# Ricote Valley and the Archena Spa Thermal pools at Archena, rafting on the Segura and Morisco villages among lemon trees, half an hour from Murcia. A Sunday or a relaxed weekend. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/region-of-murcia/ricote-valley · Revisado: 2026-11-12 The Ricote Valley is the stretch of the river Segura that runs wedged between mountain ranges north of Murcia, from Blanca to Archena, with four small villages in between: Ojós, Ricote, Ulea and Villanueva del Río Segura. It is a market-garden valley, with lemon trees, orange trees and palms irrigated by channels and waterwheels, and it was one of the last places where the Moriscos continued to live after their expulsion in 1609–1614; that is why it is called the Morisco valley. At its southern end, on the edge of Archena, is the spa, with its own spring of water at about 32 degrees. Together, the two make a full Sunday or an unhurried weekend. ## How to get there from Murcia By car, about 30 minutes on the A-30 motorway towards Madrid as far as the Archena exit; the spa is on the edge of the town, on the carretera del Balneario. From Archena, the MU-522 road climbs the valley to Villanueva, Ulea and Ojós, and from Ojós a short road climbs to Ricote. Blanca, where the rafting ends, is at the other end, about 15 minutes from Ricote. From Alicante allow a little over an hour on the A-7 and the A-30; from Albacete, around an hour and a quarter going down the A-30. These are estimated times: check the route on the day. Without a car, Interbus line 36 links Murcia bus station with Archena every day, including Sundays, and some services leave from or arrive at the spa itself. For Ojós and Ricote you need a car or a taxi. ## Where to park At the spa, in its paid car park: €2 an hour and €8 a day, with electric chargers. In the villages, at the entrance: Ojós and Ricote have narrow, steep streets, and driving into the centre is not worth it. ## How long do you need? A day is enough for the essentials: a morning bathe in the thermal pools, lunch in Ricote and a walk in the afternoon. With a night you can add the Moriscos trail or rafting on the Segura. Two nights, in one of the spa's hotels, make a full thermal break, with the Balnea circuit, a treatment or two and the valley in between. ## What to do The thermal water. The spa's thermal pools sell day tickets from €25 on weekdays: an indoor pool with current rivers and jets, an outdoor one with views of the valley and a children's pool. From age 14, the Balnea circuit adds saunas, a steam room, pools from 20 to 34 °C and an igloo, in two-hour sessions. The river. The rafting from Cieza to Blanca runs 14 km of the Segura by raft, with instructors and lunch, from age 6. It is a gentle descent, to do as a family. The villages. In Ricote you will find the Casa de la Encomienda, the Llamas mansion and an olive tree about 1,400 years old. From there the Moriscos trail starts, an 8 km circular route through market gardens and pinewood with viewpoints over the Blanca reservoir. In Ojós, the bridges walk crosses the Segura by a suspension bridge and a Tibetan one. ## When to go From February to May and from September to November, with mild temperatures for walking. In spring, for a few weeks, the orange blossom in the orchards flowers and the whole valley smells of lemon blossom; the villages organise visits and workshops on those days. In July and August it is very hot in the valley: that is the time for the spa, which opens until midnight, and for the river first thing. In winter the thermal water is enjoyed more than ever; check each pool's maintenance closures, which the spa publishes in advance. ## Where to eat El Sordo, in Ricote since 1917, is the place for the long Sunday lunch: kid and suckling pig roasted in a wood oven, game and chargrilled meats; it opens on Sunday lunchtimes and is closed Monday to Wednesday. In Villanueva, Jardines de Villanueva serves wood-fired grill and tapas from the valley, such as zarangollo. If you don't want to leave the spa, the Restaurante del Agua has a menu and dishes for children. ## Where to sleep Inside the spa, the Hotel Termas, a 19th-century four-star hotel with a dome and neo-Nasrid courtyards, or the Hotel León, a three-star with a buffet; both include the thermal pools and let children up to 11 sleep free with two adults. For a couple who prefer the orchard, La Joya del Valle de Ricote has three adults-only apartments among lemon trees, with a two-night minimum stay. