Orihuela: Museums, Cultural Heritage and Sierra

If you’re looking for a hotel in Orihuela, your interests can shape the focus of your stay: the Sierra de Orihuela is known for its geology and plant life, while museums and routes explore literature, archaeology and festival traditions. You can tailor your trip to the landscape, literary heritage or cultural attractions.

Sierra de Orihuela: geology and plant life

The Sierra de Orihuela reaches an elevation of 634 metres. Its abrupt, highly fragmented blocks consist of Triassic dolomitic limestone. The landscape includes rocky vegetation with endemic species and several important micro-reserves for native flora. The Sierra is also designated a Site of Community Importance (SCI). Its geology, plant life and protected status offer different points of interest for anyone exploring Orihuela’s natural side.

Museums and literary heritage

The Museo de la Muralla displays Orihuela’s former city walls, Islamic dwellings and Arab baths. It also features the remains of a Gothic palace and the Casa del Paso. The museum is located in the basement of the Casa del Paso building on the Las Salesas campus of the Universidad Miguel Hernández. Check access arrangements before visiting.

The Casa Museo Miguel Hernández is located in the house where the poet lived with his family. Visitors to the house museum can see Miguel’s bedroom, the kitchen, the courtyard with its goat shed and the orchard with its famous fig tree. The tour also includes a visitor reception centre and a temporary exhibition room; their contents may change. The Ruta de los Murales de Miguel Hernández offers another way to explore the literary heritage: it runs through the Barrio de San Isidro in Orihuela and explains the different periods in the poet’s life.

Archaeology, sacred art and festival traditions

The Museo Arqueológico San Juan de Dios preserves mainly local or regional artefacts dating from the Palaeolithic to the 18th century. One particularly precisely dated object is the processional float “Cruz de los Labradores”, also known as “la Diablesa”, made by Nicolás de Bussy in 1694–1695. If you’re interested in Semana Santa de Orihuela, the Museo de la Semana Santa features works of sacred art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as the festival’s processional floats. Semana Santa de Orihuela is intangible cultural heritage and is recognised as being of international tourist interest.

The Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacro mainly preserves religious works. These include paintings and sculptures, as well as liturgical objects and vestments, goldsmiths’ work, religious books and choir books. The Museo de la Reconquista introduces visitors to Orihuela’s Moros y Cristianos festival tradition and preserves its important cultural assets. The preserved objects include festival costumes, shields and banners belonging to the various Comparsas, festival posters, photographs, musical instruments and festival weapons.

A building dating from the 18th century is also among the cultural sites mentioned: the Museo Fundación Pedrera is housed in the Palacio de Sorzano de Tejada. Together with the archaeological and sacred art collections, it broadens the range of cultural and historical topics visitors can explore during a stay in Orihuela.

Planning your visit

The Ruta del Solsticio de Verano takes place at the Iglesia de Santiago. There, you can observe the natural illumination of the façade; this phenomenon occurs only once a year. Check the date for the year you plan to travel. Tours of the Museo Municipal del Belén Santo Sepulcro must be booked by calling 672219071. Check in advance that the booking details are still valid.

Discover more destinations: Dehesa De Campoamor, Playa Flamenca, Cabo Roig, Punta Prima, La Zenia, Castillo De Don Juan, Los Balcones, Hurchillo, Torremendo.

For the wider travel overview: Alicante.