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Fishing:
Argos Reservoir
Azud de Ojos Embolsa
The water is good and clearly marked.
Species: Carp, Barbel, Carpin.
Depending on where you are the water can be very deep here, but if you want a good days fishing for cyprinids, this is the place for you. In summer good catches are landed at every time of the day The only problem is the constant fluctuation in water level.
Fishing competitions are held here every year.
Number of permits: Thursdays 12, days before festivals 25, festivals 35.
Location: Approx 5 miles from Tierra de Sol
Places to fish all year round:
Argos Embolsa, Azud de Ojos Embolsa,
CenajoPreserve, Cierva Embolsa Preserve, El Esparragal Preserve.
If you are enquireing about permits it best to get these before you arrive, we can do this for you but it does mean you have to send us copies of your passport/driving licence and possible other documents also. It is not difficult or expensive, but as the law in Spain can change over night it is often better to be safe than sorry.
However people do come over and just fish without a permit.
Azud de Okos Reservoir
Species: Barbel and Carp. Fishing is grade 3 (0n a scale 0f 1-5) Some stretches are easier to get to than others. Water levels can vary a good deal over short spaces of time.
Baits: Set out in general regulations. Catch limits: Rainbow trout 7, Carp, barbel and Black bass 10. Number of permits: Thursdays 12, days before festivals 25, festivals 35.
Unrestricted Fishing.
Directions to Reservoirs.
Pantano de Argos
Leaving Calasparra by the Cehegin road C3314 southbound after 1½ miles, just past junction at valentin, take the just before the petrol station clearly signposted, this road takes you to the banks of the reservoir. Access to waters edge is good and signed posted.
Azud de Ojos
Just outside the town of Ojos in the Valle Ricote- simply follow the signs to the reservoir.
Cenajo Preserves
Leaving Tierra de Sol take the road to Calasparra at the second roundabout follow signs to Embalse del Cenajo, Socovos. About 2 miles along this road take right turn signposted Embalse Cenajo, then just follow the sings.
This a busy preserve, just under 5 miles long, the upper limit is at the Cenajo dam and lower limit at the casa del Hondon.
Cierva reservoir Preserve
Take the C415 dual carriageway and take the exit for Mula, Yechar, Archena. Then turn off immediately to the right, following signposts for the reservoir. An intense reservoir just under 4 miles long.
El Esparragal Preserve
Just outside Calasparra heading for the river egura via the Plaza del Esparragal. This is an intense preserve just over 1 mile long.
Walking:
Find the time to take advantage of all the different walks and rambles, a wide variety are catered for, with organizations committed to providing information to enable visitors to take part. Hill walking in particular is very popular. The paths and tracks being signposted to international standards. One route 30 miles in length, follows the course of an abandoned railway line linking Murcia with Caravaca de la Cruz, another crossing the region from Cieza to Canada de la Cruz, is categorized "RG" (general route), there many smaller footpaths signed "RP" (recorrido pintoresco, or scenic route). To travel these on foot the silence of the countryside is broken only by the sound of the birds singing or the deer running about you.
Walks are organised by the local council and everyone is welcome, walks are graded by their difficulty and all abilities are catered for, or use the maps and walk guides provided by the tourist office and chose your own routes taking in the beautiful scenery and local attractions and chose your own routes taking in the beautiful scenery and local attractions.
Reptiles that can be seen around the area if you stay alert.
We can observe a total of 21 species of reptiles, belonging to 9 families, enriching the fauna of the region of Murcia. None of the species in Murcia is dangerous for humans, with the exception of the viper.
Common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon - Fam. Chamaeleonidae)
Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus - Fam. Colubridae)
European grass snake, ringed snake (Natrix natrix - Fam. Colubridae)
False smooth snake (Macroprotodon brevis - Fam. Colubridae)
Ladder snake (Elaphe scalaris - Fam. Colubridae)
Horseshoe snake (Coluber hippocrepis - Fam. Colubridae)
Southern smooth snake (Coronella girondica - Fam. Colubridae)
Snub nosed viper (Vipera latasti - Fam. Viperidae)
Viperine Snake (Natrix maura - Fam. Colubridae)
Iberian worm lizard (Blanus cinereus - Fam. Amphisbaenidae)
Bedriaga's skink (Chalcides bedriagai - Fam. Scincidae)
Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa - Fam. Emydidae)
Spanish psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus - Fam. Amilia Lacertidae)
Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica - Fam. Lacertidae)
Large psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus - Fam. Lacertidae)
Red-tailed spiny-footed lizard (Acanthodactylus erythrurus - Fam. Lacertidae)
Timon lepidus, ocellated lizard (Lacerta lepida - Fam. Lacertidae)
The moorish gecko, salamanquesa , crocodile gecko , european common gecko , maurita naca gecko
(Tarentola mauritanica - Fam. Gekkonidae)
Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus - Fam. Gekkonidae)
Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca - Fam. Testudinidae)
Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta - Fam. Cheloniidae), ...