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Thermal getaways - Cerca: Caravaca de la Cruz (a 45.7 km), Elche (a 57.8 km), Cartagena and Calblanque (a 67.9 km), Tabarca Island (a 75.5 km) ## Qué hacer - **Thermal Pools at the Balneario de Archena** (4 h · All ages; children with an adult · Desde 25 € per person): The Balneario de Archena sells a day ticket to its thermal pools to anyone not staying there: you arrive, change and bathe as much as you like until closing time. What is inside Termalium pool, covered by a wooden roof: current rivers, neck and lower-back jets, waterfalls, water beds, rest areas and a hot-cold contrast pool. It is also designed for people with physical disabilities. Termal Activa pool, outdoors and partly covered, with jets, swan-neck fountains, water beds and views over the Ricote Valley. Children's pool, with jets, a slide and water games. The water comes from the spa's own spring, mineral-medicinal, at an average of 32 °C. Price and opening hours On the booking page of its website, general admission costs €25 from Monday to Friday and €33 on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and long weekends in low season (in November 2026), and €27 and €33 in high season. According to the 2026 price list, children aged 3 to 11 pay a reduced price, those aged 0 to 2 go in free, there is a family rate for four or more people and an evening ticket for the last three hours, which is not valid on Saturdays or long weekends. It is open from 10:00 to 22:00, and from 27 June to 5 September until midnight. The Termalium closes for maintenance from 9 to 18 December 2026 and the outdoor pool from 11 to 22 January 2027. Rules A swimming cap, swimwear and flip-flops are compulsory throughout the pool area. Towels or bathrobes are brought with you or hired at the entrance, and it is worth bringing a padlock for the lockers (they sell them at the entrance). Food and drink may not be taken in. Under-18s must always be accompanied by an adult. The ticket is valid all day as long as you do not leave; if you leave, you can get back in by showing a receipt for at least €15 per person from its restaurants, cafés, thermal gallery or beauty centre. Getting there and parking From Murcia it is about 30 minutes along the A-30 dual carriageway towards Archena; the spa is on the edge of the town, on the carretera del Balneario. Parking at the complex costs €2 an hour and €8 a day (from the fourth hour the full day is charged). Without a car, Interbus line 36 links Murcia bus station with Archena, and some services leave from or arrive at the spa itself. - **Senda de los Moriscos (PR-8) in Ricote** (8 km · Regular walkers · Independent · free): The Senda de los Moriscos is Ricote's PR-MU 8, a waymarked path linking the village, its orchards and the Sierra de la Umbría. For the valley's tourist consortium it is the most complete route in the area: in a single loop you go from the streets of the old town to the irrigation channels and from there to the pine woods, with the Blanca reservoir in view from above. Two ways of describing the same route The two official sources do not measure it the same way, and it is worth knowing before you set out: The Ricote Valley tourist consortium describes it as a circuit of about 8 km that starts beside the Restaurante El Sordo, in the upper part of Ricote, and returns to the same place. It gives no time or elevation gain. The footpath leaflet for the Sierras de Ricote y La Navela, from the Región de Murcia's network of protected natural areas, combines the PR-MU 8 and its 8.1 variant in a 15 km circular route of medium difficulty, starting and finishing at the Casa Forestal de La Calera hostel. The variant links the Sierra de la Umbría with Ricote along the vereda de Ojós and the narrow Carrerón pass. If you want the short loop, start in the village; if you want the long one, start at La Calera or link the two parts. From the washhouse to the Solvente and Fuente Buena viewpoints From El Sordo you cross the old town and go down country tracks to the traditional orchards, then climb mountain paths to the pine woods of the Sierra de Ricote, where the La Calera hostel is. On the way you pass the old public washhouse and the route's two viewpoints, Solvente and Fuente Buena, from which you can see the whole valley and the Blanca reservoir. The path carries the white and yellow marks of the short-distance footpaths. The sierra forms part of the Natura 2000 site of the Sierras de Ricote y La Navela, of almost 9,000 hectares, home to the Spanish ibex and Bonelli's eagle. Heat, water and dogs In July and August the valley goes above 35 degrees: if you walk in summer, set off at dawn. Neither of the two listings mentions drinking fountains on the route, so carry all the water you will drink. The official leaflet reminds walkers that fires are not allowed outside authorised areas and seasons, that rubbish goes home with you and that in an emergency you should call 112. Dogs are allowed, on a lead: the route passes orchards and tracks used for farming. The best time is from autumn to spring. For a few weeks in spring it coincides with the orange blossom season, when the lemon and orange trees of the orchards flower. Before or after the walk Park in the village and leave the visit to the old town of Ricote, with the Olivera Gorda, for the end. If you set out in the morning, on your return you have a table at El Sordo, right by the starting point, open Thursday to Sunday at lunchtime; book and confirm before 12:00. - **Balnea Thermal Circuit in Archena** (2 h · Ages 14 and over; under-18s with an adult · €30 on weekdays · €40 at weekends): The Balnea circuit is the part of the Balneario de Archena designed for