The Bullas Wine Route is an open circuit and it highlights the most significant resources of the local wine culture. It does not have to be followed in any pre-planned way, rather every resource can be known and enjoyed separately or create a particular itinerary. Every point of interest is marked with its corresponding explanation and they are:
The Museum uses the facilities of an old traditional cellar built in the 19th century, one of the largest in size and production of the old Kingdom of Murcia (with about 110 jars and more than 350,000 litres of wine made every year). It originally belonged to one of the richest and most powerful families in the area: the Melgares de Aguilar. It is located in the Avenida de Murcia and its facilities today include several rooms for wine tasting, conferences and seminars, seasonal exhibitions, and also a shop selling wine and other related products.
The building has a surface area of more than 1400 m2 divided into two floors (that which formerly had the wine presses and the cellar itself, characterized by the groin vaults built with hand-crafted baked clay bricks.
The Museum presents a very important collection of pieces related to the traditional viticulture and old tools for the wine making.
Rosario WineryIt is located in the old Station Road, near the Wine Museum. It is the largest in size and production of all the D.O. “Bullas” area and it was the first cooperative of the town founded in 1950, currently gathering the highest number of vine growers. The winery still keeps some of the original facilities such as the main façade, the Sala de los Mosaicos (Mosaics Room) and the cellar using the old cement deposits for the current aging of the wines.
It is located in the Industrial Area “Marimingo”, near the town. This is a cooperative winery which has advanced technology facilities and a special area for the aging of the wines in the oak barrels.
Madroñal WineryThis small and family winery is in the so called Cañada del Siscar, near the road between Bullas and La Copa. There is a special care of the vine, exclusively devoted to the high quality red wines production.
Molino y Lagares WineryThis is one of the new wineries in Bullas, located in an area Se trata de una de las nuevas bodegas de Bullas, ubicada en una zona de marcado carácter vitícola como es la Venta del Pino. Its innovative architecture combines tradition and modernity anda t the same time is perfectly integrated in a landscape dominated by the vineyards, aromatic plants and forest areas.
Monastrell WineryThis young winery is situated in the magnificent Valle del Aceniche (Aceniche Valley), more than 800 metres above sea level, in the confluence of the municipalities of Bullas, Cehegín and Mula. The winery has modern facilities with an intelligent design focused on the perfect exploitation of the sun’s light. It has a quality vocation and its name wishes to promote the indigenous grape variety of the area: the Monastrell.
Balcona WineryBalcona Winery is also in the Aceniche Valley. It belongs to a family of long viticulture tradition. The estate has vines which are more than 50 years old, ideal to produce high quality wines. The Valley has a perfect micro-climate for the vine growing and it is surrounded by mountains with a great value from the landscape and ecological point of view, being declared as a ZEPA (Special Bird Protection Area).
La Plaza and its surroundingsThe Plaza de España (Spain Square) civic centre of Bullas, is also the starting point of the way across the historical part of the town. Here is the bronze sculpture made by Rafael Pi Belda representing a man treading grapes, a tribute to all those who contributed to the wine culture in these lands.
This square is also the place of location of the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Murcian Baroque style from the 18th century) and the old Casa de los Melgares (today House of Culture), Modernist style building from 1925.
Near this place we find the Plaza Vieja (Old Square), historical social centre of the town and today the site of the craft market El Zacatín and the Plaza del Castillo (Castle Square), former location of the old Middle Ages fortress of Bullas whose few remains still can be seen.
Bodega de la BalsaThis old wine cellar is situated in the street of the same name (meaning Pool street). It maintains the primitive facilities apart of reforms and machinery from the late 50’s. Among its 23 jars we can find the largest in the area, with almost 10,000 litres of capacity. This building is also the seat of the Regulatory Board of the Bullas D.O. quality area and there is a shop where all its wines can be purchased.
A few metres away from this cellar there is a building which formerly was a liquors factory from the distilling of grape remains.
Casa-Museo Don Pepe Marsilla At Rosario street, just behind the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, we find this old noble house, today a Museum which recreates the living ways in Bullas at the end of the 19th century. Inside, the decoration in Modernist style is well preserved in the living part as well as the different rooms of the working area.
