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Caravaca upgrades furniture, signage and paths at popular beauty spot
Throughout December, the council has been making improvements at Fuentes del Marqués
Caravaca de la Cruz Town Council is rolling out a series of upgrades to the beloved Fuentes del Marqués natural park area this December, focusing on revitalising its paths, furniture and signage. These efforts are part of a long-term conservation and sustainable use plan initiated four years ago, aimed at preserving the site’s natural beauty and environmental health.
The improvements include patching up and reinforcing the park’s paths, as well as repairing and replacing rubbish bins, benches, gates and sign posts.
A fresh design approach will see the removal of green paint from these elements, opting instead for the natural wood colour to blend seamlessly with the surroundings. Urgent repairs are also being carried out on a precarious wall damaged during recent storms.
“The objective of the different actions is, on the one hand, to fix those elements that had been damaged by the recent rains and the passage of time and, on the other, to repair the areas that have been the object of vandalism,” explained the Councillor for the Environment, Ana Belén Martínez, who added that, “although the vast majority of Caravaca residents and visitors make respectful and sustainable use of this emblematic place, it is necessary to call for civility because at certain times there is damage and graffiti.”
This latest effort builds on a series of initiatives within the conservation plan, including the creation of the ‘Green Ring’ route that passes through Fuentes del Marqués.
Previous measures have introduced limited vehicle access, a park and ride area and an updated regulatory ordinance prohibiting the use of coolers or furniture at the site.
These actions, coupled with a new informational website, aim to balance accessibility with environmental preservation, ensuring Fuentes del Marqués remains a serene retreat for generations to come.
For more local information, news and what's on visit the home page of Caravaca Today
Images: Ayuntamiento de Caravaca de la Cruz
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Calle De Las Monjas, 19, 30400 CARAVACA DE LA CRUZTel: 968 702424 / 968 701003
Oficina de Turismo de Caravaca de la Cruz
More information about the places of interest which can be visited in the municipality of Caravaca de la Cruz, along with what's on and local news can be found in the Caravaca Today.
Caravaca de la Cruz, in the north-west of the Region of Murcia, is one of only 5 Holy Cities in the Roman Catholic world, a centre of pilgrimage, along with Rome, Jerusalem, Santiago de Compostela and Santo Toribio de Liebana, and is home to the Cross of Caravaca, the Vera Cruz.
The status of Holy City was bestowed by Pope John Paul II in 1998, granting the City a Permanent Jubilee year every 7 years for perpetuity, the first one held in 2003 and the next in 2024.
The strategic and natural advantages of Caravaca de la Cruz have attracted the attention of settlers for more than 800,000 years, the Cueva Negra yielding remains of Homo Heidelbergensis, forbears of the Neanderthals and the municipality also houses important archaeological remains from the Argaric, Iberian and Roman cultures. many of these can be seen in the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
As a border town caught between the Catholic forces of Castille and the last remaining Moorish stronghold in Spain, Granada, Caravaca had a turbulent medieval history, but it was during this period that the legend of the Cross of Caravaca was born, bringing the religious orders which shaped the structure of Caravaca today, with its impressive hilltop castle and eclectic collection of churches and monasteries, religious tourism today being a backbone of the town´s economy.
Caravaca de la Cruz is a municipality with important natural resources, including extensive forests, part of which have protected status due to their wealth of flora and fauna, and due to the abundant water supplies is also a major area for canned fruit production, apricots in particular being an important crop.
Caravaca is renown for its important May Fiestas, held in honour of the Vera Cruz, which also incorporate the Moors and Christians celebrations and the Running of the Wine Horses.
Caravaca de la Cruz is also the home of Europe´s largest collection of ethnic instruments at Barranda, the Museo de Música Étnica Barranda and is the location of the Barranda festival de Cuadrillas, which celebrates the Region's ethnic music traditions.
The municipality is home to around 26,000 inhabitants and sahres boundaries with Moratalla, Cehegín, Lorca, Puebla de Don Fadrique in the province of Granada and Vélez-Blanco in the province of Almería.
Opening times:
Weekdays: 10.00 to 14.00 and 16.30 to 19.30
Saturdays: 10.30 to 14.00 and 16.30 to 19.30
Sundays and public holidays: 10.30 to 14.00
Click for map, Caravaca de la Cruz Tourist Office
