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Far off in the north east of Murcia, Spain, as you approach Jumilla you will find the endless acres of vineyards that are hard to miss! This gives the theme to the whole town, the wine of Jumilla DOC. Overlooking Jumilla is the 15th century castle, recently restored, which is best seen from the west of the town.
The Castle dates back to the Bronze age; the Iberians and then the Romans took control. There are remains of Roman pottery from the 1st century AD. Then for five centuries the Arabs move in and began building an Arab fortress on the remains of the Roman castle. After a few battles between Aragon, Castillia La Mancha and Murcia, where the castle changed hands a number of times, in 1461 the Marqués de Villena took control and built pretty much what we see today.
There are many Bodegas and wine shops, there is a strong wine tourist theme. Jumilla is the primary wine–growing region of the whole of Murcia and perhaps the best–known exported wine from the region.
The northern most town of Murcia is Yecla (96km north of Murcia). Yecla is one of the three wine producing regions with its own DOC in Murcia (the other two being Bullas and Jumilla). The name Yecla comes from the Arab word Yakka. Up on the hill you’ll find the Santuario de la Purísima Concepcion, which offers great views of the town and surrounding areas. There is also a castle, Castillo de Yecla, from the 14th century, 180m above the town.