In the cellar we can find the space devoted to the production of wine for selling and another one for keeping the most selected ones for special occasions. There is a total number of 57 jars with a capacity of more than 140,000 litres.
Taking the Plaza de España as the beginning, this route has as the main axes the Camino Real and the Avenida de Cehegín. Around them several noble houses are located, built or reformed at the beginning of the 20th century and showing some of them the features of the Modernist art, typical in that time. The year 1900 is the reference of the route, where the main architectural highlights are D. Pepe Marsilla’s House itself and the Clock Tower.
This significant building, a real stronghold in the Bullas skyline, was built in 1900 to control the irrigation shifts of the local farmers. Nowadays it still marks the passing of the time with the sound of the bells. Clock’s machinery is a true mechanical jewel and in addition we can enjoy a magnificent view of Bullas and its surroundings from the terrace..
This natural space, formerly a silk-producing farm, was the location of the emblematic Fuente de la Rafa (La Rafa fountain), source of water supply for Bullas since the Middle Ages.
Nowadays La Rafa offers a sort of services for visitors such as a camping site, tourist apartments, restaurant, pool and sports facilities. It is also the origin of several walking routes. In addition, we can find here the Centre of Agro-ecology and Environment (CEAMA).
The upper course of the river Mula, declared a Natural Monument, offers places of magnificent beauty as the Pasico Ucenda or the Salto del Usero. This one is a natural waterfall which is one of the most beautiful in the Region of Murcia.
Close to it we can find the oldest of the mills of the river that used the strenght of the water for wheat grinding. It is the Molino de Arriba (Upper Mill) and it dates back 1684.
The river runs at the feet of the Castellar, a mount with plenty of myths and legends as that of the Moor Princess of Saint John’s Night. It is also an archaeological site with Roman and Arab remains.
Beside the river Mula, surrounded by the typical riverside vegetation, we find the last of the old mills, the Lower one. This has been adapted as a rural inn and restaurant, maintaining the original machinery which many years ago milled the wheat to make flour.
Leaving La Rafa, this route allows to enjoy the biodiversity of flora and fauna of the area, as well as the agricultural and forest richness of places such as Las Pertigueras and La Regidora gullies and Los Muletos and El Chaparral streams.
The way of the old railroad between Caravaca de la Cruz and Murcia, passing by Bullas, offers several places with a special landscape interest to enjoy walking or by bicycle.
El Carrascalejo is an area of long wine tradition because here it is the oldest cellar still producing wines in Bullas, located below the palace of the Marchesses of Pidal, a neoclassical building of the mid 19th century.
It is a natural montainous area, with forests of pines and landscapes with plenty of vineyards. Near the winery there is a famous image of Crucified Christ, the Cristo del Carrascalejo, place of devotion and pilgrimage of the people of neighbour towns.
This amazing gully runs near El Carrascalejo de with a high natural variety with protected species such as the ilex or the oak. It is well adapted for the practice of hiking and bicycle touring.
Paraje del Portugalés - Venta del PinoVineyards are mixed with other cultivations (almond, apricot...) in this natural corridor which unites the municipalities of Bullas and Cehegín. Vine gains space as we advance, always having as a landmark the Lavia peak, whose feet are occupied by the Venta del Pino zone. Soil presents a real combination of colours between calcareous white and “almagra” red, apart of the green of the large forest surface dominating this beautiful landscape.
This is a orografía recortada, with elevations such as Los Cuchillos and La Lavia itself, where different walking and bicycle routes can be made.
Bullas has currently six different short distance routes, certified by the Federation of Mountaineering of the Region of Murcia.
The village of La Copa is 4 km away from Bullas. It is a village with old and deeply rooted feasts and traditions, as that of San Antón in January (with its particular “Auction” or the “Innocent’s Dance”) or the Purísima Concepción in December, characterized by the street performance of the Auroros ancient songs.
About the architecture we can mention the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación and some old wine cellars, and about nature, the Eco-ethnographic Route of La Silla.
Just between Bullas and La Copa we can find Fuente La Higuera, a place which holds the old noble house of the Carreño family, with a Modernist style and elements inspired by the Hispanic-Arab art. It is declared as Item of Cultural Value.