.

It's worthwhile pursuing as a family the footprints left by the Muslims in Cieza. The trail will take one towards a hill where, as if in a dream, stands one of the most emblematic and significant sites of Andalusian culture: the uninhabited Muslim Medina Siyâsa. It was one of the most important sites of Western Islam from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries and one of the most important references nowadays to learn about everyday life in Al-Ándalus. This visit is the perfect complement to the Medina Siyâsa Museum, noteworthy being the full scale size reproductions of two of its dwellings.

Open your heart to new experiences inspired by aristocrats and princesses of the past. The castle of Jumilla is one of the most wonderful spots in the Region of Murcia to be visited by families. We recommend you go into its dungeons, through its yard and along different rooms: "sala del bastimento", "sala del alcaide" and "sala de la tropa". You'll be surprised about the views offered by one of the best viewpoints in the region. Before you, a magical landscape among vineyards.

La Bastida, the western Troy
Would you like to be like Indiana Jones but without a whip? Take the chance to show your expertise at La Bastida in Totana, the most important known archaeological site of the Argaric culture. How were tools at the time? Check it thanks to the findings of copper, bronze, silver, gold, stone, bone and pottery. You'll be definitely impressed when you see this astounding fortification, unique of its time, which has given the town the name of 'the western Troy'. It lacks the famous wooden horse but has many a story to be told.

Go into a poterry workshop
Now you'll get a bit dirty. All hands on deck! This place is famous for its pottery and ceramic handicrafts. A deeply rooted activity which has given name to many streets in Totana: Ollerías, Tinajeras... And which left its imprint on the traditional Arabic ovens. Visiting a pottery workshop is going into a magical world where the potter can create any object from a piece of clay. Do you want to try? Besides enjoying performances by the master potter, you can participate in workshops of introduction to clay. Children will enjoy to the full while learning about some old trades of the region.

If you like birds, you can't miss out on visiting the Campotéjar Lagoon in Molina de Segura. The municipal waste basin has become an important wintering wetland where various species of waterfowl can be found, noteworthy among which is the white-headed duck, an endangered species worldwide. There is a visitor centre which organises family activities throughout the year.

Do you feel like visiting a villa of the Roman times? Go ahead. One of the best examples can be found at Los Villaricos archaeological site, which can be visited throughout the year. Discovering habits of Hispania by means of the remains of this Roman villa with oil mill, thermal area and Early Christianity necropolis will be more entertaining than your history lessons. Just 10 km away from the centre of Mula you can enjoy with your family a small oasis preserving Roman sites related to the use of water. The Fuente Caputa natural spring will invite you to have a swim in summer. Its water fountains give name to this setting, since Caputa comes from the Latin caput, meaning storage. It is always time to learn something new, right?

Do you enjoy falconry? On the third Saturday of July, Aledo becomes a medieval village with a traditional street market for parents and medieval workshops for children. It includes an exhibition of exotic animals and the flight of birds of prey for the youngest members of the family at the castle's square. Do you like going to bed late? The next-to-last weekend of August we celebrate 'the sleepless night'. The old town is only lighted up by thousands of candles and torches. Aledo seems to be the village of a fairy tale. Wind music, classical music, dances, theatre shows and poetry readings complete an extraordinary event for all senses and all audiences.

Most of the wineries in the Murcia Region organise visits to its facilities with tastings of their wines. In Bullas, Jumilla and Yecla this is not just only for adults. If you decide to make an oenological family getaway, then the smallest members of the household will have fun with the grape world. At certain times of year the Wine Routes of the Region organise activities for the smallest members of the household so as to discover the secrets of the vine and work of the winegrowers through educational tours and an endless number of games. And of course, they can conduct a "wine tasting" with an exquisite must.