Shopping in Lorca

Traditional arts and crafts and markets in the centre of Lorca are complemented by the Parque Almenara mall in the outskirts

As is to be expected in the third largest city in the Region of Murcia there is a wide range of shopping options in Lorca, where the variety of establishments in the historic centre is complemented by more modern out-of-town facilities, as is the case with most large towns and cities in Spain.

For many the most rewarding shopping experience in Lorca will be to combine a sightseeing stroll through the city centre, taking in the many historical and architectural monuments, with a browse through the numerous shops in the main Avenida Juan Carlos I, Calle Lope Gisbert and the pedestrian street of Calle Corredera. Of course retail is not confined to these three more or less parallel thoroughfares, and a multitude of shops both large and small can also be found on the smaller streets which connect them, although these streets do contain the principal retailers of the central city area.

There are plenty of attractive shops in this area, alongside many hostelries and the city centre of Lorca is concentrated into this zone, so it's not necessary to walk long distances between the shops and the principal monuments of the city.

Particularly popular among visitors is the Centro para la Artesanía in Calle Lope Gisbert, a centre showing traditional crafts in the centre of the historic city of Lorca where there are also plenty of opportunities to buy craftsmanship produced by registered craftsmen and women. Typical craftwork in Lorca includes ceramics and pottery, leather goods and decorative metal and stone work including jewelry, as well as the textile crafts and embroidery for which the city is particularly well known due to the extravagant items displayed during the annual Semana Santa celebrations in Easter Week: numerous shops offer chances to pick up such items.

Outside the narrow streets of the city centre there is a large hypermarket at the Centro Comercial San Diego, just on the other side of the River Guadalentín, and more large-scale emporia are located at the south-western end of the town alongside and close to the Carretera de Granada (the N-340a road).In this area the larger establishments such as tile showrooms and vehicle retailers tend to accumulate.

For those who prefer mall-type shopping, then Lorca can also cater for this, as located close to the RM-11 Lorca-Águilas motorway is the Parque Almenara. This is one of the largest retail and leisure malls in the south-west of Murcia and provides the full “all under one roof” shopping experience, complete with many well-known brands and shops on two easily accessed levels.

There are also larger retail units for electrical products and home and garden goods, and as well as a good day of retail therapy Parque Almenara also provides a 10-pin bowling alley and entertainment complex, a multiscreen cinema showing the latest offerings from Hollywood and the best 3D movies, with English language films shown in their original version on Thursdays, and no fewer than nine venues to grab a bite to eat.

The Parque Almenara represents the modern shopping option in Lorca, but at the other end of the scale is the Thursday weekly market, the holding of which was granted to Lorca by King Enrique IV in 1465. There are also two food markets open every day (see link on Thursday weekly market for more information), and the pioneering Mercado del Sol, the first exclusively gastronomic market in the Region of Murcia.

Click for more information about visiting Lorca, including what's on agenda, what to visit and tourist information: LORCA TODAY