Cartagena held a major celebration on Saturday, May 16, in Los Juncos Park, with their Family Day workshop. The activity was a chance for children, young people, parents, and grandparents to get together and enjoy a variety of leisure activities, fostering both participation, healthy activity, and coexistence among neighbours.

A celebration that brought young people, parents, and grandparents together in Los Juncos Park

During the Family Day celebration, attendees enjoyed a mobile disco, a family photobooth, a car circuit, games, and workshops, including for makeup, canvas-painting, and badge-making. The initiative was also aimed at helping families through various programmes and resources. The Cartagena City Council had set up an information tent to make resources available for children, adolescents, and families. 

One of the main focuses of the day was to continue promoting the need for policies to help families and facilitate a work-life balance, with measures that improve well-being in the municipality and help families financially.

Aid to families: How Cartagena helps struggling parents with financial aid and free programmes

Additionally, it was noted that Cartagena has more than 1,000 available free slots in municipal nursery schools, helping families save more than €500,000 a year and making it easier for parents to balance their work and family life.

The Cartagena City Council, during the event, also informed attendees of the direct maternity aid promoted by the city’s officials, as well as the family respite programmes, and the home help and care programmes for those dependent on it.

Social groups participate in the event

During the event, a variety of social entities and groups that work in favour of child protection, inclusion, and family support participated. It was a day that fostered inclusion and connecting as a community, as well as promoting work-life balance, equal opportunities for all, and support for struggling households in the municipality.

After several weeks of testing, the new LED lighting of Lorca Castle has finally been unveiled. The Lorca Castle, also known as the Fortaleza del Sol, or Fortress of the Sun, is one of the most important heritage landmarks not only in Lorca, but in the entire Region of Murcia, and this lighting represents an investment of more than €300,000.

A project that will let visitors see the Castle, even in the dead of night

The project aims to enhance the cultural, tourist, and emotional value of this castle, which has become one of the most beloved places in the municipality. In addition to boosting the economic value of the area, the LED lights are also set to save money and energy, making it a more sustainable choice for the structure.

To be specific, the project achieves energy savings of 75 per cent compared to the previous installation, and also includes an intelligent control system that will allow operators to manage each light fixture individually. With this technology, operators will be able to program lighting scenes, adapt colors and intensities for celebrations and special events, as well as control lighting much more efficiently and minimise light pollution.

These lights will allow for a more spectacular nighttime view of the Castle of Lorca and make the ancient structure a major visual attraction, from numerous places in the municipality. Officials are hoping it will consolidate the fortress as one of the great nighttime tourist attractions in the entire southeastern region of Spain.

Lorca Castle: A medieval point of cultural interest in the southeast of Spain

One of the largest castles in Spain, the Castle of Lorca is a medieval fortress constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries. It boasts a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. It has also been listed as a Site of Cultural Interest. Today, it is one of the shining hotspots of the Region of Murcia, and is visited by tens of thousands of people a year.

The Department of Youth of the Mazarron Town Council is preparing to launch a new healthy springtime initiative in the month of May, the CaminaFit Music Walk. This activity will come to the municipality for the very first time and combine sport, music, and entertainment in a fun initiative by the municipality’s famous seaside.

An immersive music experience along the coastline

The CaminaFit Music Walk will consist of an immersive walk along five kilometres of the coastline, where participants will walk to music through wireless headphones. This will merge physical exercise, dance, and fun in this workshop designed for people of all ages and fitness levels to participate.

With this initiative, Mazarron officials aim to promote healthy lifestyle habits and offer active leisure alternatives, while also contributing to the physical and emotional wellbeing of the residents of the municipality. The experience will be fun, dynamic, and high in participation, so any interested parties are encouraged to register.

How does the CaminaFit Music Walk work?

Led by an energetic trainer, the CaminaFit Music Walk experience is a highly popular one not only on the Costa Calida, but in the whole of Spain. Various other municipalities along the Mediterranean coastline have taken part in this fun-filled activity, and it is a great way to socialise and get active. 

The meeting point for the activity will be the Rihuete parking lot next to the Bowling Club. Check-in will begin at 9:30am and departure is scheduled for 10:00am. Registration costs just €5 and requires prior booking through the official website, caminafit.com. CaminaFit organisers will provide headphones to the participants. The Youth Department has encouraged residents and visitors to take part in this programme that will merge sport, a beautiful coastline, and socialising among Mazarron neighbours.

Murcia, the destination of choice for sport leisure

Murcia is increasingly a leisure and sport destination, with the Costa Calida being a popular hotspot for these kinds of sporting and health initiatives. The Region of Murcia is known for active initiatives, as well as those that prioritise health; recently, the region impressed with surging numbers of registrations for bone marrow donors after a successful campaign. 

Additionally, triathlons, 5K races, and other types of sporting initiatives are picking up traction on the Costa just ahead of peak season. Whether walking with neighbours or taking part in an epic battle of athleticism, the residents of Murcia are showing their prowess when it comes to staying active.