The village and outlying district of Coy in the municipality of Lorca

A small agricultural village on the high plateau of northern Lorca

Coy is a small village with around 350 residents in the “Tierras Altas” area of the vast municipality of Lorca, located on the huge plateau midway between the city of Lorca to the south and Bullas, Caravaca de la Cruz and Cehegín to the north.

It is also the northernmost of the 39 “diputaciones” of Lorca, which is sub-divided in this way due to its sheer size: covering and area of 1,675 square kilometres, it is the second largest municipality in Spain.

In this rural environment agriculture is based principally on grapes, olives, almonds and walnuts, and these dominate the landscape on the flat ground between mountain ranges. Wine has been made here since ancient times, and the landscape is a harsh and unforgiving one but at the same time impressive and beautiful. The locals of Coy have a tradition of making brightly-coloured “jarapa” rugs and carpets, and the area is also well-known for its gastronomy, including assorted meat products, pork cracking cakes, local stews and the roasts prepared in wood-fired ovens.

In the centre of the village is the impressive church of San José, built on the orders of Cardinal Belluga in the 18^th century, and other interesting places include various archaeological sites such as the Cerro de las Viñas. The small local ethnographic museum contains an old winery and a weaving loom which is centuries old.

The patrons of Coy are the Virgen del Rosario and San José.

In and around Coy, the Town Hall of Lorca has included three walking and mountain biking routes in its “Los Caminos del Sol” program:

• The Las Atalayas walking route (14 km, approximately 4 hours, low level of difficulty)
• The La Integral MTB mountain bike route (50 km at altitudes of between 700 and 1,100 above sea level))
• The Cabezo del Carretón walk, suitable for families with children (6.8 km, 1 hour 50) - click for further information.

Bars and restaurants

- Bar Julián, telephone 968 499007, Calle Escuelas Viejas, 1, Coy

- Bar Jesús telephone 968 499102, Calle el Horno 5, Coy

- Restaurante Los Gemelos, telephone 968 499101, Calle Sastre, 3, Coy

- Centro Social

- Discoteca Kati

Accommodation

- Albergue Casa Grande, telephone 968 471096, Plaza Casa Grande s/n, Coy

- Casa de La Niña Isabel, telephone 968 499143, 618 906611, Calle Sastre, 42, Coy

Winery visits

- Casa Grande (contact Molino, 968 471096)

Museum

- Museo Etnográfico en Casa Grande (contact con el Molino, 968 471096)

Shops

- Comestibles Cati, Calle Sastre, telephone 968 499143

- Alimentación Mercedes

Places of interest

- The inland beach of Coy

- Church of San José, Murciano baroque, built 1722

- The Hill of El cerro de las Viñas

For more visiting information, local events and news go to the home page of Lorca Today.