Tourism in Santo Ángel
The crown jewel of Murcia
Welcome to Santo Ángel
Welcome to the tourism page of Santo Angel. Here we present you the most complete tourist guide of our village. We are part of the municipality of Murcia (Spain). The village is located about 5.3 kms south of the city of Murcia, on the hillside of the southern mountain range.
With its historical, monumental, cultural and natural heritage Santo Ángel has become a reference in the municipal tourism market. On this page you will find our tourist attractions, culture and gastronomy, how to get there and where to stay.
Bienvenido a Santo Ángel
Para obtener información en Español, siga el siguiente enlace: Turismo en Santo Ángel
santoangel.red is a website run by volunteers. For questions or comments you can contact us in English, Spanish, German and Dutch at the end of this page.
An Iberian settlement
The village of Santo Angel is considered the jewel in the crown of Murcia, for its standard of living, natural surroundings and historical past. The village is one of the cradles of the current civilization in the area. This is demonstrated by the earliest evidence of human activity dating back to the Neolithic period, some 10,000 years before Christ.
According to some Greco-Roman writings, the first Santoangeros (as residents are called locally) worshipped nature. They attached great importance to natural enclaves which for them were sacred places. The choice of certain areas within Santo Ángel, such as “el cabecico del tesorro” (Necropolis), “el Santuario de la Luz” (Sanctuary) or Santa Catalina del Monte (Iberian settlement) depended on certain conditions, such as a source of water. One of these sources is the underground water well system of Santa Catalina del Monte. Today the archaeological remains of this rich and important history can be found in the Archaeological Museum in Murcia (Museo Arqueologico de Murcia).
For centuries, the lands of Santangel (surname of a captain of the Holy Inquisition, from which the name Santo Ángel is derived) were disputed between the neighboring villages that occupied these noble lands until the twentieth century. It was then that a group of rebellious neighbors demanded independence and succeeded in having the noble lands returned to what is now considered the gem of Murcia.
Its location has the advantage of combining a warm and friendly village with a large natural environment.
A video about Santo Ángel, its streets, its buildings, its orchard, its natural environment and heritage, its festivals, customs, culture and gastronomy. To watch this video on Youtube: The Village of Santo Ángel. More videos on the page (Only Spanish): Vídeos de Santo Ángel
Natural surroundings
Santo Angel you find in the heart of the “El Valle y Carrascoy” Natural Park, an impressive natural setting, less than 5 km from the Centre of the city of Murcia. An ideal place for tourism in the natural environment. On the southern slopes of the mountain range, a chain of mountains surrounding the plain on which the city of Murcia sits. Surrounded by pine trees and native vegetation, the village is a privileged place to live.
One of the factors that make the village of Santo Ángel unique as a tourist destination is that it has a fascinating natural environment of great environmental value, which offers a wide network of hiking trails for you to enjoy. All this constitutes an extremely attractive offer for hiking, with different levels of difficulty, and mountain biking.
The El Valle y Carrascoy Natural Park, a natural space that offers numerous possibilities to enjoy activities in the heart of nature, is a mountainous forest area, repopulated with mainly Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis).
More information (Spanish only):
The Regional Park of El Valle y Carrascoy
The Park is a mountain range made up of several Sierras. This rugged mountainous landscape lies between the Guadalentín river valley and the Campo de Cartagena. The extensive network of viewpoints offers excellent views of the Orchards, the “Lunar landscape”, the “walls of King Kong” or the coastal plains. If you are a lover of hiking or mountain biking, the park also has paths, tracks and trails that guide you through the most unique corners of this unique natural environment. The following video in English gives an impression of what you can expect to find in the park. To see the video on Youtube click the following link: Santo Ángel – Our natural environment
Culture and social life
Cultural and social life
The village of Santo Ángel enjoys an intense cultural and social life, thanks to the celebration of popular events such as concerts and theater in the Cultural Centre, the patron saint festivities in July, the pilgrimage of the Virgen de la Luz, the cultural week in October, the Carnival parade, the Three Kings Cavalcade and the unique Three Kings letterbox and the most important sporting event in the area, the Santo Ángel MBT race.
The fiestas and events of Santo Ángel are full of colour, spectacle, music and folklore. The following calendar (Spanish only) shows the main events that take place in the village during the year.
Annual Activities calendar
4th of January – The Great Cavalcade of the Three Magic Kings.
February/March – The Carnival Parade.
March/April – Holy Week and religious events.
July – Two weeks of Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festivities).
September/October – Pilgrimage week of «la Virgen de la Luz» (Lady of the light).
November – The famous Santo Angel MTB (mountain bike) Race.
December – Various activities around Christmas.
For more information, please visit our agenda page (Spanish only).
Small videos are made of many activities and can be viewed on our video page. And although most of the text is in Spanish, you can still get a good impression of the different events.
We are always happy to answer any questions in English via the email form you can find at the end of this page.
