La Manga del Mar Menor, or La Manga, is a unique area of Spain located in the Murcia Autonomous Community. La Manga area belongs to three municipalities: Cartagena, San Javier and San Pedro del Pinatar. We are talking about a land mass of volcanic origin, which extends for 22 km towards the Mediterranean Sea and forms the Mar Menor lagoon, with a unique microclimate. The water temperature in the Mar Menor is always higher than in the Mediterranean Sea: around 30 °C. The width of La Manga varies from 100 m to 900 m: in some places you can walk in just 5 minutes from one sea to another.
Certainly, it seems that La Manga was specifically created for a life of luxury and relaxation: fresh air enriched with minerals, magnificent beaches, wonderful views, spa resorts, wellness centres, wonderful restaurants, a well-developed infrastructure, more than 300 sunny days per year and a great range of entertainment for all tastes and ages: La Manga has it all.
It is also an ideal place for water sports lovers. It is not surprising that La Manga is recognized as the most popular and visited resort on the Costa Calida.
La Manga del Mar Menor on the map:
La Manga del Mar Menor: history
La Manga is a unique place of natural origin, formed several thousand years ago. The formation process of this land mass happened this way: the sand was gradually washed and settled in the volcanic origin hills, finally separating the lagoon of the Mar Menor from the Mediterranean Sea, which used to be a large open bay.
The active development of La Manga area began in the second half of the 20th century. This area gradually became one of the most important tourist centres of the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
La Manga del Mar Menor: the weather
The weather in La Manga is warm and sunny (more than 300 sunny days per year), with low rainfall: there is no snow in winter and rainfall are rare. In addition, La Manga has a very favourable geographical location: it is not very hot during the summer here thanks to the cool and pleasant breeze, the winters are mild and without snow, and the average annual temperature is about 20 °C.
La Manga del Mar Menor: things to do
La Manga consists of, first of all, the sea, or rather two seas, therefore, almost all activities and hobbies are related to water.
La Manga: what to do and to see? Cabo de Palos: the best place for diving and snorkelling
You may spend a whole day, or even several days, in order to explore Cabo de Palos. This is an amazing place, where you will find a fishing village, a lighthouse, many beautiful natural places, viewpoints with stunning views and wonderful bays for snorkelling or diving. In fact, Cabo de Palos and the small Islas Hormigas, located a few kilometres from the coast, are one of the best places in Spain for diving. The seabed here is a nature reserve with a unique flora and fauna, and in the Islas Hormigas area there is one of the largest ship cemeteries of Europe. At a depth of 30 to 70 m, rest more than 50 boats here. In 1906, the Italian transatlantic cruise ship Sirio, the “Mediterranean Titanic”, sank in this area. According to official figures, the tragedy took the lives of 242 people. Currently, in order to dive in the area where the sunken ship rests, it is only possible with the permission of the Ministry of Environment of Murcia.
La Manga: what to do and to see? Boat trips on the Mar Menor
For those who prefer less extreme leisure activities, boat trips around the Mar Menor are available. You can choose among many routes, some of them include a visit to the islands of the Mar Menor.
La Manga: entertainment. Night life
If you are a nightlife lover, remember these two names: El Zoco and Plaza Bohemia. It is in these two areas where all the most interesting things happen in La Manga after sunset: restaurants, bars, shops, pubs, lots of music and joy – you will find all of this and more here.
La Manga: attractions. Calblanque Regional Park
Nature and outdoor activities lovers must visit the Calblanque Regional Park. You can not only take a walk, enjoy the magnificent views and the beautiful sandy beach, but also take a horse ride along the beach (a great choice for a romantic evening), go kitesurfing, windsurfing or other water activities.
If you want to take a walk or take a bike ride and enjoy the magnificent views, we recommend that you choose the route from Cala Reona to Calblanque Park (you will find a link to the route in the Wikiloc app here).
La Manga: leisure. La Manga Club Resort
Not far from the Calblanque Regional Park, one of the best sports resorts of the world, is located: La Manga Club Resort, with luxury hotels and apartments, restaurants, sports areas for all tastes, spa areas, etc. The complex also has luxury golf courses, among which is one of the best in Europe. Visit La Manga Club Resort website for further details. You can find its location here.
La Manga: what to do and to see? The viewpoint of Monte Blanco in La Manga
If you are looking for the best views of La Manga and the Mar Menor, you will not find a more suitable place than the Monte Blanco viewpoint in La Manga. You can find its location here.
La Manga: relax. Spa, thalassotherapy, mud therapy
For those who seek relaxation of the body and mind and get health benefits, there are many spa centres and resorts near La Manga. You will find here numerous treatments for the care of different parts of the body, a lot of relaxation and a special rejuvenating treatment based on water and mud from the Mar Menor. The Thelasia Hotel and Thalassotherapy Center is a good example of all this is. Check its website for further information. You can find its location here.
The water of the Mar Menor is a true cocktail of healthy mineral salts. You can immediately feel its healing effect without even immersing yourself in the water: the air here is literally saturated with beneficial microelements for the body. You can find its location here.
Breathing this air, by itself, is already a powerful therapy that can cure many diseases.
Regarding the beaches,La Manga: what to do and to see? The Regional Park of Las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar
The Regional Park of Las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar is a protected natural area, located in the northern part of the Mar Menor. It is a wetland with a unique flora and fauna. There are beaches, salt mines and even a port in this area.
