Orihuela between the Sierra, museums and festival culture

The Sierra and the city’s history

Orihuela can be explored through two key themes: the natural landscape of the Sierra de Orihuela and the city’s festival and museum culture. The Sierra de Orihuela reaches an altitude of 634 metres and consists of abrupt, highly fragmented blocks of Triassic dolomitic limestone. Its rocky vegetation includes endemic species; several significant micro-reserves protect native flora. The Sierra is designated as a Site of Community Importance (SCI). When choosing your base, you can decide whether nature experiences or museums and traditions should be the focus of your trip.

Museums offering specific insights

The Museo de la Muralla presents Orihuela’s former city wall, Islamic houses and Arab baths, as well as the remains of a Gothic palace and the Casa del Paso. It is located in the basement of the Casa del Paso building on the Las Salesas campus of the Universidad Miguel Hernández.

The Casa Museo Miguel Hernández is located in the house where the poet Miguel Hernández lived with his family. Visitors can see Miguel’s bedroom, the kitchen, the courtyard with its goat shed and the orchard with its famous fig tree. The tour includes a visitor reception centre, the house museum and a temporary exhibition space. In the Casa Natal de Miguel Hernández, rooms with their original furnishings have been preserved. The Ruta de los Murales de Miguel Hernández runs through the Barrio de San Isidro in Orihuela and explains the various stages of the poet’s life.

The Museo Arqueológico San Juan de Dios mainly preserves local or regional materials dating from the Palaeolithic to the 18th century. It displays the processional float “Cruz de los Labradores”, also known as “la Diablesa”, by Nicolás de Bussy, dating from 1694–1695. The Museo de la Semana Santa houses sacred artworks from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as the processional floats of Semana Santa de Orihuela.

The Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacro mainly preserves religious works: paintings, sculptures, liturgical objects and vestments, goldsmith’s work, religious books and choir books. The Museo Fundación Pedrera is housed in the Palacio de Sorzano de Tejada, an 18th-century building. In August 2026, the museum was closed to the public.

Traditions and special routes

The Museo de la Reconquista introduces visitors to Orihuela’s Moros y Cristianos festival tradition and preserves its significant cultural heritage. This includes festival costumes, shields and banners belonging to the various Comparsas, festival posters, photographs, musical instruments and festival weapons. Semana Santa de Orihuela is intangible cultural heritage and is recognised as being of international tourist interest.

Orihuela’s tourism programme for summer 2026 includes cultural and historical tours, family activities, evening experiences, as well as nature and environmental awareness routes. The Ruta del Solsticio de Verano takes place at the Iglesia de Santiago, where visitors can observe the natural illumination of its façade, a phenomenon that occurs only once a year. The “Repostería Barroca” route is scheduled for 10 September and includes a tasting of sweets from Orihuela’s baroque gastronomic tradition. Reservations are required at 672219071 for guided tours of the Museo Municipal del Belén Santo Sepulcro.

Further destinations

For further orientation, here are the direct destinations: Cabo Roig, Playa Flamenca, Dehesa De Campoamor, Punta Prima, La Zenia, Castillo De Don Juan, Los Balcones, Hurchillo and Torremendo.

For the broader travel overview: Alicante.