Terrestrial mammals :
Red squirrel, Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris - Fam. Sciuridés)
Barbary Sheep, Aoudad, Arui, Waddan (Ammotragus lervia - Fam.Bovidae)
Beech Marten, Stone Marten (Martes foina - Fam. Mustelides)
Wildcat, Wild Cat, Wild-cat (Felis silvestris - Fam. Felidae)
Wild boar (Sus scrofa. - Fam. Suidae)
Garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus - Fam. Myoxidae)
European otter, eurasian otter, eurasian river otter, common otter and old world otter
(Lutra lutra - Fam. Mustélidos)
European badger, eurasian badger (Meles meles - Fam. Mustélidos)
Cabrera vole (Microtus cabrerae - Fam. Muridae)
Iberian lynx, spanish lynx (Lynx pardinus)
Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis - Fam. Mustelides)
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes - Fam. Canidae)
European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
European brown hare (Lepus europaeus, Liebre europea. Lepus timidus)
Iberian lynx, spanish lynx (Lynx pardinus)
The Iberian lynx seems to be very rare in Murcia : few visits in Sierra del Puerto (North of Murcia). The spanish lynx is distributed mainly in the southwest quadrant of Spain. Murcia has indicated its presence from footprints and observations that have not been repeated in time, so it must be regarded as extinct.
It is worth remember that as late as the early 1960s there were still between 5,000 and 6,000 iberian lynxes in the Peninsula.
Detect presence of the Iberian lynx is very difficult mostly due to its solitary behaviour, nocturnal or crepuscular habits, low density of its populations.
The Iberian Lynx is an example of wildlife in Spain that is indigenous and only to be found in Spain. The Iberian Lynx today is only one of many species of wildlife in Spain that is facing extinction. For this reason, decreasing numbers of this animal in Spain has led to its status as a protected form of wildlife.
The main reason for the regression of the lynx in the Iberian Peninsula is without any doubt the loss of its natural habitat.
Intensive forestry has caused large areas of natural vegetation to be replaced by pine and eucalyptus monocultures, making it impossible for the lynx to survive. Other factors, such as public building works or land clearing operations seem to have had less impact, although in some cases they have caused lynx populations to be broken up and isolated.
The Iberian lynx has been brought to the brink of extinction because of a combination of threats that include the radical decrease of rabbits, the lynx's principal prey; a serious reduction in habitat; being caught in snares set for rabbits; accidental deaths caused by speeding vehicles on the expanding road network, and illegal hunting.
Duringt this year 2008, a total of 82 Iberian lynx were born, including 21 in captivity, and including cubs there now may be as many as 200 lynxes in Spain, up from 100 in 2002. In addition, more than 50 lynxes are doing their bit in the various captive breeding centres. A record 13 cubs born in captivity have survived this year. There is, however, still a very, very long way to go.
Amphibians
In the Region of Murcia, there are the presence of one species of urodela (Salamandra salamander) and eight species of anurans. Most of them are widely represented in the Northwest Region of Murcia.
Iberian ribbed newt, spanish ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl - Fam. Salamandridae)
Perez's frog or rana común (Rana perezi - Fam. Ranidae)
Mediterranean tree frog, stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis - Fam. Hylidae)
Common parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus - Fam. Pelobatidae)
Spanish painted frog, sapillo pintojo meridional (Discoglossus jeanneae - Fam. Discoglossidae)
Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra - Fam. Salamandridae)
Common toad, european toad (Bufo bufo - Fam. Bufonidae)
Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita - Fam. Bufonidae)
Western spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes - Fam. Pelobatidae)
Crapaud Sapo Partero (Bético Alytes dickhilleni - Fam. Discoglossidae)