Village
Ulea is a municipality in the Ricote Valley, in Murcia, situated in a narrow alluvial valley formed by the Segura River, 126 m above sea level. Its name, documented since the second half of the 14th century, comes from Ulliya, 'the High One', and it was probably a small alquería (hamlet) of the Ricote district before becoming independent. On the slope of the Castle hill remains of an Iberian settlement from the 4th-3rd centuries BC have been found, and nearby, at the Salto de la Novia site, those of a Roman settlement from the 4th-5th centuries, along with a 1st-3rd-century road that connected Cartagena with Chinchilla. The town venerates a Lignum Crucis brought by the Order of Santiago, celebrated in its May festivities. It has 926 inhabitants (INE 2025).
Monument
Parish church of Ulea, in the Valle de Ricote (Región de Murcia), built between the 15th and 16th centuries over an old Moorish mosque already present in the village in the 15th century. It has been a Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection) since 1982. After the taifa de Murcia was annexed to Castile, the Orden de Santiago controlled the valley from 1285, and the mudéjars continued to inhabit their lands; from 1505, by a bull of Julius II, the church was placed under the dedication of San Bartolomé Apóstol, coinciding with the forced conversion of Muslims to Catholicism.
Nature
Viewpoint in Ulea looking out over the Valle de Ricote, next to the Calle Cuna viewpoint.
Monument
Remains of a walled settlement of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, of which two stretches of wall survive, evidence of Iberian and Roman occupation of the area before the arrival of the Arabs.
Nature
Elevation overlooking the urban centre of Ulea, located on the left bank of the río Segura, which has sheltered the town since ancient times. Remains found on its slope confirm the existence of an Iberian settlement, dated between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. After the arrival of the Muslims in the year 711, they settled on the monte del Castillo as it was an area easy to defend and watch over; today fragments of the wall that protected the population are preserved, along with the remains of a cistern and of a small mosque, together with geometrically decorated pottery found on the site.
Curiosity
During the 15th and 16th centuries Ulea was part of the group of valley towns known as the 'Cinco Villas', a name that reflects the shared historical identity of these municipalities on the middle Segura.
Activity
The patron saint festivities of Ulea in honour of San Bartolomé are held around 24 August and combine popular events with the saint's religious procession. Devotion dates back to the early 16th century, when the town's old mosque was transformed into the parish church dedicated to San Bartolomé, which has since presided over the religious life of Ulea.
Activity
Feast in honour of the Holy Cross whose central event takes place on the first of May, one of the most deeply rooted religious traditions in Ulea's festive calendar.
Nature
A viewpoint on the outskirts of Ulea built in 1870 by Antonio Tomás Sandoval, a soldier from the town, in imitation of the watchtowers he had seen in the Moroccan War. Restored in 2002, it offers views over the River Segura and the Parque de la Marquesa.
Monument
A 19th-century building erected after the union of the lordships of Campohermoso and Villar de Felices, one of the most emblematic historic properties in Ulea. It is being restored to become the municipal museum and interpretation centre for the Salto de la Novia site.
Monument
A former Islamic signalling and watch post cut into the rock on a hard-to-reach spur of the Castillo de Ulea range, from which the castles of Ricote, Cieza and Archena could be seen. Popular tradition tells that a Moorish queen used to bathe in secret in this hollow on warm moonlit nights.
Historical milestone
The Mudejars of the valley were forced to be baptized between 1501 and 1502 and passed to the condition of Moriscos. The mosques were converted into Christian churches, as happened in Ulea with the church of San Bartolomé, and the community kept its language, trades and customs for more than a century.
Historical milestone
The fruit exporter José Ríos Carrillo raised this four-storey building with corner turrets, the most singular in the town centre of Ulea. Local tradition attributes the design to Gustave Eiffel, although no plans survive to prove it. The parish acquired it in 1996.
Historical milestone
In Roman times a road linked Carthago Nova with Chinchilla, crossing the municipal area of Ulea through the Puerto de la Losilla pass. The route explains the defensive remains located in the area and the tower that watched over this natural corridor between the coast and the interior of the meseta.
Food and drink
Every 17 January the residents of Ulea go up into the countryside to prepare paellas in groups, with a prize draw among those attending. The day opens the festive calendar of the municipality and brings families and peñas together around rice cooked in the open air.