ARCHIVED - La Floración Cieza: Introduction to Floración 2019

5000 hectares of peach trees burst into flower for the spring

From the middle of February to the middle of April, the municipality of Cieza in central Murcia is transformed into a sea of sweet smelling pink and white as La Floración fills the orchards surrounding this attractive, riverside town.

Cieza is one of the prettiest yet least known corners of Murcia, with a rich history of habitation, its flat fertile valleys and winding river overlooked by high craggy peaks, and the abandoned medieval Moorish city of Medina Siyasa, an area whose climate renders it perfect for stone fruit production, peaches being the crop most widely grown in this particular municipality.

La Floración is the season when hundreds of thousands of peach trees burst into blossom, filling the air with scent and creating one of the most visually stunning displays of blossom in the whole of Murcia, giving a million reasons why this is the best time of year to dust off the camera, put on a pair of good walking shoes and head to Cieza for a spot of photography and to enjoy a pleasurable day out.

The Floración lasts for a period of several weeks and co-incides with Semana Santa, providing an added incentive to visit and witness one of the processions and combine the trip with a walk in the orchards or a drive through the countryside. (Of course, the date of Easter changes every year so whether this coincides with a good period of the floración will depend on the year.) The most intense displays are usually around the end of March, but this depends on the climate and the different varieties grown, so contact the tourist office to see when the best weeks are likely to be in any specific year as the season unfolds.

An ample programme of activities are run during this period, which includes visits to the main tourist attractions of the town, guided routes, a photographic competition and a gastronomic selection of meals featuring Cieza peaches on the menu. At the same time, for lovers of food and drink one of the main attractions is without a doubt the SaborArte gastronomic festival between 7th and 10th March: this is only the third year of the festival, but it has already become one of the most popular events of its kind in the Region of Murcia, and attracts thousands of visitors to the Plaza de España.

There are also recommended routes which can be enjoyed by visitors independently, either on foot, in a car or on a bicycle, and the tourist office in Plaza de España is happy to supply leaflets, maps or advice on potential routes. (Click for walks and routes to see a selection). These can be followed at any time of the year but are at their most spectacular during La Floración.

Tourist office: Plaza de España, Cieza, telephone 968 453 800, click Cieza tourist office to make a booking, for telephone numbers or contact via email.

The full programme of meals, fixed routes, and full information about the places to be visited are shown on La Floración. See scrolling list below for information about guided routes and trips on offer during La Floración, musical events in Cieza during this period, sporting events, the special set menus run by the restaurants in the municipality which can be booked during Floración, and cultural events during this period.