Cieza’s nature show
THE ORCHARDS of Cieza in Murcia region are getting ready to offer their stunning and ephemeral natural show – the flowering of hundreds of thousands of fruit trees.
The fields are covered by millions of white, pink and purple flowers for just few weeks and the nature’s work attracts visitors from all over south-east Spain.
Cieza is crossed by the River Segura and the municipality is home hundreds of hectares of peach tree farmlands and also orchards of apricot and plum trees. The town is well known in Spain for the high quality of its peaches. These have a specific quality seal named ‘Melocotón de Cieza’ – and can be easily recognised by the smell, size, flavour and juicy pulp.
The area traditionally lived from farming and the blooming was just enjoyed by the locals as it was considered part of seasonal life. However, in the recent years the spectacle has been turned into an alternative tourist income source and it is attracting more and more visitors every year.
The climate of inland Murcia region and the Cieza area is colder than on the coast in winter and frosts mean that the flowering starts a bit later - by the middle of February – but also that it can be enjoyed much longer, until the middle of March.
This year temperatures have been milder than usual and some trees have started to bloom already, although the flowering is expected to reach its peak by the end of the month.
The colour of the flowers depends of the type of tree - the flowers of the peach trees are pink and purple, and apricot and plum trees have white flowers.
Guided tours are organised through the farmlands and the orchards from the middle of February and gastronomic and cultural events are held in the town during the weeks the trees are in bloom.
The farmland and the orchards stand in a flat area which is surrounded by mountains, and the walk can be easily enjoyed by elderly people and children on foot, by bike or even by car.
The farmlands are open to the public, although guided tours are available starting on February 16.
The schedule of the activity programme this year has not been revealed yet but it includes an amateur photo contest, handicrafts street markets, the gastronomic exhibition SaborArte, painting exhibitions, live music and guided day trips to the Medina-Siyasa Moorish site, as well as cave and boat trips along the River Segura.
Further information about the flowering is available on www.ciezaturistica.es and https://floraciondecieza.com