Life on a Murcia Golf Resort from October to May: What's On and What's Open

From October to May, life on a Murcia golf resort is sociable and full. Supermarkets, gyms, padel courts and clubhouse restaurants stay busy on the larger resorts, weekly markets run in the nearby towns, and the fiesta calendar runs from Águilas Carnival in February to the Bando de la Huerta after Easter and Caravaca's Caballos del Vino on 2 May.

The cooler months are when many owners are here the longest. The golf gets the headlines (I've written about winter golf in Murcia separately), so this guide covers everything else: what's open on the resorts, where to shop, which fiestas to put in the diary and where to go for a day out.

What's open on the resorts in the cooler months?

The larger resorts are set up for year-round living, with shops, sport and places to eat inside the gates. A few examples from what the resorts publish:

The outdoor communal pools rest over the winter, which is why a heated pool, like the one at Mar Menor, is so popular with winter owners. The things that really come into their own in these months are the ones that are lit or indoors: floodlit padel courts, gyms, spas and clubhouse restaurants.

If you're comparing resorts, we know every one we sell on and can compare them for you honestly, including what's on site and what's a short drive away.

Where do owners eat out in winter?

On a sunny day, outside. Lunch is the main meal in Spain and it runs later than at home, usually from about 14:00, so there's time for a round or a padel game first.

The weekday menú del día is the best value in Spanish eating: a set lunch with a starter, main course, dessert or coffee, bread and a drink, served in bars and restaurants across every town near the resorts. Trying a different village's menú each week is a pleasant habit to fall into.

For the evening, the resort clubhouses and hotel restaurants are easy choices, and Murcia city and Cartagena are each a short drive away for tapas. If you're new to Murcian food, our guide to what to eat in Murcia covers the dishes to order.

Where are the weekly markets near the resorts?

Every town has its weekly mercadillo, a street market selling fruit and veg from the local huerta, cheese, olives, flowers, clothes and household bits. A few near the resorts:

• Los Alcázares: Tuesday morning on Calle de los Catalanes, the main market in the town.
• Los Narejos: Saturday, on Calle Leonardo da Vinci.
• Torre Pacheco: Saturday morning.
• Murcia city: the Mercado de Verónicas food market by the river, Monday to Saturday from 8am to 3pm.

Go early, bring a bag and some coins, and finish with a coffee in the square.

Which fiestas are on between October and May?

The Region of Murcia's fiesta calendar is packed in the cooler months. Some highlights, starting just before October:

The Bando de la Huerta is the one I'd pick for a first spring. The whole city spills into the streets in waistcoats, headscarves and embroidered skirts, and the barracas (temporary stalls and bars) serve local food all day. Book a table or arrive early.

On 6 January, look out for roscón de Reyes, the ring-shaped Kings' cake sold in every bakery, with a small figure hidden inside.

What are the best day trips in the cooler months?

These months are ideal for exploring, because you can walk round a town at midday in comfort. From the resorts, all of these make an easy day out:

• Lorca, roughly an hour away: the Fortaleza del Sol castle above the town and a historic centre of Baroque churches and palaces.
• Caravaca de la Cruz, about an hour and a quarter: one of the Catholic Church's holy cities, with its Basilica of the Vera Cruz in the castle at the top of the town.
• Cabo de Palos, at the southern end of La Manga: a walk out to the lighthouse, then a long seafood lunch by the harbour.
• Águilas, on the coast south of Lorca: two bays, a hilltop castle and a busy fishing port.
• Bolnuevo, near Puerto de Mazarrón: the wind-carved sandstone formations of Las Gredas de Bolnuevo, right by the beach.
• Jumilla and Bullas, inland wine country. Our guide to the wines of Murcia covers the bodegas and wine routes.

And for a rainy day, which is rare, Cartagena's ARQVA, the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology on the harbourfront, is a fine way to spend an afternoon.

What's community life like on the resorts in winter?

This is when the resorts feel most like villages. Winter owners tend to stay for weeks or months rather than days, so the same faces turn up at the clubhouse, on the tee and at the padel courts.

Regular fixtures form quickly. At Mar Menor Golf, for example, a social padel group plays every Wednesday at 09:00. Rounds of golf, walks and long clubhouse lunches fill the rest of the week, and new owners soon find their own routine.

Frequently asked questions

Are shops and restaurants open on Murcia golf resorts in winter?

The larger resorts are set up for year-round living. El Valle publishes supermarket and gym hours of 09:00 to 20:30 seven days a week, and La Torre has a full supermarket, a hotel with spa and a choice of restaurants.

Are the pools open on Murcia resorts in winter?

Outdoor communal pools rest over the winter, while heated pools such as the one at Mar Menor Golf keep swimming going. Ask which pools are heated on the resort you're viewing.

What fiestas are on in Murcia in spring?

Semana Santa processions in March or April are followed by Murcia city's Bando de la Huerta on the Tuesday after Easter and the Entierro de la Sardina that Saturday. Caravaca de la Cruz holds its Caballos del Vino on 2 May.

Where are the weekly markets near the Murcia golf resorts?

Los Alcázares holds its main market on Tuesday mornings, Los Narejos and Torre Pacheco on Saturdays, and Murcia's Mercado de Verónicas opens Monday to Saturday from 8am to 3pm.

What are good day trips from the Murcia resorts in winter?

Lorca and its castle, the holy city of Caravaca de la Cruz, the lighthouse at Cabo de Palos, Águilas and the sandstone formations at Bolnuevo all make easy days out in the cooler months.

Come and see it for yourself

A viewing trip between October and May shows you the resorts as owners live them. If you'd like to see the resorts for yourself, I'd love to show you round. Message me on WhatsApp on +44 7424 864 684 or send an enquiry and I'll get straight back to you.

About the author — Lee Doherty is the founder of MedSol Real Estate. He spent two years researching the region before buying here himself, and now helps UK and international buyers find golf-resort homes across the Region of Murcia.