There are two shops and several areas in Murcia I head for, and I am ashamed to say the first is Ikea! Now not very politically correct to say so, but it is fantastic to have a taste of home on your doorstep. Not that Ikea is English, but it reminds me of home. And to be able to make your Spanish home feel English and decorate the children’s rooms up in bright colours for a very reasonable price is superb.

Murcia is very easy to get to on the new motorway it is well signposted and apart from August the roads are often empty. Although I warn you it is never as quick on the way back as there is a confusing one way system out of Murcia City which often leads us onto the wrong road and the long way home. Watch out for it if you want a stress free end to your day!

The second shop in Murcia that I always head for is Spain’s equivalent to John Lewis; El Corte Ingles. It is a large department store with several floors. They sell everything from women’s wear, menswear, children’s wear, toys, sportswear, home furnishings, gardening tools and furniture, books, CD’s, DVD’s, and cosmetics. If you need to buy something and are not sure where to get it from, head for El Corte Ingles. The best feature for me is that you can buy a handbag (for example) for £10 or for £300 and this applies to almost everything in the El Corte Ingles, whatever they supply they have it in every shape, size, and label. It is an excellent place to do a spot of Christmas shopping and it is possible to buy the whole families’ presents there. Also El Corte Ingles is signposted from all over Murcia so if you have parked there, it is easy to find your way back to the car.

The third area of Murcia which is great for shopping is the old town full of cobbled streets with tall old buildings, Spanish boutiques with unusual fashion accessories, cafés, and true Spanish hustle and bustle. The women in Spain dress quite smart and chic, it is rare that you see a Spanish women dressed in jeans or sportswear. More often with trousers or skirts with a smart casual tone, and great accessories. Trinny and Susannah could learn a thing or two!

That being said there is a whole different side to Murcia, the historical, cultural, Spanish city and a visit will be a definite highlight on your holiday to the Costa Calida.