10 Essentials: what to see and do in La Manga and Mar Menor (Murcia)

All in Spain we have heard about La Manga and Mar Menor in the Murcia as one of the traditional sun and beach vacation destinations.

And every year there are thousands of people, largely from Madrid, who come to enjoy their holidays in La Manga and other corners of the area Mar Menor.

But this coastal enclave of Mediterranean coast It offers other attractions to its visitors that transcend the sun and the beach, which I have been able to discover after our recent getaway.

What La Manga and the Mar Menor are like in Murcia

At the outset I will tell you that the Mar Menor is largest coastal saltwater lagoon in Spain, which is separated from Mediterranean Sea by the land strip of 22 kilometers in length, which is known as La Manga.

This land strip was created over thousands of years as a geological evolution.

At present, the Mar Menor and Mediterranean Sea They are joined by a natural opening located to the north of La Manga, and another artificial one that was built next to the marina of Thomas Maestre.

El Mar Menor It has an area of ​​135 square kilometers and the maximum depth is 7 meters.

Inside there are several small islets of volcanic origin, such as the Major Island, an extinct volcanic cone, or the Perdiguera Island.

To note that the waters of the Mar Menor have higher salinity than those next door Mar Mayor, which is how the Mediterranean Sea.

Although its waters are really calm much of the time, they can become really turbulent due to the effect of the wind, although in the Mar Menor no waves really occur.

Of course, it must be said that some areas of the Mar Menor there is a problem of Water contamination due to agricultural discharges, an issue pending solution.

What to see and do when visiting La Manga and the Mar Menor

Below I am going to indicate several corners What to see around the Mar Menor and La Manga, as of the beginning activities you can do During your vacation, enjoy it!!

Monte Blanco Viewpoint in La Manga in Murcia

To have the best panoramic views of La Manga and the Mar Menor, I advise climb to the Monte Blanco viewpoint located about four kilometers from the entrance to this strip of land.

From this circular viewpoint which is located in front of the nearby Deer Island, you have a 360-degree vision that will allow you to understand the peculiar characteristics of this geographical enclave of the Murcia.

Snorkeling in Cabo de Palos in Mar Menor

Cabo de palos It is not only a geographical place in the surroundings of the Mar Menor where is a great lighthouse and at his feet, a small cove with crystal clear waters, ideal place to do snorkel o scuba diving.

Specifically, you can sign up for a the working snorkel, an activity that you will carry out for three hours in the coves of this natural area, where the aforementioned transparent waters are the result of the presence Posidonia in this coastal area.

However Cabo de palos It is also the name of the old fishing village, which is located at the foot of the lighthouse.

In summer, this enclave has become a very popular place for tourists to go and taste the caldero and other gastronomic specialties of the area, as well as for moments of leisure.

Cabo de palos maintains some corners of old fishermen's houses with colorful facades, and in its marina you can still see some of these fishermen's boats.

Urban art in Los Alcázares in Mar Menor

Los Alázares It is one of the municipalities that are located on the banks of the Mar Menor.

With 15.000 inhabitants, for three years the cultural association La Compañía de Mario has been carrying out a proposal to create urban art.

With the support of the city council, more than 150 paintings on house facades in the most diverse corners of the town, with the participation of national and international artists.

Now you can go to one urban bike route so that for about two hours you will be able to see outstanding artistic works, some of which I can assure you that due to their quality they transcend beyond the usual level of the street graffiti.

Boat cruises on the Mar Menor in Murcia

Of course, sail on a boat on the Mar Menor It is one of the attractions that this tourist enclave offers its visitors, for which you have a wide variety of options.

On the one hand, the ferry line that throughout the year you crosses from Los Alcázares to La Manga, specifically to the marina Thomas Maestre.

But in the months of July and August you also have various boat excursions on the Mar Menor, even going out to Mediterranean Sea to take you to the nearest Grosa Island, a natural area declared for the protection of birds.

Here you have the information of the boat excursion to the Grosa Island y the Farallon, which starting from Tomás Maestre port and with a duration of two hours, it leaves the Mar Menor to navigate to said islets of the Mediterranean coast.

And finally, you also have the option to sail through the Mar Menor, without going out to Mediterranean coast, a pleasant excursion of almost two hours that takes you around the islets of this large lagoon.

In this link you have all the information about the boat trip on the Mar Menor.

Nautical activities in Mar Menor in Murcia

As you can imagine, in addition to the possibility of surf, in some holidays in the Mar Menor you can also do others nautical activities.

For example, you can practice kayak, Do water skiing o drive a jet ski, possibilities offered by activity companies such as veterana El Pedruchillo Sailing School.

Another of the nautical activities that I have been able to confirm that you can do in the Mar Menor is windsurf, which is caused when the wind takes center stage in that area of ​​the coast Mediterranean type,.

I can assure you that there are days when the wind is really strong.

Salt flats and sand flats of San Pedro de Pinatar in Mar Menor

Al north of the Mar Menor you find one natural area, Salinas y Arenales park in San Pedro de Pinatar, in which next to the salt flats area you can see an area of ​​dunes on the beaches that overlook the Mediterranean coast.

One of the attractions of visiting this park is being able to spot the flamingo colonies that inhabit it for much of the year, which is why it is also considered a bird protection area.

Mud Baths in the Mar Menor in Murcia

El health tourism It is another of the aspects of Mar Menor.

In this regard, it is worth highlighting the area of Mud Baths that extends in some of the ponds of the aforementioned salt flats of San Pedro de Pinatar.

On your vacation you will see that many visitors every day come to the wooden platforms enabled to access the mud, and thus cover their bodies with these mud with healthy properties.

Thalassotherapy in the Mar Menor in Murcia

En San Pedro de Pinatar you find several thalassotherapy centers that will allow you to enjoy this healthy experience.

I remind you that thalassotherapy is a therapeutic method that uses salty sea water to carry out treatments, so that in the Mar Menor You can also benefit from this therapy.

That was the case during our stay, in which we took the opportunity to give ourselves some bathing in the Thalasia hotel pools, one of those mentioned thalassotherapy centers You have at your disposal.

Calblanque Park in Mar Menor in Murcia

Another of the nature enclaves around the Mar Menor is Calblanque park, which extends south of Cabo de Palos.

This parque natural which is already located in the coastal area of ​​the nearby municipality of Cartagena It is a protected enclave where you can do Hiking between cliffs and sandbanks.

You can also bathe in its small coves, which in summer you must reach by means of a bus service enabled for this purpose since access to cars is closed.

Gastronomy: what to eat in La Manga and the Mar Menor

And, of course, the gastronomy It is another of the attractions of enjoying a getaway or a vacation in the Mar Menor and its surroundings.

El caldero It is undoubtedly the star specialty, but along with this rice you can taste dishes cooked with the famous Murcian vegetables, and seafood, As the prawns from the Mar Menor.

good ones restaurants to taste the local gastronomy, I can attest, they are The blond en San Pedro de Pinatar, La Encarnació Spany the Tropical en Los Alázares, Miramar en The Ribera, and Sunset Area en La Manga.

And a final piece of advice, you should not miss trying the asian coffee, an original elaboration of Cartagena which combines coffee, condensed milk, 43 liquor, brandy and cinnamon.

Map: how to get to La Manga and the Mar Menor

El La Manga and Mar Menor You can find them three quarters of an hour by car southeast of the city of Murcia, and an hour and a quarter south of Alicante.