alternating heat and cold. It covers about 3,000 m² inside the complex, separate from the large thermal pools, and you enter in two-hour sessions with limited numbers. It is used both by guests of the three hotels and by people who come on their own for the day from Murcia. From the Estufa Archena to the igloo The route has no fixed order, but the idea is to move from a hot area to a cold one and rest in between. This is what there is, with the temperatures published by the spa: Estufa Archena: a steam sauna at about 50 °C, with more than 90% humidity. Saunas at different temperatures and humidity levels. Counter-current pool, at 32 °C, for swimming against the jet. Natural lemon essence pool, at 34 °C, with bubbles and a waterfall. Flotation pool, at 34 °C and with 80 grams of salt per litre: your body stays afloat without any effort. Cold water pool, at about 20 °C, for after the steam room. Igloo, an ice cave at about 2 °C. Walking corridors with hot and cold water, for your legs. Rest areas with heated loungers and infrared. Two hours is enough for two or three unhurried rounds. If you have never done a contrast circuit, start with the warm pools, spend only a short time in the steam room and do not skip the rest. Five sessions a day Sessions start at 10:15, 12:30, 15:00, 17:15 and 19:30, and each lasts two hours: the last one ends at 21:30. The website recommends booking because numbers are limited; you can do so on the spa's own website or on 968 68 80 22. From 17 to 27 May 2027, both days included, the circuit is closed, while the rest of the spa stays open. €30 on weekdays, €40 on Saturdays According to the 2026 price list PDF, a session costs €30 from Monday to Friday excluding public holidays, and €40 on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and long weekends. Hotel guests pay €25 and €35. The combined ticket with the whole day at the Spa Piscinas Termales costs €46 on weekdays in low season, €50 on weekdays in high season and €64 at weekends. If you plan to come back, there is a pass for five Balnea sessions for €120, valid for six months from Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. There are also massage packages in which the circuit lasts an hour and a half, such as the Balnea for couples (€61 per person on weekdays). Check carefully how long each one includes before you buy. Under 14s go to the pools Children under 14 are not admitted, and those aged 14 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult. For the rest of the thermal area the spa requires a swimming cap, swimwear and flip-flops; towels or bathrobes are brought with you or hired at the pool entrance, and it is worth bringing a padlock for the lockers. Food and drink may not be taken in. If you are travelling with small children, the plan is for them to stay in the thermal pools with one adult while the other does the session, and then swap. For a meal without leaving the grounds there is the Restaurante del Agua. - **Rafting on the Segura from Cieza to Blanca** (4 h · 14 km · Families with children aged 6 and over · Desde 20 € per person): Between Cieza and Blanca the Segura leaves its canyons and enters the Ricote Valley. This 14 km stretch is the one Descensos Blanca runs in rafting boats, with guides, a bus that takes the group up to the starting point and a stop halfway down the river for lunch. It is a leisure trip: the company takes children from 6 years old and asks for no experience. It all starts at the Blanca landing stage You meet in Blanca, where the company has its own landing stage, changing rooms, lockers and showers. There you change, receive a life jacket, helmet and the rest of the kit, and a bus takes you upriver to Cieza. From there you paddle back towards Blanca, among fruit orchards and rock walls, with a stop halfway for lunch. When you reach the landing stage there are showers and a drinks service, and the company provides a photo report of the trip down. Sessions take four hours in all: from 9:00 to 13:00 or from 13:00 to 17:00. The descent usually lasts three to four hours; if you want something shorter or a full day, you can ask for it. Who is in the boat with you The guides are qualified and, according to the company, canoeists from the Club de Piragüismo de Blanca with training in water rescue. The activity carries public liability and accident insurance. Descensos Blanca prices These are "from" prices, per person, published by the company on its website: Rafting with lunch, morning session: from €20. Rafting with paella, afternoon session: from €27; at the end there is paella, an open bar and dessert. Banana boat with lunch: from €30. Kayak with lunch: from €35. For groups there are separate rates, available by phone. Book on 656 357 988 (also on WhatsApp) or 623 461 749, from 7:00 to 23:00; the website says they are open every day of the year. What the website does not make clear It does not say whether you need to be able to swim, what happens if the river is high or the weather is bad, or what the cancellation terms are. Ask when you book, especially if you are going with small children. Wear clothes