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Date Published: 24/09/2024

Tourism continues to climb in Lorca

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Domestic tourism rose 36% during the summer months

The municipality of Lorca information offices have recorded 9,000 visitors between July 1 and September 20. The cultural heritage of the city has been cited as a central reason for such an increase in footfall.

Tourism from outside of Spain has also increased in Lorca with 30% more visitors than this time last year. The most common of such visitors being of British nationality, followed by French and then Belgian tourists.

Domestic tourism to Lorca comes from all over Spain with Madrid representing the highest number of visitors to the city, followed by Barcelona, Granada and Alicante.

Even regional tourism has increased within Lorca with a 13% rise of visitors from neighbouring cities and towns.

Overnight stays in the city have also increased by more than 30% thanks to the influx of visitors and the quality of the accommodation offered by the city.

Ticket sales in tourist hubs such as the castle, Casa de Guevara, Museums and the visitor centre have witnessed an increase of 17% compared to the previous summer.

Santiago Parra, the Councillor for Tourism, states, “The high offer of cultural and leisure initiatives launched by the City Council during these summer months have contributed to Lorca being the destination chosen by the people of Lorca themselves and visitors, reversing this trend of leaving the municipality.”

Such an increase in visitors, as Santiago Parra states, is thanks to “the wide range of activities aimed at all audiences and the attractiveness of the city from a cultural and heritage point of view”.

Parra continues by stating, “The number of those who have decided to stay in Lorca has grown significantly compared to last summer, by more than 30%, which leads to an increase in hotel and tourist spending.”

As a consequence, the quality of accommodation has increased allowing for tourists to further enjoy the city.

Lorca Castle has stood out as the most popular tourist attraction, demonstrating the monument's importance to the city's tourist trade. Parra however wanted to remember “the wide range of cultural and leisure initiatives launched by the City Council during these summer months, aimed at all audiences and for all budgets, which have undoubtedly contributed to Lorca being the destination chosen by the people”.

Other key spaces, such as the Casa de Guevara or the old Collegiate Church of San Patricio and the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora la Real de las Huertas have also been key in the rise in tourism.

Further attractions and activities such as guided tours, great restaurants, exhibitions and the summer cinema have all aided the increase of tourism to the city.

Finally, Parra points out that this data is “related to requests for tourist information, but if we talk about ticket sales specifically in all the aforementioned spaces, Castle, Casa de Guevara, Museums, Visitor Center..., we can also be very satisfied, since there has been an increase of 17% compared to summer 2023.” and that “these results reflect the commitment of this Government team to the promotion of tourism”.

For more local information including news and what’s on, go to the home page of Lorca Today

Image: Ayuntamiento de Lorca

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Oficina de Turismo de Lorca

Lorca Tourist Office

The rich and extensive history of Lorca has left a legacy of archaeological sites, and historic buildings, around which the modern City has built its tourism industry. Amongst these are Lorca Castle, the Jewish Quarter of the castle and Synagogue, Lorca Tourist Office Plaza de España, Colegiata de San Patricio, Museo de Arqueologico Municipal, Iglesia de San Francisco, Casa Huerto Ruano, Palacio de Guevara, Iglesia de San Mateo, Pósito de los Panaderos, Convento Virgen de las Huertas, Antiguo Convento de la Merced, Iglesia del Carmen and the Teatro Guerra.

Unfortunately Lorca has also been prone to natural disaster, suffering a Gota Fría on September 28th 2012, as well as an earthquake which measured 5.3 on the Richter scale on 11th May 2011 and claimed 9 lives. Since this earthquake the city has been rebuilding, winning recognition for its Lorca, Open for Restoration initiative, which used the restoration of the city as a tourist attraction whilst it rebuilt its historical buildings, some of which are currently still not open.

Lorca Tourist Office The tourist office itself has temporarily relocated until the renovations are completed and is on Calle San Patricio near the church.

Lorca also has an area of coastline incorporating the Parque Regional de Cabo Cope - Puntas de Calnegre, in the Sierra de Almenara, which includes the beaches of, Puntas de Calnegre, Baño de las Mujeres, San Lorca Tourist Office Pedro, El Siscal, Cala Honda, Cuartel del Ciscar, Junquera, Cala de la Gruta, Cala Leña, Los Hierros, Cala Blanca and Playa Larga, although many are accessible only through agricultural exploitations.

However, in spite of its many attractions, the name of Lorca is synonymous with Easter, (Semana Santa) its biblical parades of International Tourist Interest status and famous throughout Spain. The week includes a Lorca Tourist Office series of parades in which the whites (Paso Blanco) and blues (Paso Azúl) try to outdo each other with the magnificence of their embroideries and the skill and daring of their horsemen.