Región de Murcia

Adjoining Valencia on the south is Murcia, where the Andalusian Mountains reach the sea. The northern ranges run parallel to the coast, ending in the limestone promontory of Cabo de la Nao; much of the southern range has sunk, and only isolated fragments like the Sierra de Cartagena still rise out of the coastal plain, formed of soil deposited by the rivers, which with the exception of the Rio Segura are short and have a poor flow.

The climate is extremely hot and dry. From the end of July until the end of September the heat haze blankets the countryside: the sky appear bluish-grey, and the rising sun and moon gleam redly through the brownish haze to the horizon.