and footwear that can get wet and will not come off your feet, and bring a full change of clothes and a bag for the wet ones. After the river Blanca is in the north of the valley. If you take the morning session, the rafting and Ojós bridges Sunday continues with lunch at El Sordo in Ricote and an afternoon walk along the Ojós bridges route. - **Ojós Bridges Walk** (For families · Independent · free): What it is Ojós is the smallest village in the valley, squeezed into a meander of the Segura. Its bridges route follows the river and links four crossings: the suspension bridge, the Solvente Tibetan bridge, the Salto de la Novia bridge and the gauging station bridge. Between them are weirs, traditional irrigation channels and lemon orchards, and very close by are the Ojós weir, one of the most recognisable spots in the valley, and the village's old washhouse. What you will see According to the tourist consortium, the bridges let you cross ravines, riverbeds and corners of great natural value, and each one also works as a viewpoint over the river. The route passes through riverside vegetation and along the irrigation channels that still water the orchards, a legacy of the valley's Andalusi irrigation. In the village itself, the consortium highlights the parish church of San Agustín, the old Fábrica de la Luz, the washhouse, the garden of the gauging station and the Museo de Belenes del Mundo; on the outskirts is the Mayés dam. From around the Estrecho del Solvente, where the river is squeezed between mountains, there are views of the Ricote ravine, the Salto de la Novia and the Sierra del Cajal. Ojós is the only municipality in the Región de Murcia with the international Cittaslow label, given to towns that opt for a slower pace of life, and it forms part of an area protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest). The surrounding area includes Natura 2000 Network sites. Who it is for The consortium recommends it for families, walkers and photographers. The official listing does not publish a distance or duration: ask for the route at the information point or follow it along the river from the village. With children, the Tibetan bridge is the big hit; keep an eye on them at the crossings over the water. In spring, when the lemon trees flower, the walk coincides with the orange blossom season, and in summer it is best done first thing in the morning or at the end of the afternoon. Bring water and comfortable footwear. Getting there and information The tourist information point is in the Ayuntamiento de Ojós (town hall), at avenida Generalísimo 9 (968 69 86 52 or 968 69 87 90). The consortium points to a public car park in the village, and without a car the Ricote Valley intercity bus stops at the plaza del Rulo. The bridges route can be combined with the water route, which also passes the Ojós weir and washhouse, or with a visit to the old town of Ricote, a few kilometres away, and the Olivera Gorda. - **Ricote old town and the Olivera Gorda** (1 h 30 · Families · Independent · free): What to see Ricote gives its name to the valley and was one of the last places in Spain where Moriscos continued to live after Philip III's expulsion decree. In its streets remain the Llamas mansion, the Encomienda house, the church of San Sebastián and the Al-Ricotí interpretation centre. On the outskirts is the Olivera Gorda, an olive tree listed as a monumental tree which the tourism consortium reckons to be about 1,400 years old. From the Cabecico de la Doctrina viewpoint you see the village above its irrigated garden land. A little history The tourism consortium presents Ricote as the historic heart of the valley, with a history tied to al-Andalus, the Order of Santiago and the communities that shaped the huerta. From the Andalusi period comes a good part of the irrigation system still in use: channels, weirs and waterwheels that carry the Segura's water to the lemon groves. After the Castilian conquest, the communities of Morisco origin stayed for generations and kept their identity and agricultural knowledge longer than in other areas, until the expulsion decreed at the start of the 17th century, by which many villages lost a good part of their population and a long repopulation began. That is why the valley is called the last Morisco enclave of the Levante. Ricote castle, which several paths climb to from the village, recalls the strategic value of the place. The Olivera Gorda is recognised as a historic tree, and local tradition links it with episodes from the valley's Andalusi past. The walk through the village It starts in the square, next to the church of San Sebastián, Ricote's patron saint, and continues along the streets of the old quarter towards the Llamas mansion and the Encomienda house. The Al-Ricotí centre helps you understand the valley's history and culture before heading out into the huerta. For views, besides the Cabecico de la Doctrina, Ricote's municipality has the viewpoints of La Calera, Fuente Buena, El Rincón and the Estrecho del Solvente, from which you see terraces, channels, ranges and the river. If you still feel