Jumilla
The hidden jewel in North-east Murcia
Most people who have heard of Jumilla only know the town for its award-winning wines, however there is much more than wine to be discovered here.
Jumilla, an isolated municipality in northeast Murcia with around 25,000 inhabitants, covers an area of 972 square kilometres. Jumilla lies 500 metres above sea level and has an extreme climate, ideally suited for growing Monastrell grapes, the main grape variety used in Jumilla red wines.
Builders Jumilla
Wandering through the narrow streets of the old town gives an insight into the fascinating history of the town, which was occupied by the Iberians, Romans and Arabs before the Spanish king Alfonso X re-conquered what was then known as Xumilla for the Kingdom of Castile in 1241.
Important historic monuments include the well-preserved 5th century mausoleum known as El Casón, the impressive 15th century Church of Santiago and the recently restored Castle, the fortress that we see today being constructed in 1461 by Juan Pacheco, the Marquis of Villena.
Other places worth visiting in Jumilla include several interesting museums, the lovely 19th century Teatro Vico, modernist style houses, as well as charming squares and gardens to explore. Just outside the town there are several good walks for those of you who enjoy being active, especially in the Sierra de El Carche and Sierra de Santa Ana. If you go to the Sierra de Santa Ana, a visit to the Monasterio and its fascinating museum is a must.
Tuesday is market day in Jumilla, and the one day that you are likely to hear other English voices as you wander around the large, colourful market. You may also stumble upon fellow expats in Mercadona or Aldi, stocking up for the week. Most Brits live in the “campo”, so if you spot a couple of pensioners in town on other days of the week it will probably be John and me!
Jumilla has a good selection of shops and supermarkets: as well as the ones mentioned above there is a Día Market on the outskirts of town, plus a smaller Día and Consum in the town centre. The main shopping streets are Calle de Cánovas and Avenida de Levants, plus their side streets.
When it comes to bars and restaurants you are spoilt for choice: we reckon there must be about one hundred in Jumilla, so you are never far from one if you start feeling hungry or thirsty! Two of the most popular restaurants in Jumilla are Restaurante San Agustín on Avenida de la Asunción and Restaurante Reyes Católicos on the Avenida of the same name, however we would also recommend trying the menu del día at Cafetería Monreal, Restaurante Monasterio or Cervecería London. Talking of which, in spite of its name, there are no English staff in Cervecería London, neither are there Irish staff in Jumilla’s “Irish” bar Keltoi (don’t go in there expecting to find Irish beer or you will be sadly disappointed!)
It’s hardly surprising, given its reputation for good wine, that there are so many bodegas within Jumilla where you can buy their wine at very reasonable prices. Jumilla also produces goat’s cheeses and olive oil locally, which are on sale in many of the bodegas.
The best situated bodega is Bodegas Silvano Garcia, next to Mercadona. If you don’t speak much Spanish, you will be pleased to hear that two of their staff speak excellent English! We can also recommend Bodegas San Isidro (BSI) on the way out of town (heading towards Murcia), and conveniently situated just past Aldi. Just behind BSI is one of our favourite bodegas, the smallest one in town, Bodegas Viña Campanero. Tucked away on Calle de Duque, but well worth trying to find, is Bodegas Pedro Luis Martinez, better known as Bodegas Alceño. You will find more information about local bodegas and wine shops, as well as other useful information, on the Ruta del Vino website.
Most weeks there is something of interest happening in Jumilla: whether it is an art or photographic exhibition, a concert or a fiesta. The two most important fiestas in Jumilla
are Semana Santa (the 600th anniversary will be celebrated in 2011) and the Fiesta de la Vendimia in August, when red wine flows from the fountain, as well as being drunk and thrown over the revellers on the final Saturday (don’t wear your best clothes!) If you want to find out what’s on in Jumilla, try checking this website: agenda de Jumilla.
After living in Jumilla for just over two years John and I believe that we know the town pretty well. The tourist office in Jumilla has lots of useful information about the town, and from time to time they run excellent guided visits, however these are in Spanish. For this reason, we decided to start Walkers Tours of Jumilla in English (or Scottish in John’s case!). The basic walk is free - apart from buying us a drink if we get thirsty en route! - or with enough notice we can add on a tour of a local bodega including wine-tasting. Prices vary depending on the size of the group and options chosen: please contact me via www.spainuncovered.com for further details.
Article by Sue Walker
Sue Walker is the author of “Retiring the Olé Way”, describing her and her husband John’s experiences buying an off-plan property in Spain and settling down in a small Spanish community. Sue’s book is available on Amazon.co.uk and Play.com.
US
