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The best place to find all kinds of Murcian arts and crafts, from ceramics to handmade figurines. It’s run by the Murcian provincial government, and there’s another branch in Lorca.

Murcia is famous for its beautifully crafted belenes , the figures used to decorate traditional nativity scenes at Christmas. This old-fashioned shop sells a host of figures, from angels and saints to farmers and fishermen.

The Arabs introduced the delicious pastries for which Murcia is still celebrated. This cake shop has a mouthwatering selection. The paparajotes , light, lemon-flavoured pastries, are divine.

There are more weird and wonderful nativity figurines at this traditional workshop.

There’s a huge selection of local, Spanish and international wines at this enormous shop, along with a good range of liqueurs and fiery local spirits.

This little souvenir shop close to Murcia’s biggest sight, the extravagantly Baroque cathedral (see Catedral de Santa María, Murcia), sells all kinds of gifts, from t-shirts to hard-to-find local delicacies such as hand-made sweets from inland villages.

This charming, old-fashioned grocery shop, trading for more than a century, sells a wide range of wines and liqueurs from the region.

Set in a whimsical Modern-ista building, Murcia’s delightful covered market offers a huge variety of fresh produce, including fish and locally reared meats.

This chic upmarket boutique selling international designer fashions for women is just one of many shops devoted to shoes, fashion and accessories lining the pedestrian streets of the old town.

If you are planning a picnic, stop off at this traditional bakery for some empanadas , the traditional pastries stuffed with all kinds of fillings from tuna to ham. There’s also a vegetarian version made with pisto (like ratatouille).