WHAT TO SEE IN BULLAS

Cataloged as a Site of Geological Interest, the Salto del Usero is located in the Mula River channel, north of the El Castellar hill. It is an area of great scenic beauty with hydrological and geomorphological interest. Erosion has created its peculiar vaulted morphology, where water cascades down several meters, forming a deep pool constantly filled with water, widely used during summer.

This natural spot becomes the epicenter of the San Marcos Festival held in April. After the massive parade of floats that celebrates agricultural tradition, the area serves as the setting for the traditional picnic and other leisure activities.

This natural corridor connecting Bullas and Cehegín, where vineyards and typical crops such as almond trees intermingle, offers an impressive view. As we advance, the vine takes on greater prominence, always under the presence of the Lavia peak, which dominates the landscape, with the Venta del Pino at its foot. The land combines tones of calcareous white and red ocher, accentuated by the green of nearby forests.

This watercourse is notable for its peculiar narrowing as it passes through the El Cristo area (in El Carrascalejo). This narrowing facilitates a greater water supply through the soil, which encourages the appearance of sub-humid forest species such as Portuguese oaks, elms, ashes, black poplars, and willows.

The Aceniche plateau is part of the intramountainous depressions of Bullas. These are areas of gentle relief where traditional dry-land crops dominate, such as vineyards, olive trees, and almond trees, arranged in a mosaic pattern, showcasing the cultural and traditional identity of these lands.

Our Wine Museum is the authentic benchmark and starting point of the Wine Route. It is located in an old 19th-century winery that initially belonged to the Melgares de Aguilar family and was, at the time, one of the largest wineries in the old Kingdom of Murcia. Throughout its rooms, visitors discover the historical relationship of this land with viticulture since Roman times and the wine-making process in its traditional and modern forms.

Located behind the parish church, this noble house of the Marsilla Melgares family was remodeled in 1900. Since 2006, it has housed a museum that recreates the lifestyles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The building is divided into its residential part (with modernist decoration) and its work area, highlighting its large, perfectly preserved cellar.

El Zacatín is a fundamental tourist resource, being the pioneer market of these characteristics in the Region of Murcia, and the only one that maintains its activity throughout the year.

Held the first Sunday of each month from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, in the picturesque setting of the Plazas Vieja and del Castillo. It offers exhibition and sale of typical products and crafts, as well as artisan demonstrations, tastings, and wine tastings from D.O. Bullas.

This is a family winery founded in 1998 and located among its own vineyards in the Aceniche Valley—a valley declared of natural landscape interest and an area of high ecological value. It is located 10 kilometers from Bullas. At Balcona they are viticulturists and select their best grapes to produce wines that express their terroir naturally, with minimal intervention in the winery. The estate was purchased in the 1940s by the family’s grandmother: Josefa, nicknamed la Balcona because her house had a balcony. Over the years the family transformed the traditional cereal cultivation into vineyards.

In 1997, after a conference attended by Josep Lluis Pérez Verdú, one of the fathers of Priorat, they decided to start producing long-lived bottled wines, such as their “Partal de Autor 2006,” which still shows perfectly for enjoyment today. In addition to the red wines Mabal, 37 Barricas, and Partal, over the years the productions evolved into organic and natural wines, also expanding the range to white and rosé wines. They have been conducting guided tours of the vineyards and winery since 1998.

In 2007 they opened the tasting room and, since then, have been improving the experience for wine lovers who visit them with other activities, such as the Entreviñedos Dinners under the full moon, held in July and August in collaboration with the restaurants of the Bullas Wine Route. Bodega Balcona is authenticity and honesty in a bottle.

Hydria is a family winery that began its activity in 2012 in search of a terroir with personality, in a favorable environment for the production of quality wines with their own character. In 2013, they found the “La Hoya de los Hermanos” estate, located on the north face of the Sierra de Lavia at an altitude of 850m, an estate that had been abandoned for 6 years. They decided to recover it and, after two years, it became what is now their hallmark. Most of their vines are around 50 years old and are of the Monastrell variety. They also have other varieties such as Syrah, Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Macabeo. The vines, being surrounded by mountains and vegetation, enjoy a special microclimate that is ideal for growing quality grapes, providing good acidity and structure to the fruit.

They produce different types of wines: wines without oak aging or with minimal time in it, such as “7 sostenidos”; single-varietals of Monastrell, Syrah, or Garnacha; wines with prolonged time in barrels, such as “12 compases”; blends of Monastrell and Tempranillo like “88 teclas” and “1000 acordes”; single-varietals of the Monastrell variety and white wines like “4 cuerdas” without oak, with oak, and under flor yeast. They offer tours of the vineyard, the winery, and tastings. They also have two rooms with a capacity for 90 people where they organize all kinds of events, including catering.

In the incomparable Aceniche Valley, at over 800 meters altitude, at the confluence of the municipalities of Bullas, Cehegín, and Mula, are the modern facilities of the winery built with an intelligent design for optimal use of sunlight. Own vineyards, enthusiasm, and a well-designed solid project are the foundations of this winery that vinified its first harvest in 2005. Bodega MONASTRELL was born as a personal project of the couple formed by Alfonso and Mavi, natives of Bullas and heirs to a long family agricultural tradition, where love for the land has become passion and enjoyment for producing well-made products.

