One Weekend, Two Cities: Murcia and Alicante

I’ve recently come to the realization that the amount of money I spend partying in Madrid three days out of the week can be spent on, gasp, traveling to other parts of Spain. While Skyscanner is on some bullshit right now as far as last minute cheap flights to the actual warm places I would like to visit this Spring, Alsa, Spain’s main coach bus company, is coming all of the way through with cheap rides to other Spanish cities. For only thirty euros I was able to visit both Murcia and Alicante for the weekend roundtrip… and I must say this beautiful, sin frio, weekend did me well.

 

Murcia

Murcia is a city located in the southern part of Spain. It has a population of over 440,000 people and is the seventh most populated city in the country. Admittedly, I knew nothing about the Murcia region until I applied to come to Spain as a language assistant and researched each region specifically, found out that Murcia pays their assistants late AF, and mentally crossed it off of my preference list. But since I have this strong desire to travel all of southern Spain and escape Madrid’s cold weather, I thought Murcia would be the perfect, cheap beach getaway for the weekend until I realized there’s no beach because I’m dumb and still don’t know what a kilometer is. Oops.

What I Did

La Santa Iglesia Catedral de Santa María

Of course there’s a big, fancy church, like every other city in Europe. I did not have the chance to tour the inside, but it is conveniently placed in the city center, so you won’t have to travel far. Palacio Episcopal is right beside the church, and upon first gaze I fell in love with the vibrant colors of the walls.

Murcia is also famous for its casino, the Real Casino de Murcia, which I now really regret not going to because it has such a beautiful and elegant design inside according to the photos I’ve seen online. I really didn’t explore as much as I would have liked because I was short on time and really wanted to go to Alicante, but upon first impression, Murcia is cute city to pass through on the way to somewhere else, so one and a half days felt adequate enough for the time being. Though, I liked how it wasn’t as hectic as a lot of other Spanish cities because I felt like I had an adequate amount of time to chill and walk around without an actual purpose.

I was a bit surprised by the city’s architecture, as it looked very modern and less “moorish” as I expected. Murcia is also a popular city for university and Erasmus students, so next time I will be sure to experience the nightlife.

My Hostel: Albergue La Casa Verde

I stayed at a lovely hostel about ten minutes away walking from the city center, Albergue La Casa Verde. I purposely chose this hostel because of its pool, rooftop terrace, and funky-colored walls. The property also has it’s own bar and restaurant area, in addition to a spacious common rooms and kitchen. This hostel felt really homey and helped treat this little excursion as the relaxing retreat I craved for the weekend.

Alicante

For only 12 euros roundtrip, I was able to take a day trip from Murcia to Alicante. I left at 8 in the morning and arrived to Alicante at 11 AM, and then returned to Murcia by 9 PM. Alicante is a lot bigger than Murcia, so I plan on returning in the next couple of months.

What I Did

La Playa del Postiguet

I don’t know why I didn’t just stay in Alicante for the weekend because the beach was very much needed. I stay talking about the beach like I actually be getting in the water, but it gave me the summery vibes I’ve been missing. I don’t usually do city center beaches, but it did it’s job for the weekend.

Castillo de Santa Bárbara

The hike up to the top of the Castillo de Santa Bárbara is easily accessible from the city center. I did get lost on the trail, so it took me double the amount of time it takes everyone else (30 minutes), but the views were worth it. I’m so ignorant when it comes to history and I wish I could tell you its significance to the city and Spain, but unfortunately I can’t. All I can tell you is that the views from above are beautiful. 

Tranquillo

With this Pisces season being in conjunction with my mars, creative energies have been pouring into the most simplest aspects of my day-to-day life, and this short getaway to somewhere outside of Madrid has increased my vibration levels almost tremendously. Perhaps it has been my brief encounters with the sun, whom I miss dearly, or the feeling of walking around without knowing a single soul, but I am hoping to keep this same energy for the duration of the Spring. I’ve spoken briefly about depression and anxiety, and how settling into a new country as opposed to just vacationing can shock even the most seasoned travelers, but if it helps only a little bit, visiting somewhere new, even for only 70 hours, is a great way to revamp your energy.