like walking, the Senda de los Moriscos (PR-8) leaves the village and makes a circuit of about 8 km through orchards and pine woods, and the Barranco del Pozo trail is another waymarked option. In spring, when the orange blossom is out, the surrounding lemon groves are in flower. Eating and local products The village's cooking is from the huerta and the mountains: rice with rabbit, wheat gachas, migas, michirones and home-made sweets. Many houses still make wine and liqueurs for their own consumption. For a sit-down meal, El Sordo is a village eatery open since 1917. Information The tourist information point is at the Town Hall, at calle San Francisco 7 (968 69 70 63). The website does not publish monument hours: ask there what is open that day. Without a car, the Ricote Valley intercity bus stops on avenida de la Libertad; the timetables are published by Interbus. - **Orange Blossom Season in the Ricote Valley** (Everyone · Independent · free): What it is Every spring, for a few short weeks, the citrus trees in the orchards of Ulea, Villanueva del Río Segura, Ojós and Ricote come into flower, and the valley smells of orange blossom. The tourist consortium organises guided visits, walks among the orchards, craft and perfume workshops and cooking experiences with lemon on those days, and the villages sell jams, lemonade and orange blossom water. The star is the lemon blossom. The Región de Murcia blossom leaflet places it in April and May, and presents it as the third of the four blossoms in the regional calendar: after the Mula almond blossom in February and the Cieza peach blossom in February and March, and before the Moratalla lavender in summer. If you like these getaways, you can link the orange blossom with the others. What happens on those days According to the programme published by the Región de Murcia, each spring the four villages put on activities such as yoga among the lemon trees, farm tourism with excursions and visits to citrus farms, tastings of paparajotes (the sweet made from a battered lemon leaf), and visits to the viewpoints. The consortium adds workshops on perfume, floral waters, traditional sweets and recipes with citrus fruit. Dates and prices for each activity change from year to year and are published in the calendar on the Ricote Valley website; some are free and others are paid or require booking. At the tourist office you can stamp the blossom passport and they give you a small souvenir for each one. How to see it From the valley's viewpoints and along the orchard paths between the villages. The date changes with the weather each year: check the consortium's calendar before you go. To explore on foot, the consortium's website has several routes that pass among the lemon trees: the water route, with weirs, irrigation channels, waterwheels and old washhouses; the viewpoints route, with spots such as La Asomá in Villanueva or El Rincón in Ricote, and the bridges route in Ojós, beside the river. Ricote also has the viewpoints of La Calera, Fuente Buena and the Cabecico de la Doctrina, with views over the terraces, the irrigation channels and the Segura. Good practice Lemon groves in flower are working crops and farms, not a park. The Región de Murcia asks visitors not to touch flowers or fruit, not to pull off or cut branches, to respect the people working in the fields, not to leave litter, plastic or cigarette butts, and to drive and park considerately on the tracks, which are narrow and used by farmers. Where to stay and eat To sleep close to the orchards, La Joya del Valle de Ricote has apartments on a citrus farm in Villanueva del Río Segura, and the Balneario de Archena, a few minutes away, adds hotels and thermal pools. For a meal, El Sordo in Ricote and Jardines de Villanueva in Villanueva del Río Segura are both inside the blossom area. ## Dónde comer - **El Sordo Restaurant** (Restaurant, Ricote, €€€). Qué pedir: the roast kid or suckling pig, ordered when you book; without ordering, the aged beef chuletón or the €60 tasting menu - **Jardines de Villanueva Restaurant** (Restaurant, Villanueva del Río Segura, €€). Qué pedir: the sopaícas board (zarangollo, pipirrana and pisto) and then chuletón, presa or sea bass from the grill with potatoes al montón - **Restaurante del Agua at the Balneario de Archena** (Restaurant, Archena, €€). Qué pedir: the caldo con pelotas or a tomato with tuna belly, and the paparajote with nougat ice cream for dessert ## By car: The Car Links It All in Half an Hour Archena, Villanueva, Ojós, Ricote and Blanca are less than twenty minutes from each other along orchard roads. With a car you can bathe in the morning, have lunch in Ricote and walk in the afternoon. