Cañada de la Leña

Costa Cálida (Murcia)

Cañada de la Leña comes from the phonetic distortion of "Alheña" (from the Arabic Al-hinná); a wild oily shrub whose leaves produce a natural dye widely used in ancient times. The same origin has the name of the neighboring town of La Algueña. It is also known by Los Martínez, a surname that apparently belonged to the first lumberjacks to settle in the municipality, hence the duality of the name. This hamlet is formed by a core of elongated buildings, in which houses, warehouses, stalls and garages intertwine. Striking are the marble quarries, from which ivory-colored marble is extracted. It is worth noting how many wells there are in the area, but they are closed due to the amount of salt the water contains. In the center of the town there is a small church and a large garden square crossed by the road that takes us to La Algueña brings. The festivities are celebrated on July 16 in honor of the Virgen del Carmen.