# Thermal getaway to Archena and the Ricote Valley, an hour from Alicante Two nights inside the Archena spa resort with the thermal pools included, the Balnea circuit, the Moriscos trail and a roast in Ricote. An hour from Alicante. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/region-of-murcia/ricote-valley/itineraries/thermal-getaway-archena-from-alicante · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Dónde: Ricote Valley and the Archena Spa From Alicante, the Archena Spa is an hour and a quarter away via the A-7 and A-30. It is a 19th-century thermal complex on the banks of the Segura, with its own spring at around 32 degrees, three hotels within the grounds and the thermal pools included for guests. Above the spa begins the Ricote Valley: lemon groves, Morisco villages and short trails. Two nights give you time for the water without hurrying and for a day in the valley. From Murcia it is half an hour; from Albacete, a little under an hour and a half. ## What is in the weekend? WhatTimePrice in 2026 Thermal poolsAs long as you likeIncluded with your stay Balnea Thermal Circuit2 h€30 weekdays · €40 weekends Moriscos trailA morningFree Ricote and its old town1 h 30Free Ojós bridges1–2 hFree Rafting from Cieza to Blanca4 hFrom €20 with lunch ## Where to sleep? Inside the spa, so you don't need the car all Saturday. The four-star Hotel Termas is the 19th-century building with a dome and neo-Nasrid courtyards; the three-star Hotel León is the cheapest option and has a buffet. According to 2026 rates, a double room costs €62 to €102 per person per night at the Termas and €50 to €90 at the León, accommodation only; children up to 11 sleep free in a bed with two adults. If you are travelling as a couple and prefer the orchard, La Joya del Valle de Ricote has adults-only apartments in Villanueva, from €155 a night with a two-night minimum stay. ## With children Swap the Sunday trail for the shorter Ojós bridges or, from April to October, the rafting from Cieza to Blanca, from age 6. The Balnea circuit is only for ages 14 and over: little ones have a children's pool and, at weekends, a mini club for ages 3 to 11 for hotel guests. ## El plan ### Friday · 19:00 · Arrival at the spa From Alicante to Archena in an hour and a quarter. Hotel check-in from 15:00 and a night-time dip: for the rest of the year the pools stay open until 22:00. ### Saturday · 10:00 · Thermal pools The indoor Termalium pool, with current channels and jets, and the outdoor one with valley views. Swimming cap, swimsuit and flip-flops are compulsory. ### Saturday · 12:30 · Balnea circuit A two-hour session: saunas, the 50 °C steam room, pools from 20 to 34 °C and the igloo. From age 14; book your slot on arrival. ### Saturday · 14:45 · Lunch at the spa Restaurante del Agua or the hotel dining room. Free afternoon: a nap, a massage from the thermal gallery or more water. ### Sunday · 09:00 · Moriscos trail From Archena to Ricote in twenty minutes. The route starts next to El Sordo: about 8 km in a loop through orchard and pine forest, with the Solvente and Fuente Buena viewpoints. ### Sunday · 14:00 · Lunch at El Sordo and the drive back Kid or suckling pig roasted in a wood-fired oven. Book and confirm before 12:00. Then a stroll around Ricote and back to Alicante via Archena and the A-30. ## Un consejo más Book more than 45 days ahead: the spa takes 15% off the accommodation. ## Cuándo no ir The maintenance dates: the indoor pool closes from 9 to 18 December 2026 and the outdoor one from 11 to 22 January 2027; the Balnea circuit, from 17 to 27 May 2027. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Alicante to Archena? An hour and a quarter by car, via the A-7 and A-30, by our estimate. ### Does the hotel include the thermal pools? Yes, all three hotels at the spa include free entry to the Thermal Pools Spa. ### How much does the weekend cost? Two nights in a double room, meals, the Balnea circuit and lunch in Ricote: between €250 and €370 per person. ### Can I go without a car? To the spa, yes, by bus from Murcia on line 36. For Ricote, take a taxi from Archena. ## Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Termas at the Balneario de Archena**, 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**, 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**, 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. ## Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Termas at the Balneario de Archena**, 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**, 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.