As Halloween approaches in the autumn of 2025, more and more fans of the mystical and supernatural are on the lookout for unusual places to get a good scare. Instead of following the usual tourist routes, many are drawn to spots steeped in ancient legends. The Spanish region of Murcia offers just such an alternative—a journey through locations where tales of ghosts, curses, and unexplained phenomena are closely intertwined with the area’s rich cultural heritage and the picturesque landscapes of southeastern Spain.
Urban chronicles hold many dark secrets. In Alcantarilla stands the Casa Cayitas, once home to the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition. The crest on its facade—a cross, sword, and laurel branch—still bears witness to that history. Today, the building houses the municipal archive, but staff and visitors alike claim that an oppressive atmosphere from the past lingers within its walls. No less foreboding is the reputation of the Concepción Castle in Cartagena. Legend has it that a jealous Italian nobleman walled up his wife inside one of the castle’s walls. This tragic story has become the centerpiece of popular nighttime tours around the port city.
The regional capital, the city of Murcia, boasts its own unique cultural phenomenon tinged with superstition: the Romea Theatre. Legend links it to a curse from Dominican monks whose land was expropriated for its construction. They foretold that the theatre would burn down three times. Two fires have already occurred, and now, to prevent a third, one seat is deliberately left empty at every performance. The prophecy said the third tragedy would happen during a full house, and everyone in the audience would perish.
Beyond the cities, mystical tales take on a different character, blending with the natural landscape. The Arabí mountain in Yecla, famous for its rock carvings and status as a nature park, attracts not only archaeologists. Locals and UFO enthusiasts report sightings of mysterious glowing orbs and female figures dressed in white in the area. There is also a legend about the Treasure Cave, the entrance to which is supposedly hidden behind a labyrinth of narrow passages. In Bullas, by the Salto del Usero waterfall, a ghostly Moorish woman is said to appear, drowned for her love of a Christian. And in Moratalla, the Benamor river is a witness to the eternal curse of Princess Ordelina.
The region’s industrial past has also left its scars, which have become magnets for dark tourism enthusiasts. In Portmán, the abandoned José Maestre tunnel and the old railway cemetery present a truly haunting scene. Rusting remains of locomotives, carriages, and barracks stand as silent witnesses to a bygone era, inspiring photographers and adventurers alike. Sierra de la Opé in Archena has its own legend. Locals say a shepherd once encountered a demonic creature on its slopes, after which a cross was erected at the summit—a cross that still stands today.
You can expand this fear-filled itinerary by visiting the Benizar Castle, the cathedral ruins in Cartagena, Templar-related sites in Caravaca, the abandoned village of Las Murtas, or the orphanage in the El Valle valley. Together, these locations form a unique cultural and tourism puzzle, proving that Murcia is the perfect destination for anyone wanting to celebrate Halloween by diving into a world of secrets, history, and nature.
