Totana: Holiday apartment between Sierra Espuña and culture

The Sendero de la Santa is a 7.25 km circular hiking trail that begins and ends at the Paseo del Santuario de Santa Eulalia de Mérida. It leads to the Mirador de la Virgen Blanca and then follows the GR-252 through an open forest of Aleppo pines.

Nature and trails

The Santuario de Santa Eulalia de Mérida can be reached via a road that leads through the orchards of the municipality of Totana to the foothills of the Sierra Espuña. Totana is easy to explore on foot; a walk takes you to the town’s most important cultural and architectural sights. Another option is the RUTA TOTANA EN MIL PASOS, an easy, 2 km cultural circular walking route through Totana.

Culture and architecture

The Santuario de Santa Eulalia combines religious architecture with remarkable furnishings. The walls of the Santuario are completely covered with tempera paintings created by Juan Ibáñez between 1601 and 1624. The nave has a carved wooden Mudéjar ceiling from the workshop of Esteban Riberón. Totana’s traditional craft culture is also clearly present: pottery and ceramics are Totana’s most important traditional crafts. There are also Arab kilns, which are catalogued as an Asset of Cultural Interest. In the Barrio de las Ollerías, visitors can attend a demonstration in pottery workshops.

One of the striking buildings is the Torre de la Iglesia de Santiago. It was built between 1606 and 1608 as a three-storey tower made of exposed brick. Its gargoyles were made of ceramic by local potters. A visit to the restored Torre de la Iglesia de Santiago conveys the history of its construction. The Templo Parroquial de Santiago was built in its essential basic form between 1553 and 1567. The Fuente de Juan de Uzeta is an 18th-century Baroque work dating from 1751–1753 and is described as unique in the region.

Smaller historic buildings also complete the picture. The Arco de San Pedro, also known as “De las Ollerías” or “De la Rambla”, dates from the 16th century. At the edge of the former Ollerías district, an aqueduct was built in 1753 by Pedro de Mora Cánovas of Totana and designed by Silvestre Martínez. Martínez also designed the Fuente de la Plaza Mayor.

The Ermita de San Roque is an 18th-century chapel with a single rectangular nave and 18th-century floral paintings. It houses the image of Santa Eulalia, which is kept there every year on 8 December. The following afternoon, it is carried in a solemn procession to the Santiago parish church, where liturgical celebrations are held in its honour.

Archaeology

Totana’s archaeological sites offer another way of accessing the history of the town. The Las Cabezuelas site is particularly known for the Iberian culture and striking ceramic finds. Numerous materials visible above ground there date from the Roman phase. This phase continuously overlaps with the Iberian phase and extends at least into the first half of the 2nd century AD.

La Bastida is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Western Europe. The Argaric site is located in the Las Viñas-Carivete area at the foothills of the Sierra de la Tercia, on the left slope of the Valle del Guadalentín, 6 km from the centre of Totana.

Practical information

The Museo de la Torre de la Iglesia de Santiago presents objects and interpretations relating to the history of Totana. Registration for the Museo Torre de Totana is handled through the Totana Tourist Office; group visits to the Museo Torre de Totana are always guided. The Torre de la Iglesia de Santiago serves religious and cultural tourism purposes and can be accessed through the church. Organised visits to the Las Cabezuelas site are arranged through the Totana Tourist Office.

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You can access other destinations directly: Sucina, Cartagena, Yecla, La Palma, Alhama De Murcia, Jumilla, Torre Guil, Sangonera la Verde.

To the main travel overview: Murcia.