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Caravaca updates tourist signs with smart tech and multilingual audio guides
New signs and a mobile app offer personalised routes and accessible info to enhance visitor experience
Caravaca de la Cruz is rolling out a fresh wave of tourist signs across its historic centre and surrounding districts, designed to offer visitors a more unified and engaging way to explore the area. The town council has installed over 100 new signs featuring QR codes linked to audio guides in Spanish, English and French, all as part of a wider digital and sustainable tourism push.
These upgrades aren’t just about fresh paint and modern design. Thanks to European recovery funds, the project aims to combine heritage with technology, allowing tourists to create customised routes via a soon-to-be-launched mobile app. Visitors will be able to tailor their trips according to interests, access interactive maps, check out local events and even save and share their itineraries.
Mayor José Francisco García highlighted the importance of the initiative, saying, “This puts technology at the service of heritage, making it more understandable, accessible, and attractive to all audiences, while respecting the cultural identity that defines our municipality.”
He also highlighted how the project helps both promote the town’s historical treasures and strengthen Caravaca’s image as a modern destination with a unique personality.
Tourism councillor José Santiago Villa explained how the signage will guide visitors throughout their journey: “Using QR codes and the web app, visitors can design personalised itineraries, discover the municipality’s resources, and consult information in an accessible and personalised way.”
The project aligns with recommendations from Spain’s tourism innovation agency SEGITTUR to advance Caravaca as a Smart Tourist Destination.
The new signs fall into five categories, including plaques at key monuments such as the Basilica of the Vera Cruz and the Town Hall, which update original signage installed over 20 years ago. The town has also renewed information panels, set up tourist posts in busy areas, enhanced directional signs, and added durable QR markers at archaeological sites.
Alongside the signage, a free web app, soon to be integrated into the official tourism site, will provide a user-friendly platform for planning visits. This digital transformation builds on other local projects like immersive reality experiences at the Caballos del Vino festival, audio guides in museums and a Tourist Intelligence System.Caravaca’s tourism department believes these innovations reflect the town’s steady growth, with international visitors up 3% over the past two years and an increasing number of couples and families choosing the area. As the town continues to embrace modern technology, it aims to offer experiences that meet the expectations of today’s travellers while preserving its rich cultural past.
For more local news, information and events, go to the home page of Caravaca Today
Images: Ayuntamiento de Caravaca de la Cruz
