Cieza Blossom Season

Cieza sits in the Segura valley where irrigated terraces cover the floor and the lower slopes with stone fruit, around ten thousand hectares of peach, nectarine, plum and apricot, and for a few weeks from late February the whole basin turns pink and white as the trees flower before leafing. The local authority has organised it as the Floracion, with marked driving and walking routes, viewpoints and guided visits, since the numbers arriving became difficult to manage informally. The bloom moves through the valley as varieties and altitudes differ, which extends the window to around a month in total. The Segura gorge, the Almadenes canyon with its prehistoric painted shelters, and the Medina Siyasa Muslim town site are all close.

What you actually see

• The pink valley - ten thousand hectares of stone fruit in flower.
• The marked routes - organised viewpoints and walking circuits.
• The Almadenes canyon - a Segura gorge with prehistoric painted shelters.
• Medina Siyasa - an excavated Muslim town site above the town.

When to go

Late February to late March, with the peak usually in the first half of March; exact timing shifts by weeks with the winter and is announced only days ahead. Weekends during the bloom bring heavy traffic.

Honest expectations

The window is short and unpredictable, and a trip planned in advance can miss it. The orchards are working farmland and access is limited to roads and marked routes. Weekend congestion on the narrow valley roads is significant.

Nearby

The Almadenes canyon and Medina Siyasa are close; Murcia lies forty-five kilometres southeast.