Camping in the Mountains | Camping Los Viveros, Murcia

1st - 2nd August 2021
Camping Los Viveros : http://www.campinglosviveros.com/
What3Words : https://w3w.co/whirlpools.weekends.embalmed
https://santuariovirgenesperanza.com/

Madrid was incredible, but 1 day was enough and it was time for a big driving day. After almost 4 hours we used SearchforSites to find a small campsite in the mountains with a pool to cool off in.

Camping Los Viveros is a family owned site surrounded by nature 350m above sea level. We didn’t really fit on any of the available pitches, but we were fed up of driving, and the family were very keen to help us and eventually they found us a makeshift pitch with electricity and a bit of shade. It was all we really needed for a 24 hour stay.

While the boys set off to enjoy the huge pool, I stayed back to take care of some washing. The toilet blocks were large, clean and very convenient, and although there was a restaurant across the road, we stayed near our van for a home cooked meal. Walking around the site we spotted a lot of long-term or seasonal pitches.  There was a lovely relaxed vibe to the place and lots of large groups of extended Spanish families.

To be brutally honest, I think we were all still very tired after our hot day in Madrid and after a swim and dinner we turned in for an early night.  Before setting off the next morning we were reading the campsite reviews and realised we were very close to a very special monastery. Before we left the region, we took the 5 minute drive down to the monastery to see it for ourselves.

Set in to rock caves overlooking the River Segura, the Sanctuary of the Virgen De La Esperanza is one of the most beautiful centres of pilgrimage in the Murcia region. Legend states that back in the 16th Century a shepherd discovered the image of the Virgen de la Esperanza “La Pequenica”  or little one inside.  Exactly how the statue ended up in the cave remains a mystery. When the local townspeople were unable to move the virgen, the sanctuary was built around her.

Camping Los Viveros was a nice enough campsite with lots of potential for hiking and biking and outdoor activities. And and although we loved the pool and enjoyed our visit to the sanctuary, we were excited to leave and get back on the road!