Traditional dancers at the «Lady of the light» Pilgrimage week.
Many traditional activities are organised by the association «El Almirez».
Although this video is intended for a Spanish audience, you do not need to know Spanish to understand it, it is self-explanatory. The video describes in photographs one of the many activities of our cultural association «el Almirez». Twice a year they prepare traditional dishes for the public to enjoy in a so-called traditional barrack.
Museums & The theatre
«La Luz» Visitor Centre
(Iberian archaeological site)
Carretera de El Valle s/n.
30151 – Santo Ángel
Tel: 968 379 772
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00-19:00 h.
Mondays and public holidays closed
More information (Spanish only): Centro de Visitantes «la Luz»
«San Antonio el Pobre» Visitor Centre
Camino San Antonio el Pobre, 5
30151 Santo Ángel
Tel: 968 379 653
Winter opening hours (1 October – 31 May)
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00-17:00 h.
Summer opening hours (1 June – 30 September)
Tuesday – Sunday: 8:30-15:30h.
Closed on Mondays and public holidays. Closed on Sundays in August.
More information (Spanish only): San antonio el Pobre
Santo Ángel Cultural Centre
Calle del Cuartel, nº 47
30151 Santo Ángel
Tel: 968 840 348
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday: 09:00-20:00 h.
More information (Spanish only): Centro cultural
The Archaeological Museum of Murcia
Santo Ángel has a special relationship with the Archaeological Museum of Murcia.
Most of the material found during the excavations at the Iberian Sanctuary «La Luz» and the Cabecico del Tesoro, one of Spains most important necropolis, is preserved and exhibited in this museum.
We recommend, to all those who want to know a little more about our history, a visit to this museum.
Archaeological Museum of Murcia
Address: Gran Vía Alfonso X el Sabio, 7
30008 Murcia
Tel: 968 23 46 02
Web: Museo Arqueológico de Murcia
Virtual visit: Descubre el MAM
Footprints of the history of Santo Angel
Heritage
The village preserves an impressive heritage that is tangible evidence of the interesting history of Santo Ángel. A heritage characterised by tolerance, cultural coexistence and spirituality.
Santo Ángel is an emerging cultural tourism destination with a remarkably diverse heritage and anthropological resources and attractions for young and old that draw attention to its interesting heritage. Santo Ángel is the product of a history marked by the convergence of civilisations and cultures.
Within its borders are the Iberian Sanctuary “La Luz”, the Hermitage and Monastery “La Luz” (whose first founders were hermits), the Hermitage of San Antonio el Pobre and the Franciscan Monastery of Santa Catalina del Monte, all of which are well worth a visit.
The Sanctuary of La Fuensanta
In nearby Algezares, a village adjacent to Santo Ángel, is the Sanctuary of La Fuensanta, the residence of the Virgen de la Fuensanta, patron saint of the city of Murcia.
From the sanctuary the Virgin is taken on pilgrimage twice a year (the descent during Lent and the ascent during the September festivities). The cult of the Virgen de la Fuensanta dates back to the Middle Ages, when hermits drank water from a «Fuente Santa» (Holy Spring). The current sanctuary dates back to the end of the 17th century and has been repeatedly restored since then.
For more information (Spanish only):
Gypsum ovens and trenches of the Civil War
Walking through the parc «el Valle» you can find the ruins of ovens from the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. In the park there are materials rich in gypsum, a natural resource historically used in construction. They belonged to family businesses consisting of small mining pits for the extraction of the material, next to which were the firing furnaces and milling floors.
There are many ovens in these mountains, but the most emblematic are those of Algezares and Majal Blanco. The use of gypsum was of great economic importance in the area until the mid-20th century.
Trenches of the Civil War
You can also find trenches and underground shelters from the Civil War built between 1937 and 1939. These trenches, which formed part of the defence system of the Cartagena naval base, were made by hand and without the use of hydraulic or motorised tools. Inside the trenches, traces of the tools they used can be seen like chisel, pickaxe and shovel.
The aim of this line of defence was to protect the port of Cartagena from enemy troops that might attack it from the interior of the peninsula, as Cartagena had become the most important military port of the Republic.
More information:
Nuestro patrimonio (Spanish Only)
Nuestro entorno natural (Spanish Only)
What else is there to visit?
In addition to the 2 museums there are several other places worth visiting (information in Spanish only).
Our Lady of Light Hermitage
The Castle of la Luz (The light)
El Centro De Recuperación De Fauna El Valle
Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta
Equestrian Centre for Environmental Education
The Authentic Flavors of Santo Ángel
The local climate
Subtropical climate
5 kilometers from the city of Murcia, the village has a mild and comfortable climate that makes it ideal, almost all year round, to visit of the village’s cultural heritage and the natural environment.
Summers are hot and mostly clear blue sky, and winters are short and partly cloudy. Santo Ángel has between 120 and 150 days of sunshine a year. Annually, the average temperature is 20°C and rainfall is only 300 mm on average.
