Holiday apartment in La Unión: Flamenco and mining culture

In La Unión, flamenco meets the traces of mining. The Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas has taken place every August without interruption since 1961 and includes competitions in singing, guitar, dance and flamenco instrumental music. It also features an extensive cultural programme centred around flamenco; the festival holds the status of a festival of international tourist interest.

Culture

The region’s musical tradition extends beyond the festival. The Cantes de las Minas emerged from a mixture of the original songs of Andalusian miners and the local songs of the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión. The Cantes Mineros y de Levante were classified as an intangible Bien de Interés Cultural in 2010.

The Antiguo Mercado Público currently serves as the venue for the Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas. The modernist building is made of metal and glass and features elongated openings. It is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural.

The Iglesia de Ntra. Sra. del Rosario is also part of the protected cultural heritage: it was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural as a cultural asset in the Monument category. The church was completed in 1902 and designed by the architect Justo Millán. The Iglesia Parroquial Ntra. del Rosario has a central nave and two side aisles with chapels containing the images of La Unión’s Semana Santa.

The Museo del Cante de las Minas preserves a significant audiovisual archive with recordings of important performances from various editions of the festival. Due to its temporary relocation to the Antiguo Mercado Público, the museum is currently closed.

History and landscape

The Sierra Minera de La Unión is classified as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of historic site. Mining shaped its distinctive landscape, which is dotted with preserved remnants of former mining activity.

At the Parque Minero de La Unión, eight former 19th-century mining sites have been restored. Visitors can see on site how the miners of the Sierra de Cartagena-La Unión lived and worked. The area covers 50,000 square metres and has a mining train that takes visitors through the various areas open to visitors.

The underground mining world includes the Mina Agrupa Vicenta, with more than 4,000 square metres of tunnels at a depth of over 80 metres.

Routes and processions

The Ruta del 33 begins at the end of Calle Porras in La Unión and heads towards the coast of Portmán. It is catalogued as the short-distance hiking trail PRMU-88. A religious route through the Sierra Minera is the Vía Crucis del Cristo de los Mineros: it leads from the Mina Agrupa Vicenta through the Sierra Minera to the Iglesia del Rosario. Along the way, the image is carried on the shoulders of the faithful.

The Semana Santa Minera includes the procession on Maundy Thursday, which holds the status of an event of regional tourist interest. During the Semana Santa Minera, the floats and the robes of the Nazarenos are decorated with mining tools.

Events

During the Semana Santa Minera, the Feria Nacional de Minerales y Fósiles lasts three days. It brings mineral and fossil enthusiasts together for exchanges and sales.

More destinations

More destinations: Portman, Abanilla, San Isidro, Cobatillas, Mula, Santiago de la Ribera, Isla Plana, Santomera.

To the higher-level travel overview: Murcia.