Day trips
Orihuela: churches, cloisters and a poet
A cathedral with a 14th-to-16th-century cloister, a former university with two cloisters and the poet Miguel Hernández’s house against the mountainside. A 40-minute drive, toll-free.
A monumental town on the Segura
Orihuela lies inland, about 34 kilometres from the penthouse. Until 1986, Pilar de la Horadada was part of this municipality. The old town sits between the river Segura and the San Miguel mountain and is full of churches, cloisters and palaces.
The writer Gabriel Miró called the town ‘Oleza’ in his novels. The poet Miguel Hernández was born here in 1910; his family home is a free museum.
Itinerary
What your day looks like
A sample itinerary for spring and autumn. Opening hours and prices were checked in October 2026 and may change: check the official website before you go.
- 1
09:30
Drive to Orihuela
Via the CV-925 and CV-950, the inland road from Pilar to Orihuela, you reach the centre in about 40 minutes: no motorway and no tolls. The tourist office is in the Palacio de Rubalcava, Calle Marqués de Arneva 1.
Open in Google Maps - 2
10:15
Colegio de Santo Domingo
Founded by Cardinal Loazes in 1547 and raised to university status in 1552, it taught students until 1835. The building of more than 15,000 m² has two cloisters and a refectory in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Today it is a school.
Open in Google Maps - 3
11:15
The cathedral
The Catedral del Salvador y Santa María was built from the late 13th century in Valencian Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, and became a cathedral in 1510. Look for the 14th-century Puerta de las Cadenas and the cloister (1377–1560).
Open in Google Maps - 4
12:15
Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacro
The diocesan museum of sacred art holds, among other works, Velázquez’s Temptation of St Thomas.
Open in Google Maps - 5
13:30
Lunch in the centre
Have lunch in the old town. Many museums close between 14:00 and 16:00: a good moment for a long lunch.
- 6
16:00
Casa Museo Miguel Hernández
The poet’s family home (1910–1942) is built on terraces up the mountainside: a patio with a well, a goat shed and a garden with fig trees from his time. The town bought the house in 1981 and restored it in 1985.
Open in Google Maps - 7
17:15
Museo de la Muralla
Finish at the free Museo de la Muralla, which is also open in the afternoon.
Open in Google Maps - 8
18:00
Back to Pilar
About 40 minutes back along the same inland road.
Calendar
Festivals and events
Holy Week
Orihuela’s processions are of International Tourist Interest.
Moros y Cristianos
In July; the main day is 17 July, with the Gloriosa Enseña del Oriol.
Frequently asked questions
Is Orihuela Cathedral open on Sundays?
Do I pay to see Miguel Hernández’s house?
Can I visit Orihuela on a Monday?
Is there a toll on the way to Orihuela?
More day trips
Another day out?
- ± 35 min
- Not on Mondays
Cartagena
Roman theatre, a castle with a panoramic lift and modernist façades. All on foot from the harbour.
See the day
- ± 50 min
- Tapas
Murcia
Market hall, cathedral, the Real Casino and tapas on Plaza de las Flores.
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- ± 65 min
- AP-7 toll
Alicante and Tabarca
A free castle above the city, the Explanada and, if you like, the boat to Tabarca.
See the day
Your base on the Costa Blanca
After a day out, the roof terrace is waiting. See when the penthouse is available.