There´s a new King on the Cabo Roig strip……. King of Tandoori, Indian Restaurant & Takeaway. It´s always nice to see a new restaurant open and this one is no acception. This new Indian restaurant is fresh and vibrant with all young and cheerful staff, who are only to keen to help and please. They have an extensive menu with a real taste of India.

Lunch Time Menu

The lunch time menu consists of 3 courses and is excellent value at €6.95. This is served between 12.00 - 15.00 hrs.

Menu Del Dia

(menu of the day) is also the Early Bird Menu and is served between 17.00 - 19.00 hrs. You can choose 1 from any 4 starters and any curry dish with rice, naan or chips. A glass of wine, a small beer or any soft drink is also included in this credit crunch price of only €9.90.

The Restaurant is fully air-conditioned but if you so wish on a balmy summers evening, you can eat alfresco in front of the restaurant and just relax and watch the world go by, on the Cabo Roig Strip! The restaurant boasts of an extensive range of Indian cuisine, all cooked to perfection and if what you require is not on the menu, just ask and Jaspreet the chef, with over 15 yrs experience will prepare it for you.

This Restaurant operates to a very high standard, yet the waiters with their friendly charm, soon encourage you to relax, sit back and enjoy the Indian experience. For any curry lover, who has ever dined in Bradford, the Curry Capital of the UK, the King of Tandoori is for you. ENJOY!

Anyone wishing to dine at this restaurant, just click on the image below and print off your special 5% discount voucher but remember to keep the Playa Flamenca Property Hounds logo attached.

Caravaca de la Cruz

For a taste of the real Spain and a chance to take in the splendour of the traditional Fiesta, Caravaca de la Cruz is a must for anyone fortunate enough to be in the area at the beginning of May each year.

This lovely town is always worth a visit at any time of the year but at the beginning of May they celebrate the way only the Spanish can. Festivities commence on 1^st May with Bell ringing and the offering of flowers to the holy cross together with various other activities, but it is on 2nd May when the visitor will be treated to an experience to remember.

Town Square

Early on, the day starts with more bell ringing and fireworks followed by the Mass of Commemoration of the Most Holy and True Cross of Caravaca. This dates back to 1232 when legend has it that the Moorish King Zeytb Abuzeyt ordered a captured priest called Chirinos to say mass to satisfy his curiosity. The priest started to prepare but had no cross as the Moors had destroyed them all. Insistent that he could not say mass without a cross the king became angry and accused him of making an excuse. At this point 2 angels appeared carrying a cross with two arms. Upon seeing this, the Moorish king fell to his knees and converted to Christianity along with all his Arabic subjects.

The town gets its name from the cross with two arms and there are constant reminders of the importance of this symbol which can be seen all around the town, from the structure on the roundabout leading into the town, to banners and signs on every street. All of the jewellery and souvenir shops can also boast a large selection of crosses for sale.

A procession of marching bands make their way through the streets together with the beautifully decorated horses that take part in the race later in the day. These horses are pure bred and are generally happy to stand still for photographs as they wind their way through the town. The embroidered costumes worn by the horses take a year to make and the serious nature of the competition for the best dressed horse is clear to see.

The town is alive with activity and in the main square the banners are draped from the surrounding balconies and giant figures of Kings, Queens. Knights and Moors weave in amongst the crowds. On any street corner you are likely to come across another band or group of Knights in traditional mantles and Moors in brightly coloured costumes with many carrying swords.

Spectators can get more involved in the proceedings by simply purchasing one of the red scarves available for sale in most of the local shops which are worn by the young men who take part in the horse race later in the day.

A typical street market meanders through the town offering the usual choice of leather goods, jewellery, toys, food etc.

Not all shops will be open during the fiesta but there will be enough for the souvenir hunter and anyone wanting something to eat or drink.
At around 1.45pm the main procession starts off, led by the Moorish King and Queen followed by their subjects split into different distinctive groups of men and women brandishing weapons and followed by their bands with powerful brass and drum sections. After the Moors come the Christian King and Queen supported by the various Knight Orders and plenty more marching bands.

The festival Princess makes an appearance on horse back followed by the Mayor and his entourage carrying flowers up to the Castle.

Next come the horse’s one by one to the starting point for the 10 second dash up the hill. This is known as Los Caballos del Vino (Wine Horses) and dates back to the 13^th century when the Christians who were besieged in the fortress by the Arabs managed to break out in search of water. They could not find water so returned with wineskins filled with wine. The horses are all pretty lively and once a group of 4 men are in position each hanging onto the horse, it charges up the hill with each man doing their best to hold on to the straps and complete the race to qualify for a time. Not everyone makes it to the top it has to be said and the crowd has to be quick to part and make way for the horses if they want to avoid being a casualty of the day. You can watch this spectacle from the Castle above or by the road side. If you want to avoid the crush you can watch all the action on one of the large television screens located in the castle grounds or in the town square.

At the end of the race each horse makes its way into the castle grounds where there are more photo opportunities and the beautiful church itself where its many volunteers hand out hundreds of bunches of fresh flowers to anyone who wants them. This introduces even more colour to this spectacular event.

The fiesta carries on into the evening and then starts again the next day when there is a children’s parade depicting the Moors and Christians once again. The procession of the bathing of the cross then sees the Cross leave the Parish Church to reach the Cuesta de la Cruz before the Blessing of the Water at the temple.

The town of Caravaca is regarded as the fifth holiest City in the world following Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostella and Santo Toribo de Liébana.
The original cross disappeared in 1932 before the Spanish Civil War and has never been found so the town asked the Vatican to help. A copy of the cross was donated by the Pope and the reliquary holds 2 pieces of the cross (“True Cross”) that Christ was crucified on. Pope Benedict XVII visited Caravaca on 1^st December 2002 for the benefaction of the cross and now they can celebrate the perpetual year of Jubilee every 7 years and is next due in 2010.

Other Attractions.

At other times the visitor can take a more leisurely stroll around this charming town and take time out to visit “The Museo de la Fiesta” where the colourful embroideries and costumes can be seen. There are 3 other Museums in the town together with fine churches and monuments.

There is also a newer part of town where the visitor can enjoy the cosmopolitan shops and the large market held on a Monday.

Situated 625 feet above sea level in the North West province of Murcia, Caravaca is easily accessible form Alicante and Murcia.

Caravaca is well worth the visit and will definitely represent a taste of the real Spain for anyone who wants more from their holiday than sun and sea, at least for one day anyway!