The winemaker José Jiménez joined the team and has gradually developed a winemaking style that optimizes the exquisite production of Monastrell reds, one of the varieties best adapted to this unique natural environment. From the very beginning, grapes have been produced under the guidelines and philosophy of Organic Farming. Since the 2011 harvest, both the viticultural production and the wines of Bodega MONASTRELL have also been protected and certified by the Organic Farming Council. Their red wines are the result of a long and pampered winemaking process that begins every year in the vineyard and, after passing through the glass, ends up bringing enjoyment to the consumer.

Privileged environments to make the freshest and most elegant Monastrell in the world. We currently work on 8 hectares of vineyards, acquiring vineyard plots in strategic areas to develop viticulture in line with our ideas and to interpret our wines through the differences in orientation, climate, and soil of our valleys. These valleys are areas with an altitude that undoubtedly provides one of the most privileged environments.

All our production is done by hand with very low yields between 52% and 56% of the cluster. No yeast seeding, letting indigenous yeasts act over ten days of maceration and spindle press. Use of multi-use barrels to blend the wines with their lees without much racking, clarification with egg white, and very light filtration only to remove the coarse lees in suspension. Natural malolactic fermentation finishing in spring.

Bodega del Rosario is located in Bullas, on the old Camino de la Estación, near the town’s Wine Museum. It is the largest winery in terms of size and production in the entire Bullas Denomination of Origin area. Created in 1950, it was the first cooperative in the town and currently groups together the largest number of viticulturists.

It still preserves the original facilities from its early days, including the main facade, the “Mosaic Room,” and the cellar, with a unique use of the original tanks for the current preservation and aging of the wines.

The origins of Bodega Tercia de Ulea date back to the 13th century. With the conquest of Moratalla came the creation of the Encomienda de Moratalla by the Order of Santiago. The order reserved the lands of the Ulea estate for the enjoyment of its commanders, developing and promoting the already existing vineyards and winery. The accounts of the Encomienda bear witness to the important production and quality of its wines from the 15th to the 19th century. After the phylloxera epidemic of the early 19th century, most of Moratalla’s vineyards were lost, with almost all the wineries in the area disappearing. After the death of the last commander, the infante Don Francisco De Paula—father-in-law of Isabel II—the Tercia de Ulea, along with its winery, passed to the Chico de Guzmán family, which has continued the winemaking activity for three generations.

In 2004, due to growth needs, the winery moved to the adjacent agricultural building. The move to the Casa de Labor allowed for an update in machinery and winemaking technology while maintaining the artisanal character of the production. Production is carried out separately according to grape varieties and plots, so that the different microclimate and terrain characteristics remain controlled. The tanks have a maximum capacity of 10,000 liters, allowing for the separate production of different wines. Our “Tercia de Ulea Crianza” wine was awarded Best Spanish Wine at Asia’s most important wine competition in 2019, which, as every year, took place in Hong Kong.

Built in 1927 by the Melgares de Aguilar family of landowners, it is a modernist-style construction. Currently, it is the municipal House of Culture, and this building houses various services such as the Auditorium, the radio station, the youth information center, the equality agency, local development, an exhibition hall, and a library, among others.

Built in 1900, the Clock Tower is one of the most identifying elements of Bullas’s urban profile. It was erected by private initiative of the then mayor D. Joaquín Carreño Góngora to regulate irrigation shifts in the nearby Calderón orchard.

A National Monument since 1982, this temple presides over the Plaza de España. Its first phase was completed in 1723 and it was later expanded and remodeled between 1800 and 1804. The remodeling gave it its current appearance, with the striking Baroque-style tower. The patron saint, the Virgin of the Rosary, occupies the center of the main altarpiece.

The Hermitage of San Blas is a small chapel in the Barrio de la Cruz, next to the Barranco de la Perdiz, linked to the popular devotion to San Blas. It is a brief and charming visit, a common passing point on routes and events like the Trail del Romero.

This church is one of the main points of interest in our district of La Copa. Its origins are almost as old as those of the village itself, being established as a Parish in 1904.

The San Ildefonso Chapel, popularly known as the Chapel of the Cross, was built in 1900 and linked to the old Asylum and Hospital for the Elderly. After its restoration in 2016, original elements were recovered and a niche was found, interpreted as the confessional used in her youth by Saint Maravillas de Jesús.

The Cristo del Carrascalejo is an image of Christ crucified located in the area of the same name, next to the Carrascalejo wine sales kiosk, the oldest winery in Bullas, dating to the mid-19th century.

The image stands on a pedestal. It is a place of pilgrimage and devotion, in the heart of nature, very close to the Barranco de la Regidora walk, also ideal as a stop on hiking trails.

This archaeological site, occupied from the 1st century AD to the 5th century, is a large agricultural complex consisting of a pars urbana (residence), a thermal complex, and an industrial sector. It is the discovery site of four sculptures of children made of white marble, including the famous “Niño de las Uvas” (Boy with Grapes), which represents a seasonal genius of autumn.