Alcantarilla brings water engineering together with Huerta culture: aqueducts and a historic waterwheel are both part of the heritage here and still used for irrigation. A museum, churches and festivals offer further insight into the town. You can tailor your trip to your specific interests—technical history, regional ways of life or religious traditions.
Water Engineering and Irrigation
The Acueducto de las Zorreras is located in the Agua Salá area, stands 8.5 metres high and still carries water across the Rambla. The Acueducto de los Arcos dates from the 11th to 13th centuries and consists of three adjoining aqueducts. They carry the Alquibla, Turbedal and Dava irrigation channels across the Rambla de las Zorreras drainage channel to the RĂo Segura.
The Noria de Alcantarilla is also part of this water history: it has been in operation since the 15th century and is used to irrigate higher-lying fields. You can view its wheel from outside the museum without entering. This makes it possible to see the waterwheel even if you are not visiting the museum.
Huerta Culture at the Museum
The Museo de la Huerta de Alcantarilla presents the life and customs of the Huertanos through a typical barraca, the Noria de Alcantarilla, agricultural tools, ceramics and glassware, fans, and historical costumes. An immersive 360-degree projection room displays content simultaneously on four walls and the floor. The exhibits and digital presentation therefore sit side by side as you explore regional ways of life.
The museum tour is accessible to everyone. It includes tactile floor surfaces and Braille signage; QR codes provide additional information and content. These features offer a concrete sense of how different forms of interpretation come together in the museum.
Walking Routes, Art and a Cycling Connection
Parque del Acueducto is a 43,700-square-metre green space in Alcantarilla. The Ruta del Agua is an easy, two-hour circular route that combines nature, culture and recreation. Along the way, it passes irrigation channels, aqueducts, waterwheels, a chapel, a museum, playgrounds, and a picnic area with tables and barbecue grills.
Another way to explore the area is the VĂa Amable, a cycling connection between Alcantarilla and Murcia. It offers a sustainable way to discover the ecological, cultural and scenic features of the Huerta murciana by bicycle. In contrast, the Ruta del Agua is described as a two-hour circular route; the VĂa Amable connects the two towns by bike and is used less by motor vehicles than conventional roads.
In October 2025, the city described the Ruta de Arte Urbano de Alcantarilla as a route that could be visited on a guided tour. It includes more than 60 murals by local, national and international artists and stretches from Parque del Acueducto to Plaza Adolfo Suárez. The activities therefore differ not only in subject but also in format: a walking route, a cycling connection and a guided visit each offer a different focus.
Churches and Historic Traces
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in the Barrio de Campoamor is Neo-Baroque; its two towers are considered one of Alcantarilla’s landmarks. The Iglesia de San Roque is the oldest church in the city and dates from the late 18th century. It houses the authentic and certified Lignum Crucis, a relic containing two fragments of the True Cross.
The former Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol is part of the old town’s history. Construction began in the mid-16th century, and together with Plaza de la Iglesia it shaped Alcantarilla’s old town from the 16th century onward. After the earlier church was demolished in 1961, the present Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Apóstol was built on the same site. Only the Capilla de la Aurora survived from the former church.
Festivals and Local Cuisine
The Fiestas de Mayo de Alcantarilla include more than 40 cultural events in public streets and spaces. During the festivities, the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Salud—also known as Virgen Niña—is the destination of the traditional RomerĂa. The patron saint festivities in honour of the Virgen de la Salud take place every year in May and are designated as festivals of regional tourist interest.
The Corpus Christi procession is also part of the town’s religious traditions. The ArchicofradĂa has organised it since time immemorial; thanks to a papal dispensation, it takes place in the afternoon. La Huertana, a typical tapa from the city served in its bars and restaurants, offers a culinary connection to Alcantarilla. If you would like to try it, check the current menu at the establishment you choose.
Discover more destinations: OjĂłs, El Palmar, La UniĂłn, La Escucha, Aledo, Torre-Pacheco, Archena, La Murta.
For the main travel overview: Murcia.
