3 TOP TOWNS

Catherine McGeer

THE second ‘Town of the Year’ Awards recently took place in the Region of Murcia, shedding light on the issues of depopulation, inadequate infrastructure, and the challenges faced by rural areas. Organised by Prensa Ibérica in collaboration with La Opinión, these awards aimed to acknowledge and honour the efforts made by town councils, companies, and associations in the region to drive progress in their municipalities.

The ceremony took place at the prestigious Archaeological Museum of Murcia, where winners were announced based on the votes cast by the readers of the newspaper. The towns of San Javier, Ricote, and Pliego emerged as the victors in their respective categories.

San Javier was crowned the ‘Town of the Year’ in the culture category, with Mayor José Miguel Luengo accepting the award presented by Juan Ramón Gil, the General Director of Content for

Prensa Ibérica. Pliego was recognised as the ‘Best Sustainable Town of the Year’, and the accolade was presented to Councillor Antonio Huéscar by José Masegosa, the Communications Director of the Hozono Global Group.

Finally, the title of ‘Best Tourist Town of the Year’ went to Ricote, and Mayor Rafael Guillamón received the award from Marcos Ortuño, the acting councillor for the Presidency, Tourism, Culture, and Sports of the Community.