The best time of year to visit Santo Ángel
The best days for sightseeing in Santo Angel are during clear, rain-free days with temperatures between 18 °C and 27 °C.
Based on this score, the best times of the year to visit Santo Angel for general outdoor sightseeing activities are from mid-March to the end of June and from mid-September to the end of November. Dough, the months with the most rainfall are April and September.
For more information about the weather please consult the website of the Spanish National Weather Agency (AEMET)
Ways to get to Santo Ángel
Gastronomy
Santo Ángel has a rich and appreciated traditional gastronomy linked to the products of the Huerta de Murcia. The gastronomy is based on the excellent fruit, vegetables and greens provided by the market garden.
These raw materials are used to make stews and typical dishes such as «pisto huertano» (on the basis of peppers, onions and tomatoes), chickpea and chard stew or «zarangollo» (on the basis of courgette, egg and onion). As an accompaniment, you can choose from any of the Murcian wines with Designation of Origin from other towns in the Region such as Bullas, Yecla and Jumilla.
More information en our página de gastronomia (Spanish only)
How to reach us
Located close to the A30 motorway, which connects the city of Murcia with Cartagena, Santo Ángel is well connected with the rest of the metropolis and the region. From our village you are less than 45 minutes from the Mediterranean coast, the beaches of the Mar Menor, Cartagena and Mazarrón.
It is also worth mentioning that Santo Ángel is 20 minutes away from the Murcia High Speed Railway Network (AVE) station and two connections by air; the international airport of Corvera (20 minutes by car) and El Alted, the international airport of Alicante (70 kilometres or 45 minutes by car).
From Andalusia:
Follow the AP-7 and A7 towards Murcia. At exit 570 follow the A-30 towards Murcia / Cartagena. Take exit 143B towards Santo Angel. At the roundabout take the 3rd exit and follow the Santa Catalina Avenue RM-F4 in the direction of Santo Ángel, until you reach the Plaza del Charco.
From Madrid:
Follow the A30 towards the city of Murcia. On arrival in Murcia city, use the 2 right lanes to take exit 134A and merge onto E-15/A-30/A-7 towards Almería/Murcia/Ronda Oeste/Cartagena. Keep left to continue on A-30. Take exit 143B towards Sto. Ángel. Follow the Santa Catalina Avenue, until you reach Plaza del Charco.
From Alicante (Airport):
Take A-70 from N-338. Take AP-7 and A-7 towards Murcia. Keep left to continue on A-30 (Murcia / Cartagena). Take exit 143B towards Santo Angel. At the roundabout take the 3rd exit and follow the Santa Catalina Avenue RM-F4 towards Santo Ángel, until you reach the Plaza del Charco.
More information: Alicante Airport
From Cartagena (Corvera (Murcia) Airport):
Follow the A30 towards the city of Murcia. Take exit 148 towards La Alberca / El Palmar. At the roundabout take the second exit to rejoin the A30. Before rejoining the A30, take exit RM-302 towards Santo Angel. At the roundabout take the second exit onto the Costera Sur. Follow the Costera Sur until the exit (RM-F4) Santo Ángel. Follow the Santa Catalina Avenue, until you reach the Plaza del Charco in Santo Ángel.
More information: Corvera Airport
Where to stay
Santo Angel is mainly a residential area. Accommodation can be found in the neighbouring village of La Alberca or in the city of Murcia.
The centre of Murcia is 5 kilometres from the central square of Santo Ángel, El Charco and there are good connections from Murcia by public transport or by car.
The area you choose for your accommodation in Murcia will depend on your budget and whether you prefer something more central or on the quieter suburbs of the city.
In Murcia there are lot’s of restaurants and bars of all kinds, with good value menus and local food.
In terms of public transport, there are buses that will take you from Murcia to Santo Angel throughout the day, but many visitors prefer to hire a car or use their own vehicle to get around the area.
Local Emergency Services
In the majority of cases and in case of doubt, it is always better to call 112 first.
The European emergency number 112
For the National Police dial 091
For the Murcia Fire Department dial 112
For the Local (Murcian) Police dial 092
Contact us
We hope to see you in Santo Ángel
If you have any questions or comments, you can also send us your information in English using this contact form. We will try to answer you as soon as possible.
Please note that this is a general information page. We have no relationship with any of the companies or organisations mentioned on this page.
If you wish, you can also send us an e-mail at the following address: info@santoangel.red
You can contact us in English
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Santoangel.red is not responsible for any changes that may be made to establishments, hermitages, sanctuaries, museums or centers. This information may be modified without prior notice. The photographs of hotels and meals are suggestions for presentation purposes only and do not correspond to reality. They have been obtained from image banks. Note as well that we have no relationship with any of the companies or organisations mentioned on this page.
Photographs: Fotomatiz