Today starts with a tour of one of the Jumilla Wine Route wineries, featured in the Wine Routes of Spain Product Club.
After the wine tasting, the next place to visit is the Santa Ana Monastery, founded in 1573. Inside there is a marvellous sculpture of 'Christ tied to the column' by Francisco Salzillo.
Once you have finished your tour of the monastery, it will be time for lunch at one of the Jumilla Wine Route restaurants, where you can sample the area's exquisite traditional cuisine.
After lunch, your wine tasting itinerary continues at another of
Next, you can visit another of the town's most outstanding relics: El Casón, the best-preserved late Roman monument in Europe.
You can find out more about the town's history, wandering around the Plaza de Arriba. Here you can visit the Council Palace, the only example of Renaissance civil architecture in the Region of Murcia, which was refurbished in 1997 to 1999 and subsequently reopened as the 'Jerónimo Molina' Municipal Archaeological Museum.
Very nearby, the early 17th Century San José Chapel and the old Inn, now the People's University, are also worth a visit.
Afterwards, it is on to the Main Parish Church of Santiago, one of the great symbols of the city and a National Monument since 1931.
The next stop is the Town Hall, built in 1835 over the old 'Santi Spiritu' hospital.
Continue on to the El Salvador Church, built in the 18th Century on the site of the old Nuestra Señora del Loreto chapel.
Leaving the church behind, head on to the Vico Theatre, named in honour of actor Antonio Vico and similar in design to the Romea Theatre in Murcia.
The tour finishes with a walk in the Rey Don Pedro Garden, where you can admire some of its centuries-old pine trees.
Top 10
Jumilla is one of the crucial stops in the North East region. Called 'the beauty' by the Arabs, it is famous for its wines with Designation of Origin (D.O.), its gastronomy, its gardens and its Iberian, Roman and Medieval legacy.
WINE ESCAPE
Jumilla is one of the sanctuaries in Spain for lovers of good wine. Here you will be able to accommodate yourself in a rural environment, walk in the vineyards, visit its wine cellars and wine collections and get to know bit by bit the elaboration process of its wines with D.O. If we also add an alternative touch to this oenological essence, as a result we have the Música entre Vinos Festival (Music between Wines Festival), a summer event in which concerts take place within gigantic barrels, along with good wines and gastronomy from the area.
ALL A FORTRESS
The Jumilla Castle, built in 1461 by Marquis of Villena on an old Muslim fortification, is today an example of restoration and a busy cultural space. To arrive at it you will have to go through the Camino del Subidor, a natural viewpoint where you will surely experience one of the most outstanding panoramic views of the region. It is declared a National Monument.
MONASTIC LIFE
Pass through the Convent of Santa Ana, situated in the heart of the mountain range ¿it is a luxury you shouldn't miss out on. Within the area stand out the old refectory, the hermitage of the orchard, the old library and a museum, where they exhibit amazing objects collected by the friars from around the world. Inside of the monastery important images for the inhabitants of Jumilla such as the Cristo Amarrado a la Columna (Christ tied to the Column) made by the Spanish sculptor Salzillo, the Cristo de la Reja (Christ of the Railing) and "Abuelica" Santa Ana (Saint Ana, The Grandmother of Christ) are kept.
ETHNOGRAPHY AND NATURE
A universe of curiosities awaits you in the showcases of the Museum of Ethnography and Natural Sciences in Jumilla. Its two floors house an extremely important collection of fossils, minerals and footprints of prehistoric animals as well as a wide representation of local trades such as esparto grass, crockery and crystal.
A BEAUTIFUL HISTORY
Walking through the emblazoned streets of Jumilla, under magnificent balconies and iron railings is a priceless experience. We invite you to lose yourself in the old part of town and discover why the city was baptised as the beauty by the Arabs. Don't forget to visit the Churches of Santiago and El Salvador and the gardens of La Estacada and Rey Don Pedro. The Vico Theatre, which has a modern style and eclectic tradition, deserves a special mention as well. Built in the 19th century, it was devised as an "Italian" theatre. If you are observant you will notice its resemblance to the Romea Theatre in Murcia, given that the same architect, Justo Millán y Espinosa, designed both projects.
SOUNDS OF PASSION
The sound of cornets and drums, the unmistakable smell of flowers, and burnt wax all ascend through the narrow streets to create a true medieval scene. The Passion Week of Jumilla, declared of National Tourist Interest, it is known for its solemnity, a detail that doesn't diminish one bit of intensity from the Nazarene spectacle. Parades of Franciscan origin with more than four centuries of history, proclamations and the "Romería" (pilgrimage) from the Santa Ana Monastery are the most important elements of this festival. It is essential to go to the "pasos" (representations of the scenes of Christ's Passion) of Cristo Amarrado a la Columna, made by the Spanish sculptor Salzillo.
LOOKING AT THE STREET
The house of Doña Pepita is one of the great examples of Murcian modernism. You will be especially "grabbed" by its viewpoint and the forged floral ironwork that adorn its façade. Very close to there is found the Town Hall, where it is worth looking at the magnificent forged balcony or pass through its picturesque inner courtyard.
FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE
If you are an avid seeker of mountain emotions you don't have to go very far; you will find them in the areas that surround the city. In the Sierra de La Cingla and in the Sierra de La Pedrera mountain ranges, and within natural environments of great beauty, there are cave paintings declared a World Heritage Site and fossil footprints that are 7 million years old. In turn, the Sierra del Carche Regional Park, where different sports can be practiced (paragliding, climbing, caving and hill walking), is an almost compulsory visit for visitors.
TABLE AND TABLECLOTH
If you come to visit you must try the gazpacho from Jumilla, of Jewish origin and cooked on an unfermented pie base of wheat flour, game meat and mountain snails. In Winter, the "gachamiga" (flour cooked with olive oil, water, and garlic cloves) and "pelotas con carne" (meatballs of minced liver or pork, bread crumbs soaked in water, eggs, garlic and parsley) are the best ways to quickly warm up. Nor should you forget the potatoe "empanadas" (pasties made of flour, oil, water and salt, filled with fried potatoes, tuna, hardboiled egg, pepper, pine nuts and parsley), fried goats cheese with tomatoe and the sweets of all the life, such as "rollos de vino", "pirusas", "sequillos" and "cristóbalas", which are always accompanied by a good wine made in Jumilla.
SOAK YOURSELF IN WINE
Coinciding with the Wine Harvest, are the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Festivities which are celebrated in the middle of August in Jumilla, where thousands of liters of wine and typical products are shared out between those that attend. It is a tradition to dress in a white shirt that will gradually turn purple as the day goes on.
