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A Galifornia to the north and a Cadifornia to the south. Turquoise waters included in our particular Caribbean, in Menorca and Formentera. The bucolic Provence of Brihuega, Guadalajara, with its instagrammable lavender fields. A landscape to the native Dolomites in the vertiginous Picos de Europa. And so we could continue touring the Iberian Peninsula jumping from tree to tree, as they said about squirrels. But we stop at a Viva Las Vegas just landed in the region of Murcia, with the incredible premiere project Odysseus . It was said of Eurovegas and it has little to envy.

Because in this (atypical) summer in which it is (re) discovering all the worlds in Spain, we also have news that not even the coronavirus has been able to stop. Now we have that incredible opportunity to realize that sometimes we search hundreds or thousands of kilometers for what we have here next to us. Although we had not realized. Or maybe we didn't appreciate it that much. Let's put aside the topic of how beautiful you are and open our eyes wide. That there is no mask to prevent it. In the new normal, let's give another welcome to Murcia.

How good it is when it is good

In Murcia you eat well and you feel better , despite the heat. It is not Madrid or Barcelona, ​​but there are always options to choose from. Just want to move and feel inspired to make plans. Well known is its garden with enviable tomatoes, peaches and peppers or those small taverns where they serve coffee with love. The warmth of its people, so pleasant and full of life, invites you to stay. To contemplate those beautiful sunsets worthy of a picture to remember in the Mar Menor, with those salt flats played by flamingos in San Pedro del Pinatar. From the beach to the mountains, the Murcia region is dotted with natural benefits. And it is a special destination. An infinite cult of the pleasures of life.

The first of them, the difficult art of simplicity . We encourage you to try the marinera (salad spread generously on a donut and topped with anchovy), the zarangollo (a delicious scrambled egg and zucchini with onion) and the meat pie (a spiral of puff pastry sheets). Three must-see Murcian snacks arranged in a very authentic but reconverted place. The old post office is today a charming gastronomic market in the style of Platea from Madrid, although more welcoming. With a greenhouse and a children's playroom, this space full of small, tastefully decorated stalls is run in a family-friendly way. "Our mantra is that a company without a soul is an empty company. That's why we put so much love on it", explains José Antonio Trujillo, in charge of the gastro section.

Post Market

Where?

Address: Pintor Villacís, 3. 30001 Murcia.

Hours: Monday to Thursday and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and weekends and holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

More information: Post Office Market.

Stop at the Cathedral

It does not matter how many times you have been to Murcia. Walking slowly and stopping around every corner is always the best plan. In the most representative square, witness to the life of the city, is the Cathedral, now restored. With 54 meters high and more than 20 sculptures, it is considered one of the most important of the Baroque and its location could not be more spectacular, between the Episcopal Palace and the new City Hall designed by Rafael Moneo.

In the surroundings, shops for shopping, large avenues to continue the walk and the Plaza de Santo Domingo, among red-and-white flowerpots and a huge tree, where it is worth looking at a Monument to Human Rights that today makes your skin crawl. fits , remembering the importance of a hug. The bridge of Los Peligros de Murcia, declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC), is another of the most emblematic attractions of the regional capital, which hides a large stone sardine among the waters of the Segura River.

Where to eat: the essentials

And after tourism, those places present in all the guides to calmly enjoy bite by bite. A classic to whet your appetite: El Rincón de Pepe . A centrally located restaurant practically centenary (it is 95 years old), where the essence is kept by the hand of Adelaido Bueno, Ade between the tables: "We have recovered archival recipes from the beginnings and we have given them a spin, such as the steak tartare The stews and the product is the local reference ". Local dishes prepared with care in an open kitchen where there is nothing to hide. You have to leave room for the sweet section at this meeting point with the city. Two recommended home-made desserts: the fried milk with brandy and the lemon soufflé.

Pepe's Corner

Where?

Address: C / Apóstoles, 34. 30001 Murcia.

Average price: From 35 to 40 euros.

Reservations phone: 610 999 999.

Hours: Monday to Friday, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; weekends from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Nor should you leave Murcia without having lunch or dinner at Magoga, the gastronomic soul of Cartagena. Open for six years, its evolution has turned from tapas bars to Michelin stars. María Gómez captures the Mediterranean in the kitchen and Adrián De Marcos chooses the unknown liquid harmonies of small producers. They form a perfect tandem, and that is perceived in a room that exudes peace.

From the careful snacks to a succulent ending on a cart of selected artisan cheeses, its tasting menu is a unique experience . "We started with pintxos for one euro, because it came from the Basque Country, from sharing a kitchen with Juan Mari Arzak," recalls the cook, happy with the start after this hard period of confinement. "We are very happy because the start is being crowded. There is no more secret than to put love into it and try to always do better."

From the beach to the beach bar

In a coastal area we cannot avoid the obligatory soak . Because there is no vacation without retirement in some oasis. And because the sea is therapy. Almost at the end of La Manga, where the Mar Menor embraces the Mayor, is Collados Beach, the beach club known as the UFO for its white-tinged Martian shapes. During the summer, the complex offers different packages to spend the day in its pool, lying on its Balinese beds facing the sea and offers a menu with a Mediterranean aftertaste in which rice dishes and sea bass from the encañizada of San Javier stand out.

Night fun

Paraphrasing Queen's song, the show must continue in Odysseus , an imposing colossus where leisure only rests for two hours a day (from seven to nine in the morning). The rest never sleeps and the visit through its imposing spaces could last for days, from its majestic VIP parking to the hanging pool at its highest point . The architect himself, Manuel Clavel, who took his first bath at a height of 25 meters, asserts that it is the largest cantilever in Europe. Grupo Orenes is behind the imposing complex, which is impossible to describe because of the ambitious project. You have to live it. Not in vain, they say that the investment has been 30 million euros, and they have not spared. It has 240 workers and 2,000 people capacity. And it's the closest thing to being in Las Vegas without leaving Spain.

Open since February, although obviously interrupted in the period of confinement, there is nothing like it. Some details transmitted by those responsible: "Odysseus is a tailor-made experience , marking his own journey. You are Ulysses and the common thread is restoration." Its sport bar , to have a good time with friends sitting at table 23 that honors Michael Jordan, has the largest screen in Europe. The dazzling casino lets you get lost in gambling and gambling. It has a gigantic club and a dinner show where Óscar Molina -who mounted Lío Ibiza- leads the artistic direction. Friday and Saturday they offer a dinner show that is prepared in dressing rooms worthy of the best theater. But also watch out for its gastronomic section.

Here you don't just come to play. The chef Nazario Cano , responsible for the delicacy of El Rodat (Michelin star in Jávea), brings a very serious project. Its short menu (60 euros) and long (90 euros) can be taken by reservation at a zero table while watching the tireless work of the team: 52 cooks and 40 employees in the dining room who complete the dishes live before the eyes of the diner . There is also the Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) bar option, more informal. " My cuisine is very personal, we deviate a bit from what is expected in a place like this. It is about democratizing haute cuisine."

After dinner, the night is long. Cocktail bar in one of its three terraces touching the sky , concert area, spaces for air shows ... Perhaps 15,000 square meters are too many for a single visit. 300,000 visitors were expected in the first year. "We have gone around the world and now we return home", describe the Murcian of the group, who encourage the Spanish to do the same and firmly prescribe it in every corner taken by Lucky, a rabbit as giant as Odysseus and his eldest symbol , "the origin of the word Spain, land of rabbits. That allows us to make an allegorical game with the concept of luck". We will certainly need it.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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