Most people who live in the Province of Murcia consider themselves to live in the finest place in Spain, which means, of course, the finest place on earth! But, they are often surprised when foreigners say they haven't heard of their home!

To the British and many other northern Europeans, the Costa Blanca and the Costa de Sol are well known, from generations of happy holidays taken on the beaches and in the popular holiday resorts. Murcia has its own Costa, the Costa Calida, or the warm coast, but this is far less well known. That's just great for the people who know just how much it has to offer, including the busy strip of La Manga, the luxurious La Manga Club, the beautiful inland sea of the Mar Menor plus bustling towns such as San Javier, Santiago de la Ribera, Los Alcazares and Puerto Mazarron.

Increasingly, British people are heading to Murcia in search of property, either for second homes or as places to settle down in the sun. Although in recent years the region has recorded some of the biggest price increases in the country, many reasonable deals can still be found, and they represent excellent value in comparison with other better-known areas of Spain.

The region of present-day Murcia contains many ancient archaeological sites, going back thousands of years into pre-history and including very significant Neanderthal sites, such as the caves at the Cabezo Gordo hill, near to Torre Pacheco, which have provided fascinating discoveries. The region is littered with ancient burial sites and habitations. Murcia also contains one of the oldest cities in Europe - Cartagena. This historic port was founded by the Phoenicians, or Carthaginians, two centuries before the birth of Christ and has roots dating back even earlier. Among its famous sons was Hannibal, the man who marched with his elephants on Rome and was one of history's most brilliant military commanders. Over recent years the city has been renovated, with many fascinating remains being uncovered and today there are lots of interesting sites to visit with excellent displays. These include the Punic Walls, the underground remains of the Roman town known as The Augusteum, the Conception Castle plus the underground Roman road and remains, known as the Decumano. As well as these, the city is crammed with interesting Art Deco and Art Nouveau buildings, museums and other places to visit.

The regional capital is also known as Murcia. To reduce the confusion, think of York and Yorkshire, or Leicester and Leicestershire, or Warwick and Warwickshire.

Murcia is a calm and beautiful city, dating back to about the 800's and being founded at a time when the Arab influence in Spain was at its height. The Arabs introduced waterwheels and irrigation technology and made the parched land flower into a garden of greenery. The city became prosperous and there are still some remains of the Arab presence to be seen. Later, the Christians became dominant and built many magnificent buildings, including the amazing Baroque cathedral, the shady squares, crammed with cafes and little shops, the churches and convents and the grand homes of the wealthy. Art flourished, particularly sculpture, and there are many fine examples to be seen in churches and museums.

To the north of the region the hills rise, and there are ancient settlements, such as Cieza, Calasparra, Caravaca, Bullas, Archena, Fortuna, Jumilla and Yecla. Here fine wines are found, with Denomination of Origin schemes ensuring quality. Each town has its own secret to reveal - for example Caravaca is the home of a fragment of the True Cross revered by Christians; Calasparra produces a unique variety of irrigated mountain rice; Archena and Fortuna have hot springs and historic thermal spas. The mines of La Union and Portman were worked from Carthaginian and Roman Times to the mid 20th century. Down in the south of the region, there is Lorca, long the ancient border between Christian and Islamic Spain. This is a beautiful place, with an ancient castle up on the hill that has recently been restored for visitors and which offers a fascinating range of interesting experiences. There is a visitor's centre down in the town, with excellent displays and from which a small 'road train' takes people up the steep hill to the castle itself. Wandering around Lorca's streets is always a pleasure. There are museums of the local fraternities which participate in colourful Holy Week parades and which display incredibly complex embroideries and decorated fabrics. Lorca also possesses the only cathedral-type large church in Spain dedicated to Saint Patrick.

Murcia is not just history. It has a huge and thriving agricultural industry, which sends thousands of tons of fresh vegetables and fruit each week to the supermarkets of Britain and mainland Europe. Flowers are also exported in enormous quantities. The paprika, or pimenton, of Murcia, is famous and protected by its own Denomination of Origin scheme. Many modern businesses have their homes on the clean and environmentally controlled business parks that have opened in recent years. Cartagena still has a vigorous ship repair industry and makes submarines! Tuna, fattened in the waters off the southern coastline, are air freighted to Japan where they are sold for vast sums to make sushi. A new airport is planned to open in the next few years and the existing airport at San Javier, well-known to tens of thousands of British visitors each year, is set to expand, with new motorways and high-speed rail links also planned.

Luxury housing developments, such as Mosa Trajectum, the Polaris World projects and Hacienda de Fuente Alamo, are attracting streams of foreign buyers. Championship quality golf courses are key facilities of these projects. Five star hotels are planned, although at the moment the luxurious La Manga Club, with its Hyatt, remains the only five star hotel in the region. Its golf courses and football centre are famous.

Amidst all this activity, much of Murcia has been set aside for national parks and these are stunning, from the mountains of the Sierra Espuna to the rugged and beautiful coastline of Calblanque. Here walkers and visitors can enjoy peace and quiet and see rare plants, animals and birds. Even the routes of vanished railways have been protected and turned into 'via verdes' for walkers. Old sheep drovers' routes are also protected, as are all ramblas, or waterways that are usually dry.

So, the next time you speaking to someone from Britain and they say: "Murcia? I've never heard of it!" you can either tell them all about it - or smile, stay silent, and keep the secret for yourself.

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