La Aparecida is the last village of the Alicante province, flanked by the impressive backdrop of the Sierra de Orihuela mountain range. The natural border, that is the Sierra of Orihuela, has allowed this traditional town to maintain a character of its own although in the early 18 th century, the growing religious power of Orihuela over shadowed the importance of La Aparecida.

Up until that moment, La Aparecida had had a simple existence, mainly based on its agriculture and meagre livestock (mainly goats) herding. It wasn’t until one day, in May of 1736, a lowly farmer by the name of Jayme Trigueros, was ploughing his field called Los Esparragales, when suddenly his oxen didn’t want to continue. This strange occurrence puzzled him but then he realised that something had got caught up in the ruts of the plough. On closer inspection he realised that it was an oil painting on an old canvas. Not knowing exactly what it was he washed the painting in a nearby spring and left it to dry in his humble dwelling.


It wasn’t until later that day, when the night drew in, that the painting began to shine and the image of baby Jesus on the lap of the Virgin Mary appeared clearly on the canvas. From that day on the field on which this holy painting appeared became known as “La Aparecida” (The Appearance) and the home of Jayme became a place of worship on which a chapel was later built which later became a worship for all of the Vega Baja and most of Murcia. Apart from its particular secular history, La Aparecida is also quite well documented because of its positioning on the skirts of the impressive Sierra de Orihuela. At its summit, “La Pilastra”, it measures 633 m above sea level and offers spectacular views over the Vega Baja and the neighbouring Murcia province.


At another of its many breathtaking beauty spots, it is the “Pico del Aguila”(Eagle’s Beak) that is of most interest due to the caves which can be found there with impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The most famous of these caves is the “Cueva del Santo” (Saint’s cave) that can be found on the northwest ridge of the mountain range.

The fauna of the mountain range is very typical of southeast peninsula / Mediterranean climate, with wild Thyme, Rosemary and Fennel growing throughout its many tracks and gorges. The Carob tree makes it presence felt with its sweet “bean” like fruit, that ripens in the Autumn, among the low Mediterranean pine trees and scrub of these steep slopes.