쉬운 엠발세 델 아르고스 주변 하이킹 및 워킹 코스

Excellent ride in glorious surroundings not too testing so reasonable standard of fitness required

The Santuario de La Virgen de La Esperanza is more than worth a visit. A beautiful rock-hewn church with blackened ceilings from the torches used to light it. The area is also very beautiful with the River Segura flowing in front of the Santuario. We live 4 km's from this church.

The Sanctuary is located in a place 6 km by road from the town. The hermitage houses two images of the Virgen de la Esperanza, patron saint of Calasparra, who are worshiped together. The primitive hermitage (XVII) was in one of the caves on the Segura river, a natural shelter for shepherds, to which new rooms and buildings have been added with the expansion of the cult. The creation of terraces up to the river has been succeeded in modern times by the creation of service areas: parking lots, restaurant, hotel, etc.

It is one of the tunnels of the railway. It is illuminated but it is advisable to bring light to make yourself more visible to other road users.

Calasparra is a large Murcian town, as it has more than 10,000 inhabitants. It is located in a kind of depression in the terrain of the Northwest region. It is for this reason that several rivers join here, such as the Segura and the Argos, which facilitate the cultivation of rice. In fact, the bomba rice from Calasparra is one of the three, together with the one from the Ebro delta and the one from Valencia, that has a protected designation of origin.

As soon as we approach the sanctuary we must get off the bicycle. The sanctuary of Our Lady of Hope, patron saint of Calasparra, is located six kilometers from this town in northwest Murcia. If we can, it is worth visiting. Annually, almost a million people come to visit it. Declared of geological interest, the sanctuary houses two images of the Virgin of Hope. The old 17th century hermitage was originally built on one of the caves over the Segura River. Schedules and more information at: https://santuariovirgenesperanza.com/

BEWARE - The Tunnel is not always lit. If you ride on any Via Verde that have tunnels long enough to be dark in sections, you need lights. There are 2 tunnels in the VV between Mula and Caravaca that are long. There are no buttons to press so they should be automatic. In the first no lights came on at all and in the second the lights only came on when I was in the middle. They should either be always on (solar) or come on via sensors, this did not happen.

Looking closely at the water you can see where the cloudy water of the Moratalla River meets the clear water of the Segura River.