Balsicas is a locality in the municipality of Torre-Pacheco in the autonomous community of

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

, Spain. It has a population of 3,305 inhabitants.

History

The town was founded in the fifteenth century. It's name is from the word

balsa ''Ochroma pyramidale'', commonly known as balsa, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus ''Ochroma'', and is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the mallow family Malvaceae. The tree is fa ...

, or

raft A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is usually of basic design, characterized by the absence of a hull. Rafts are usually kept afloat by using any combination of buoyant materials such as wood, sealed barre ...

s, and derives ultimately from the

Muslim rule of Spain Al-Andalus () was the Muslims, Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupi ...

. The Sima de las Palomas caves had

Neanderthal Neanderthals ( ; ''Homo neanderthalensis'' or sometimes ''H. sapiens neanderthalensis'') are an extinction, extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central Asia during the Middle Pleistocene, Middle to Late Plei ...

remains. It boasts historical heritage such as the Castillo del Vizconde Ros and a church dedicated to

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary (), also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Titles of Mary, Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October ...

located in the southern part of the town.

Football

Balsicas features a football school and a stadium named "Los Cipreses." The city had three semi-professional clubs: Club Deportivo Balsicas, which played once in

Tercera División Tercera División () was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Until 1977, it was the third tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segund ...

; Atlético Balsicas, which played only in the 1995–96 season; and Balsicas Atlético, which featured in one

Tercera Federación Tercera Federación, previously known as Tercera RFEF, is the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system. It is below the ''La Liga'', ''Segunda División'', and its fellow semi-professional divisions '' Primera Federación'' and ''Segunda F ...

season before selling their place.

Services

Despite being a hamlet, it offers numerous services, including a public primary school, a daycare center, a municipal sports complex equipped with a padel court, an 11-a-side football field, a 7-a-side football field, a swimming pool, a sports pavilion, and a radio-controlled car circuit. There are also facilities for the elderly, a youth center, study rooms, and several outdoor play areas.

Castillo de Ros

The castle was originally built for the Congregation of Saint Philip Neri, on its estate in Balsicas. It was bought by Antonio Ros de Olano y Perpigná, a soldier stationed in Cartagena, in February 1844. Antonio Ros was later named

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...

Ros de Olano and

Marquis A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...

of Gaud-el-Yehi by

Queen Isabella II Isabella II (, María Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain. Isabella wa ...

. Various alterations were made to the building, known as the Castillo de Ros, by his son and grandson.

Festivals

The patronal festivals of Balsicas begin every year on October 22, as the day of its patron, the

(to which it's church is dedicated), coincides with the festivals of Torre-Pacheco. Some events are the ''coronación de reinas y damas'' and a laying flowers to Our Lady. The

Semana Santa Semana Santa is the Spanish for Holy Week, the final week of Lent leading to Easter. In Spanish speaking cultures as well as Holy Week in the Philippines, the Philippines this becomes an annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by ...

(Holy Week) celebrations, which have been held since 1987, serve as a cultural focal point for the municipality, hosting the largest celebration in the area with numerous penitential brotherhoods and an increasing number of visitors.

Transport

Train

Balsicas is an important transport hub in the region, as it is served by the Balsicas-Mar Menor train station on the Chinchilla–Cartagena railway, which connects the

Mar Menor Mar Menor (, "minor/smaller sea") is a coastal saltwater lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula located south-east of the Autonomous Community of Murcia, Spain, near Cartagena. Its name is the opposite of the Mediterranean, which is the (greater/lar ...

area with the rest of the

region and Spain.

Road

The locality is situated along the RM-19 road and is connected by other roads to nearby settlements such as Avileses, Sucina, and Torre-Pacheco. It is also located near the "Polaris World La Torre" development. During the summer months, there is increased activity in the town since it serves as a service and leisure area for the residents of the development, many of whom are foreigners (mainly English and German). Balsicas also features several important infrastructures in the region, including two extensive and well-connected industrial estates.

Bus

Balsicas is served by an urban public transport line: The intercity bus service in the municipality is part of the network, the public transport system of the

region (Spain), which includes bus services managed by the autonomous community.

References

''This article contains information from the Spanish article Balsicas, accessed on April 7, 2025.'' {{coord, 37, 49, 05, N, 0, 57, 23, W, display=title, region:ES_type:city Populated places in the Region of Murcia