Murcia is an inland city on the Segura, with a compact cathedral quarter, market streets and a rail station across the river in El Carmen. The Mediterranean beaches are a separate trip, not a walk from a city hotel.
The Cathedral of Santa María fills Plaza del Cardenal Belluga with a Baroque façade. Calle Trapería leads to the Real Casino, and Platería joins the central shopping streets. You can walk to most old-town sights.
Plaza de las Flores and Santa Catalina, west of the cathedral, are full of tapas terraces. Mercado de Verónicas is closer to the Segura, and the Malecón path follows the river into the huerta. The Salzillo Museum is farther northwest in San Andrés.
El Carmen is on the south bank, across Puente de los Peligros. Murcia del Carmen rail station and Floridablanca Garden make it a practical area for train arrivals. For repeated evenings in the old town, the cathedral side is better.
Summer heat changes how you spend the day. Midsummer highs average in the mid-90s °F, so save sightseeing for the cooler hours. The bus station is west of the center. Región de Murcia airport is to the south, and Alicante airport is another option.