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Termas at the Balneario de Archena** (Spa hotel, desde 62 € / night): A nineteenth-century thermal hotel The Hotel Termas is the building with the most history at the Balneario de Archena: it was built in the mid-nineteenth century and keeps its neo-Nasrid corridors, a great dome and interior courtyards with skylights and arabesque walls. In the dome there is a Roman tombstone from the late first century, and the fountain at the entrance copies the one in the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra. Inside it has been refurbished and holds the quality seal of the Instituto para la Calidad Turística Española. The rooms There are 65, all non-smoking: classic doubles, exterior superiors, doubles with sitting room, three junior suites and rooms with one or two extra beds for families. They have air conditioning, a safe, a hairdryer and free wifi. Like the other two hotels in the complex, it has direct access to the thermal gallery where treatments are given, and staying here includes free entry to the Spa Piscinas Termales. Eating and spending the day The Termas dining room serves à la carte: breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00, lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and dinner from 20:00 to 22:30. At weekends, on public holidays and during school holidays there is a mini club for children aged 3 to 11, and aqua gym and walking outings for adults. Getting there The spa is on the edge of Archena, on the carretera del Balneario, about 30 minutes from Murcia along the A-30 dual carriageway. There is paid parking at the complex and a regular bus from Murcia station (line 36), with some services leaving from or arriving at the spa itself. - **Hotel León at the Balneario de Archena** (Spa hotel, desde 50 € / night): The León is the three-star hotel at the Balneario de Archena, the simplest and cheapest of the three in the complex. It was restored in 1991 while keeping its early twentieth-century feel, and shares with the Termas and the Levante what really matters here: direct access to the thermal gallery, where treatments are given, and free entry to the Spa Piscinas Termales throughout your stay. 117 rooms, six ways to sleep All are non-smoking and have air conditioning, heating and free wifi, with daily cleaning. They break down as follows: 81 classic doubles, the standard room. 6 basic singles, for those travelling alone. 11 classic rooms with an extra bed, for three. 6 classic rooms with two extra beds, for four. 7 superiors and 6 superior double rooms, both with their own terrace. Some look onto the lemon trees and the path along the river; if the view matters to you, ask when you book. What it costs to sleep at the León According to the 2026 price list, a night in a classic double ranges from €50 to €90 per person, room only, depending on date and occupancy; the superior, from €60 to €100, and the single, from €75 to €130. The third and fourth person pay a supplement of €45. The spa warns that the binding price is the one shown in the booking process, and gives a 15% discount to those who book more than 45 days ahead. It also sells packages of one to three nights with meals and a treatment included, from €165 per person for a single night at the León. The buffet dining room on the first floor Meals at the León are served in its own dining room, a buffet on the first floor with more than 65 dishes of Mediterranean cooking and room for more than 200 people. It opens for breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00, for lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and for dinner from 20:00 to 22:30. In 2026 breakfast costs €12, lunch or dinner €25, half board €30 and full board €50 per person. For an à la carte meal without leaving the grounds there is the Restaurante del Agua. Children and mini club Babies aged 0 to 2 do not pay for the cot, and meals are paid for according to what they have. Children aged 3 to 11, in a bed and sharing with two adults, do not pay for accommodation and get 50% off meals. A room takes four at most. At weekends, long weekends and school holidays a free mini club runs for guests aged 3 to 11, with bouncy castles, a games room, crafts and water games. The children's thermal pool is in the thermal pools, included. Arriving, parking and leaving late Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00; for €15 you can stay until 18:00 if available, which allows one last swim. Parking costs €8 a day per vehicle, or €6 a day for stays of more than four days, and there are electric car chargers on the upper floor. Reception is open 24 hours and stores luggage. At reception they speak Spanish, English, Russian, French and German. The website says nothing about pets: if you are travelling with a dog, ask before booking. - **La Joya del Valle de Ricote** (Apartment, desde 155 € / night): La Joya del Valle de Ricote is three apartments within the Finca Vista Hermosa, more than 120,000 m² of citrus trees beside the River Segura, in the municipality of Villanueva del Río Segura. It is farm tourism for adults: the farm runs on solar panels and drip irrigation, and belongs to the Soy Ecoturista network. You get there along the MU-522 road, at kilometre 4.5, and you need a car to get around the valley. El Cactus, La Haymah and La Palmera Each apartment is independent and has a private terrace: El Cactus, a 38 m² one-bedroom suite for two, with a 180 cm bed, a 14 m² terrace, equipped kitchen, dishwasher, washing machine, wood