Fuentes del Marqués Restaurant
What to order: a rice dish or a game dish, after the walk round the site
geocalia
Day itinerary · 38.10° N · 1.86° W
A castle with a basilica inside, and in the afternoon, springs under the pines.
The Vera Cruz basilica and castle, the Wine Horses Museum before it closes at 14:00, lunch and a stroll at the Fuentes del Marqués. An hour from Murcia.
Leaving from
Part of Caravaca de la Cruz
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car1 h each way
Museums€3 each
WalkAbout 4.5 km, flat
Cost€35–50 pp
Best timeApril – May · October – November
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Murcia 1 h by car
from Murcia via the Northwest motorway (RM-15)
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1
Vera Cruz Castle and Basilica
basilica free · Vera Cruz Museum €3
- 10 min on foot
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2
Wine Horses Museum
€3 · closes at 14:00 on Sundays
- 5 min on foot
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3
From the Templete to the plaza del Arco through the old town
from Plaza del Arco to the Templete
- 8 min by car3 km
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4
Fuentes del Marqués Restaurant
game and rice dishes · phone ahead: no published hours
Paraje Fuentes del Marqués, 30400 Caravaca de la Cruz · +34 968 70 00 87
Restaurant €€ - 3 min on foot
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5
Fuentes del Marqués site
springs and Templars' Tower · dogs on leads
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Back home
via the RM-15; in Murcia around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Vera Cruz Castle and Basilica
Caravaca de la Cruz is at the end of the Northwest motorway, an hour from Murcia. A Sunday has one rule: the museums only open in the morning, from 10:30 to 14:00. This plan sees them first, starting with the basilica inside the castle, goes down through the old town and leaves the afternoon for lunch and a stroll at the Fuentes del Marqués, a spring site on the outskirts.
The day, hour by hour
9:15 · Set off. From Murcia to Caravaca on the RM-15, about 55 minutes. Park on the Gran Vía or next to calle Pabellón.
10:30 · Castle and Vera Cruz Basilica. Walk up the Cuesta del Castillo. The church, from 1617 to 1703, with a doorway of red and black marble, is visited free; the Vera Cruz Museum, with the oil paintings of Hernando de los Llanos and a medieval dungeon, costs €3. Also walk round the esplanade and the walls.
12:15 · Wine Horses Museum. On calle Gregorio Javier, ten minutes' walk: embroidered mantles and the 2 May race on video. €3; it closes at 14:00.
13:00 · From the Arco to the Templete. Go down calle Mayor and El Salvador to the Templete, where the Cross is bathed every 3 May.
14:00 · Lunch at Fuentes del Marqués. The restaurant on the site, a few minutes by car, does traditional cooking, game and rice dishes. It does not publish its hours: call beforehand on 968 70 00 87.
16:00 · Walk round the site. The Sartenes springs, the grove and the Templars' Tower. Dogs on a lead; no swimming.
17:30 · Head home. In Murcia around 18:30.
Time1 h 30
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Castillo de la Cruz
What to order: the pilgrim's menu
El Molino del Río Restaurant
What to order: the seasonal tasting menu and a house craft beer
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Caravaca de la Cruz
All year except the heat of July and August. On Sundays the museums open from 10:30 to 14:00 and the basilica also in the afternoon. From 1 to 5 May, the fiestas change everything.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Museums in the morning
On Sundays they close at 14:00.
- 2Confirm lunch
The Fuentes restaurant does not publish its hours.
- 3Comfortable shoes
The castle hill and the old town are sloping.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Two museums at €3 and lunch, between €20 and €35: between €35 and €50 per person with coffee.
Is it a good plan with children?
Yes: the museums cost €1.50 for ages 6 to 14 and the walk to the springs is flat.
And in May?
From 1 to 5 May are the fiestas of the Cross and the Wine Horses: a different plan, with lots of people and accommodation booked months ahead.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/region-of-murcia/caravaca-de-la-cruz/itineraries/basilica-and-fuentes-del-marques
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.