Taibilla river is a small river which starts in the province of Albacete and ends up in the Segura river. We will follow this two rivers in order to know a little bit more of Murcia, the so-called 'The Segura vegetable garden'. Since it is not very complicated terrain, yet a very long trip of more than 200 km, it is ideal to make a week-end trip the whole family together and as much stops as we want/need.
We start our route at the small town of Nerpio, in Albacete province, and we wil take the road AB102, it is a very quiet route but it is always good to be careful just in case and moreover if we are travelling with children.
After some kilometres, we will turn left and take a small road which will lead us to the lovely Taibilla Dam, which we will surround while we watch its incredibly turquoise blue waters of up to 9 cubic hectometers of capacity and provides water to all the surrounding towns. Also, it is allowed to fish if you have a license or swim in it so don't miss the chance!
So, we'll cross the dam gates (more like an underground tunnel from the river to the dam) and join road L3 following the river's trip North, we will pass through a very small town called Vizcable, maybe you would like to stop for a while and rest, and then we will go on until we reach the town of Letur.
After Letur, We will take another route which will make us pass through the town of Socovos and cross the 'border' to get into Murcia Region, Just few kilometers more and we will reach Moratalla, a good place to stop before we reach our next destination, the gorgeous Caravaca de la Cruz.
So, the track doesn't say it, but I recommend to continue on route RM-175 until we reach Caravaca, since it is very spectacular.
Caravaca de la Cruz is a very ancient city and is algo pilgrimage place from a lot of people around the world, since it is said that there is vere two angels brought from Heaven a piece of Christ's Church and so the Muslims who had taken possession of the city surrendered and started to believe. Also it has in incredible festivity from the 1st to the 5 of May, in which they mix both the 'Moros y Cristianos' tradition by recreating epic battles and different armies, both Christian and Muslim, and also the 'Caballos del Vino' where horses are dressed with beautiful clothes, made from the finest materials and are guided uphill galloping to reach the basilic, the thing is that, for winning the race, they have to be the fastest, and also reach the finish line with its two guides.
After exploring Caravaca de la Cruz, we can continue with the original route by taking the road RM-517, which will lead us to the near town of Cehegín where we can visit its beautiful Ermita de la Concepción from the XVIth century or the archeological Begastri site with Iberian remains.
After that, we should take the Carretera the Murcia, which is a small route which goes parallel to road RM15. Then, we will reach Bullas, which is usually called 'The Nort western door', because it is the first town of the North-West Shire of Murcia. There, we will find interesting monuments like the Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church, the remains of the Castle of Bullas and the old winery of Balsa street.
We will continue our route until we reach Totana to make another stop, this littler town is famous for its Prehistoric remains from the IInd century before Christ.
The next stop will be the end of the route, so take some time to enjoy the trip and looking the small towns from one side to the other of the road pass by.
After all that, we will get into Cartagena, the so-called 'Port of Cultures' since Romans, Carthaginians, Muslims, Christians and merchants from all the ancient, middle aged and even modern world came here tooffer their services.
The Region of Murcia serves authentic Mediterranean cooking: cereals, vegetables and olive oil are the base of this cuisine, which finds its source of inspiration in the market garden - natural, authentic, tasty and with a character all of its own. The roasts, salted fish, fish and shellfish from the Mar Menor are equally appreciated. However, the Region of Murcia is also well-known for its rice, sausages, preserved foods, nuts, aromatic plants, fruit and confectionery.
The most important ingredient used in Murcian cuisine is the vegetable. Vegetables are found in nearly every dish. Fresh broad beans are fried with onion; dry broad beans are cooked in the famous "michirones" (ham and chorizo stews); sweet young garlic is present in nearly every casserole or can be served with scrambled eggs, with lightly fried onion and tomato and chard or in a potato omelette; thistle in almond sauce; "zarangollo" (pumpkin, onion and tomato); sweet broad beans to accompany salted meat, fish or sausage as a starter or side dish; artichokes with pine nuts; roast pepper salad; cauliflower, green beans, artichokes and peppers... are vital ingredients to prepare the typical rice and vegetable dish, a must for all visitors to Murcia.
In Murcia city they have a very good public system for bike rental, which is very useful and cheap, called MuyBici, but they are only urban bikes so their use is mainly around the city.
However, if we are looking for a bike to use in a route, Murcia's Regional Government has an incredible network of stores and workshops in what they call 'The Offce of the Bicycle' that, even if they ask you for a lot of papers like copy of the ID card, bank account etc. it is very comfortable if you have a sudden problem and you have to leave the bike you rented in one of the stops of the route and take another.
Also, in the same Bicycle Office web (http://www.oficinabicicletamurcia.info) you can find several stores and workshop all around the region.