stove and fireplace. La Haymah de Ibn Arabí, a 31 m² studio for two, with a 160 cm bed, kitchenette and the largest terrace of the three, at 27 m². It has heating, but no wood stove. La Palmera, a two-bedroom apartment of 57 m², for up to four people, with one 180 cm bed and two 90 cm beds, one bathroom, a 16 m² terrace, equipped kitchen, washing machine and fireplace. All three have air conditioning, heating, free wifi, safe, television, coffee machine, kettle, microwave, hairdryer and minibar, and a garage. Smoking is not allowed. Breakfast is do-it-yourself The website does not advertise a restaurant on the farm: each apartment includes a Mediterranean breakfast kit with local produce to have whenever you like on the terrace or in the kitchen. To eat out, in the same municipality there is Jardines de Villanueva, with fruit-tree wood chargrill; call ahead, because it only serves with a reservation. Prices, arrival and cancellation The website advertises prices from €155 a night for La Haymah, €160 for El Cactus and €175 for La Palmera, with a minimum of two nights. You pay 50% on confirmation, by card on their payment gateway, and the rest during your stay. If you cancel between 60 and 30 days before you lose 10% of the total; between 30 and 15 days, 20%; with less than 15 days, 50%, which is the deposit. No-shows or leaving early are not refunded. Check-in is from 17:00 to 21:30 and check-out from 8:30 to 12:00; this can be changed subject to availability. After booking you must tell them your arrival time by phone or email, on 650 561 722 (also WhatsApp). Until 22 December 2026 the farm accepts the Bono Turístico of the Región de Murcia: 50% off a two-night stay. The weekend citrus tour From November to May the farm runs the Citrus Tour on Saturday and Sunday mornings, between 10:00 and 11:00 (the exact time is confirmed the day before). It lasts two and a half to three hours, on flat ground, and covers the history of the valley's citrus fruit, traditional and endangered varieties, sustainable growing and a tasting of freshly picked fruit. It costs €20 per adult and €15 for ages 8 to 14, and must be booked. It is given in Spanish or English, for groups of 2 to 12 people. From the farm The Balneario de Archena is a few kilometres away, and upriver are Ojós, with the bridges route, and Ricote. For a few weeks in spring, with the orange blossom season, the lemon and orange trees of the Villanueva orchards flower. ### Servicios - **Balneario de Archena Parking**: Paid car park at the thermal complex · €2 an hour · €8 a day · electric chargers ## Car-free: By Bus from Murcia to the Spa Door Without a car, the plan that works is the spa: Interbus line 36 leaves Murcia station and some services reach the spa itself, even on Sundays. Ricote and Ojós, on the other hand, need a car or a taxi. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Termas at the Balneario de Archena** (Spa hotel, desde 62 € / night): A nineteenth-century thermal hotel The Hotel Termas is the building with the most history at the Balneario de Archena: it was built in the mid-nineteenth century and keeps its neo-Nasrid corridors, a great dome and interior courtyards with skylights and arabesque walls. In the dome there is a Roman tombstone from the late first century, and the fountain at the entrance copies the one in the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra. Inside it has been refurbished and holds the quality seal of the Instituto para la Calidad Turística Española. The rooms There are 65, all non-smoking: classic doubles, exterior superiors, doubles with sitting room, three junior suites and rooms with one or two extra beds for families. They have air conditioning, a safe, a hairdryer and free wifi. Like the other two hotels in the complex, it has direct access to the thermal gallery where treatments are given, and staying here includes free entry to the Spa Piscinas Termales. Eating and spending the day The Termas dining room serves à la carte: breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00, lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and dinner from 20:00 to 22:30. At weekends, on public holidays and during school holidays there is a mini club for children aged 3 to 11, and aqua gym and walking outings for adults. Getting there The spa is on the edge of Archena, on the carretera del Balneario, about 30 minutes from Murcia along the A-30 dual carriageway. There is paid parking at the complex and a regular bus from Murcia station (line 36), with some services leaving from or arriving at the spa itself. - **Hotel León at the Balneario de Archena** (Spa hotel, desde 50 € / night): The León is the three-star hotel at the Balneario de Archena, the simplest and cheapest of the three in the complex. It was restored in 1991 while keeping its early twentieth-century feel, and shares with the Termas and the Levante what really matters here: direct access to the thermal gallery, where treatments are given, and free entry to the Spa Piscinas Termales throughout your stay. 117 rooms, six ways to sleep All are non-smoking and have air conditioning, heating and free wifi, with daily cleaning. They break down as follows: 81 classic doubles, the standard room. 6 basic singles, for those travelling alone. 