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The hills around Lorca came alive on Sunday as the beloved popular hike to El Cejo de los Enamorados made its much-anticipated return, as part of this year’s ever-popular Guadalentín Sports Games. This event, now in its forty-sixth edition, has become a staple for local walkers, families, and hiking clubs alike, and it’s not hard to see why.

 

Hikers of all ages turned out in force, with 264 people setting off from the La Merced Visitor Centre for a stunning twelve-kilometre ramble along the banks of the Guadalentín River, through La Quinquilla, past the famous Cejo fountain and on towards Los Pilones. The route featured just the right mix of scenery, fresh air, and good company, and there was no shortage of conversation and laughter along the way.

 

The destination, El Cejo de los Enamorados, is a natural gem nestled in the Peñarrubia mountain range, dominated by a dramatic vertical band of eroded sandstone and home to a gushing fountain sourced from deep underground. The sense of nature and local colour would feel familiar to anyone who has enjoyed the wilder trails around Yecla or trekked the classic 11-kilometre route to Gebas in Alhama. Murcia is a region blessed with spectacular landscapes that lure nature lovers back year after year.

 

On the day, the La Carrasca Hiking Club volunteers provided interesting facts about the local flora, handing out refreshments and entry numbers for a prize draw, which included a one-month pass to the Felipe VI Sports Complex and sports gear vouchers.

 

Just as in similar events across Murcia, there was genuine camaraderie, plenty of smiles, and the perfectly relaxed, rural pace that makes hiking here such a joy. As the walkers reached Los Pilones, the group broke up and everyone made their way home, with tired legs but in high spirits, already looking forward to next year’s adventure.

 

 

Images: deportes.lorca.es