The Huerta de Murcia is an administrative division (''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...
'') in
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
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. This natural region encompasses the lands irrigated by the
Segura River
Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura.
Course
The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...
and its various canals, from the ''
Contraparada'' weir to the boundary of the Region of Murcia with the
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...
. Its principal city is
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 ...
.
Municipalities
As of 2020, the comarca consists of the following municipalities:
Geography

The natural comarca of Huerta de Murcia is flanked to the north and south by two mountain ranges that border the Segura River's floodplain and its tributary, the
Guadalentín
Guadalentín is a river in Spain. It is a tributary of the Segura.
The Guadalentín River flows in the southeastern region of Spain. The Guadalentín River Basin is one of the largest in Spain. The Guadalentín Basin is a flat valley, and comp ...
, locally known as ''
El Reguerón''.
The comarca extends across the entire municipalities of
Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla () is a town and municipality in southeastern Spain, in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. The town is only 7 km away from the capital of the region, the city of Murcia, and one of its peculiarities is that it is c ...
,
Santomera
Santomera is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 16,105 (2018) and an area of 44.2 km2. It shares borders with Fortuna in the north, with Murcia in its west and south and with the province of ...
, and
Beniel
Beniel is a municipality located in the comarca of Huerta de Murcia in Murcia, Spain. It has a total population of 11,501 inhabitants (INE 2023) and an area of 10.06 km2. See also
* List of municipalities in the Region of Murcia
This is a lis ...
, as well as most 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 ...
. Several outlying districts of Murcia belong to the
Campo de Murcia rather than the Huerta.
Administrative Division
The division of the Region of Murcia into comarcas was anticipated in the
Statute of Autonomy of the Region of Murcia (1982), but no official comarca subdivision has been legally established yet.
The most commonly proposed administrative comarca includes the entirety of
Alcantarilla
Alcantarilla () is a town and municipality in southeastern Spain, in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. The town is only 7 km away from the capital of the region, the city of Murcia, and one of its peculiarities is that it is c ...
,
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 ...
,
Santomera
Santomera is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia. It has a population of 16,105 (2018) and an area of 44.2 km2. It shares borders with Fortuna in the north, with Murcia in its west and south and with the province of ...
, and
Beniel
Beniel is a municipality located in the comarca of Huerta de Murcia in Murcia, Spain. It has a total population of 11,501 inhabitants (INE 2023) and an area of 10.06 km2. See also
* List of municipalities in the Region of Murcia
This is a lis ...
.
Subcomarcas
The territory of Huerta de Murcia is further subdivided into seven sub-comarcas:
*
La Huerta-Margen Izquierda
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
*La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
*"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
*
La Huerta-Margen Derecha
*
Costera Norte
*
Cordillera Sur
*
Campo de Sangonera
*
Campo de Carrascoy
*
The City
Demographic Evolution
History
The fertile valley of the Huerta de Murcia was formed by the sediments of the
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
era, deposited by the
Segura River
Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura.
Course
The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...
and the
Guadalentín
Guadalentín is a river in Spain. It is a tributary of the Segura.
The Guadalentín River flows in the southeastern region of Spain. The Guadalentín River Basin is one of the largest in Spain. The Guadalentín Basin is a flat valley, and comp ...
.
Although the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
cultivated in the Huerta, the most significant development came with the
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, who drained marshlands and built an efficient irrigation system based on the
Contraparada.
Following the
Christian conquest of Murcia (1265-1266)
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, much of the land was abandoned as many Muslims fled. Later, settlers arrived mainly from the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...
(72%) and
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...
(23%), with others from
Navarre
Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
.
Irrigation Network
The irrigation network of the Huerta de Murcia dates back to the Muslim era and is among the oldest in Spain. Key features include:
* The
Contraparada, an ancient weir on the
Segura River
Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura.
Course
The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...
* Two main canals:
Acequia Mayor Alquibla (South) and
Acequia Mayor Aljufía
The Acequia Mayor Aljufía is one of the two major ''Acequia'' (irrigation canals) that structure the traditional irrigation network of the Huerta de Murcia (Region of Murcia, Spain), drawing its water from the Segura River. It is one of the most ...
(North)
* Various secondary channels including
brazales,
landronas, and
azarbes
* Traditional water wheels, or
noria
A noria (, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from , ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered '' scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct, either for the purpose of irrigation or to supply water to cities and village ...
s, used to lift water to higher fields
References
{{reflist
Region of Murcia