Calasparra and Sanctuary

On Thursday we had a drive over to Calasparra, it is a pleasant town with a nice square where you can get a good cup of coffee and a pastry or cake, there is meant to be a cheesecake factory in Calasparra but we can never find it, however we did find the Sanctuary of the Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza, our lady of hope - the patron saint of Calasparra, it is several kilometres from Calasparra in a gorge with the Rio Segura running through it, The sanctuary dates back to the 17^th century, it is a place of pilgrimage and many people travel here from all over Spain and beyond. The church which is beautiful is set into the cliffs and a mass is held on Sundays and bank holidays at 12:00. There is a gift shop, childrens play area and large restaurant with a varied menu that is very reasonably priced, There are several waymarked walks and a barbeque area down by the river. Entry is free but donations are accepted. On the way from the sanctuary there is a viewpoint where you can look across breathtaking views of the mountains, river and the rice paddy fields that Calaparra is also famous for.

Calasparra

Calasparra Village Street behind the church
Yesterday we had a drive over to Calasparra, Calasparra has the remains of an Arab castle of which there is not much to see but a nice walk along walkways to it original site, there are great views over the countryside from its highest point. The town sits on the confluence of four rivers, the Segura, Quipar, Argos and Benamor which enables them to grow rice here, which incidently we saw in a shop for 7 euros a kilo. there is a pleasant square with bars and cafes, and a popular attraction is the Santuario de la Virgen de la Esperanza-The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Hope, which is worth a visit,The archealogical museum near the church is closed on Mondays but open 10.30 -13.30 other days entry is 1 Euro.