11 classic rooms with an extra bed, for three. 6 classic rooms with two extra beds, for four. 7 superiors and 6 superior double rooms, both with their own terrace. Some look onto the lemon trees and the path along the river; if the view matters to you, ask when you book. What it costs to sleep at the León According to the 2026 price list, a night in a classic double ranges from €50 to €90 per person, room only, depending on date and occupancy; the superior, from €60 to €100, and the single, from €75 to €130. The third and fourth person pay a supplement of €45. The spa warns that the binding price is the one shown in the booking process, and gives a 15% discount to those who book more than 45 days ahead. It also sells packages of one to three nights with meals and a treatment included, from €165 per person for a single night at the León. The buffet dining room on the first floor Meals at the León are served in its own dining room, a buffet on the first floor with more than 65 dishes of Mediterranean cooking and room for more than 200 people. It opens for breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00, for lunch from 13:30 to 15:30 and for dinner from 20:00 to 22:30. In 2026 breakfast costs €12, lunch or dinner €25, half board €30 and full board €50 per person. For an à la carte meal without leaving the grounds there is the Restaurante del Agua. Children and mini club Babies aged 0 to 2 do not pay for the cot, and meals are paid for according to what they have. Children aged 3 to 11, in a bed and sharing with two adults, do not pay for accommodation and get 50% off meals. A room takes four at most. At weekends, long weekends and school holidays a free mini club runs for guests aged 3 to 11, with bouncy castles, a games room, crafts and water games. The children's thermal pool is in the thermal pools, included. Arriving, parking and leaving late Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 12:00; for €15 you can stay until 18:00 if available, which allows one last swim. Parking costs €8 a day per vehicle, or €6 a day for stays of more than four days, and there are electric car chargers on the upper floor. Reception is open 24 hours and stores luggage. At reception they speak Spanish, English, Russian, French and German. The website says nothing about pets: if you are travelling with a dog, ask before booking. ### Servicios - **Murcia – Archena Bus (Line 36)**: Interbus line 36 between Murcia station and Archena, with Sunday departures too; some services leave from or arrive at the spa. ## As a family: Hot Water for the Little Ones, River for the Bigger Ones The valley is easy with children: the thermal pools at Archena have a children's area and under-2s do not pay, and the Segura can be run by raft from age 6. ### What works best The spa's children's pool, with a slide and jets Rafting from Cieza to Blanca, from age 6, with lunch halfway down the river The Ojós bridges route, with the Tibetan bridge A stroll around Ricote and its 1,400-year-old olive tree ### Where to sleep Hotel Termas or Hotel León: up to age 11 free in a bed with two adults Mini club for ages 3 to 11 at weekends and holidays ### Where to eat Children's dishes at €11 at the Restaurante del Agua El Sordo, better with children who can sit through a long meal ### Bear in mind At the pools, caps and flip-flops for children too The Balnea circuit is only from age 14 La Joya del Valle de Ricote does not admit children ### Qué hacer as a family - Thermal Pools at the Balneario de Archena - Rafting on the Segura from Cieza to Blanca - Ojós Bridges Walk - Ricote old town and the Olivera Gorda ## Consejos ### Bathe on weekdays Entry to the thermal pools costs €8 less from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. ### Bring a cap and flip-flops They are compulsory in the spa's pools. ### Confirm your table at El Sordo before 12:00 Otherwise they release it. ### Leave the car outside the villages Ojós and Ricote have very narrow streets. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Can you go to the Archena Spa without staying? Yes. The thermal pools sell day tickets, from €25 on weekdays and €33 at weekends in low season 2026, and the Balnea circuit, two-hour sessions from €30. ### Can children go to the spa? To the thermal pools yes, with an adult: there is a children's pool and under-2s do not pay. To the Balnea circuit, only from age 14. ### Can you get there without a car from Murcia? To the spa yes, with Interbus line 36, which also runs on Sundays. For Ricote and Ojós you need a car or a taxi. ### How long does it take from Murcia? About 30 minutes by car to Archena and about 40 to Ricote, by our estimate. ### When does the orange blossom flower? In spring, for a few weeks that change every year: check the valley tourist consortium's calendar. ### Where do you eat on Sunday? At El Sordo, in Ricote, which opens on Sunday lunchtimes; book and confirm the table before 12:00.