Costa Calida

Welcome to the Costa Calida!

Two seas on one coastline - the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean, miles of white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters - make up the Costa Calida.

The Costa Calida is the 250km stretch of coastline bordering the province of Murcia in the south east corner of Spain. San Pedro del Pinatar, with its white beach of El Mojan, is the most northerly town on this coastline and borders with the province of Alicante (Costa Blanca South), down to the little fishing town of Aguilas. Along this coast there are 200 fine sandy beaches, with deserted coves awaiting the arrival of the bather, sailor, diver or fisherman.

The Costa Calida also cradles one of Spain's greatest coastal treasures – a huge natural saltwater lagoon called the Mar Menor (Little Sea) which is separated from the Mediterranean by a 22km sandy strip of narrow land known as La Manga. The unique Mar Menor is a magnet for wildlife, water sports enthusiasts and thousands of devotees who swear by the healing powers of its mud and minerals. The saltwater lagoon is a rich source of minerals, and their curative properties are believed to ease all sorts of ailments, from rheumatism and arthritis to sore throats.

Besides its alleged healing powers, the Mar Menor is also an ideal place for bathing, as the warm and tranquil water of this sheltered lake has an average depth of 1.7m and the sea temperatures are around 5 degrees C above the average Mediterranean sea temperature, making it ideal for families.

The climate on this part of the Mediterranean has an average temperature of between 18 degrees C in the winter to 36 degrees C in the summer, although this is usually surpassed in August to around 40 degrees C. The record high was 47.2 degrees C on 4th July 1994!

Flying to the Costa Calida is easy, as the UK low-cost carriers fly to the region’s airport; San Javier is only minutes from the Mar Menor and only 25km from the capital Murcia, and Alicante airport is only 70km away.

Spain’s national motorway runs though the Costa Calida, connecting it with Almeria, Alicante and Valencia.

Murcia region serves as a major producer of agricultural products; you will find Murcia’s tomatoes, lettuces, oranges and lemons in many European supermarkets.

From a tourist point of view the Murcia region offers you a huge amount of interesting places to visit. Top of your list must be the city of Murcia; the city dates back to 825 AD when it was originally founded as part of Cordoba, by the emir of Al-Andalus, Abd ar- Rahman. There are too many historical monuments and museums to mention!

The capital of the province is Carthagena, a very impressive city full of historical sites and an ancient naval port with an eye-catching 12th century castle overlooking the bay. Cartegena has been the capital of the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Department of the Mediterranean since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century. As far back as the 16th century it has been one of the most important naval ports in Spain.

Los Alcazares (less than a ten-minute drive from San Javier international airport) is an old fishing village on the shores of the Mar Menor, so a perfect location for a relaxing holiday, and has a choice of no less than five Blue Flag beaches. Los Alcazares is a popular holiday destination and has an excellent array of quality restaurants, tapas bars, and a great place to learn wind-surfing, sailing, or just float in the warm mineral-rich lagoon.

A short drive away is La Manga which was ‘discovered’ as a tourist resort in the early 60s, where the world-renowned La Manga Club is situated. La Manga Club offers every conceivable type of leisure facility imaginable, including no less than three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre, and the sumptuous 5-star Hyatt Regency Hotel. The 1,500-acre resort is awash with top-quality international restaurants and water sports facilities. This is not a place for budget travelers or families seeking ‘Real Spain’, but for ex-pats with bulging wallets!

For golfers who wish to enjoy their game on excellent quality courses in stunning surroundings, and have the choice to play a different Jack Nicklaus design course every day, Polaris World Resorts have all their superb courses in the region of Murcia, only ten minutes from the Mar Menor. If you become a Polaris World Golf property owner you can play all the courses, regardless of which resort you choose to purchase on. The famous Polaris Mar Menor Resort as seen on TV has, like all the others, every conceivable sports facility ... including golf, plus the 5-star Intercontinental Hotel.

Further along this coast you arrive at the resort of Mazarron, situated in the bay of Mazarron from Cabo Tinoso to Cabo Cope. Along this 35km of spectacular coastline there are 40 beaches. Mazarron is located inland around 7km from the little fishing harbour of Puerto de Mazarron, which has an active fishing industry with colorful fishing boats.

Costa Calida, with its sun, sea, beaches and golf... What more do you need!