The area is characterized by a wide variety of ecosystems, and the seabed of the reserve is home to many species of plants and animals, including protected species. The same can be said of the terrestrial part of the reserve: there are a great variety of species of birds, reptiles and mammals, many of which are endangered species.
Regarding the beaches, there are six in the reserve: five are in the Mediterranean Sea and one in the Mar Menor.
The following beaches are found in the Mediterranean Sea:
- Las Salinas beach. It is a sandy and clear-water beach. It is located near the port. It has a length of 1200 m and a width of 10 m. You can find its location here.
- La Barraca Quemada beach. It is a wild sandy beach, 700 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Punta de Algas beach. It is a wild sandy beach, with a length of 1260 m and a width of 20 m. You can see how the two seas meet on this beach. You can find its location here.
- Torre Derribada beach. A large sandy beach with a length of 2210 m and a width of 30 m. You can find its location here.
- El Mojón beach. A sandy beach with a length of 465 meters and a width of 50 meters. You can find its location here.
- La Mota beach. It is located in the Mar Menor, where you can practice numerous water sports. There is also an area for mud treatment. You can find its location here.
La Manga: islands
There are several islands of volcanic origin in the southern half of the lagoon − three large islands: Isla Perdiguera, Isla Mayor (Isla del Barón), Isla del Ciervo; and two small ones: Isla Redonda (Rondella) and Isla del Sujeto. There are also islands in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of La Manga. Specifically, three islands: Isla Grosa, Islas Hormigas, Islote Farallón. You can see the location of each island on the map by clicking on its name.
La Manga: Gastronomy
And of course, you cannot forget to mention the magnificent cuisine of this area, whose main elements are the rice and fresh seafood. The best restaurants in order to taste local dishes are: El Rubio, in San Pedro de Pinatar; Balneario la Encarnación and La Tropical, in Los Alcázares; Miramar La Ribera, in Santiago de la Ribera; Área Sunset, in La Manga. Do not forget to try a special type of coffee served in this area, the ” café asiático”: coffee with condensed milk, Liquor 43, brandy and cinnamon.
La Manga beaches
- Playa de los Alemanes (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, 200 m long and 15-20 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa de Marchamalo (Mediterranean Sea). It is an urban sandy beach, with a length of 1600 m and a width of 20 m. It is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure. You can find its location here.
- Playa del Vivero (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, 500 m long and 12 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Puerto Bello (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, with a length of 500 m and a width between 30 to 40 m. It is usually very crowded with bathers. Its gradual entrance to the sea and the warmth of its waters make this beach ideal for families with children. You can find its location here.
- Playa Cavanna (Mar Menor). It is a sandy and rocky beach 700 m long and 18 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa del Ciervo (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, 150 m long and 15 m wide. One of the islands of the Mar Menor is facing the beach – Isla del Ciervo. You can find its location here.
- Cala del Pino (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach 150 m long and 12 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Galúa (Mediterranean Sea). It is an urban sandy beach 980 meters long and 40 meters wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Barco Perdido, Playa Entremares (Mediterranean Sea). It is an urban sandy beach, 2000 m long and 15 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Las Amoladeras (Mediterranean Sea). It is an urban sandy beach, 630 meters long and 30 meters wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa de Levante (Mediterranean Sea). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, 200 m long and 20 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Esculls de la Llana y Encañizada (Mediterranean Sea). It is a beach located in a protected area. You can strictly swim in the designated areas. You can find its location here.
- Playa La Veneziola (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban beach of coarse sand, 1500 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa El Pudrimel (Mediterranean Sea). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, with a length of 1500 m and a width of 18 m. You can find its location here.
- Playa Chica (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban beach of coarse sand, 1800 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Ensenada del Esparto (Mediterranean Sea). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, with a length of 2600 m and a width of 20 m. You can find its location here.
- Escollera de Poniente (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, 900 m long and 15 m wide.
- Escollera de Levante (Mediterranean Sea). Semi-urban rocky beach 800 m long and 30 m wide.
- Playa Mistral (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, 250 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa del Estacio (Mediterranean Sea). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, with a length of 2900 m and a width of 18 m. You can find its location here.
- Playa Matasgordas (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, 3300 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Las Antillas (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, 450 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa El Arenal (Mediterranean Sea). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, 1850 m long and 18 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa El Pedruchillo (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, 500 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Playa Leveche (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, with a length of 1700 m and a width of 10 m. You can find its location here.
- Playa Alíseos (Mar Menor). It is a semi-urban sandy beach, 800 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
- Banco del Tabal (Mediterranean Sea). It is an urban sandy beach, with a length of 1400 m and a width of 15 m. You can find its location here.
- Playa La Isla (Mar Menor). It is an urban sandy beach, 500 m long and 10 m wide. You can find its location here.
Read more about other beaches of the Costa Blanca in our article.
La Manga: housing
La Manga is in high demand among Spanish and foreign homebuyers. In addition, the real estate market of La Manga is very diverse: you can find homes for all tastes and budgets here, both second-hand and new build (villas, townhouses, apartments, penthouses, etc.).
La Manga homes are also an excellent investment option since they can easily be rented throughout the year. In addition, significant earnings are obtained in high season: rents can vary from € 40 to € 300 per day depending on the type of housing.
The price of housing in La Manga starts from € 35,000. For this amount, you can become the owner of a small studio. On the other hand, a house in La Manga can be purchased from € 70,000. The housing average price per square meter in La Manga, according to September 2019 data from the Idealista website was € 1527.
La Manga is divided into several areas: Playa de las Gaviotas-El Pedrucho (from € 35,000; € 1520 per m2); Playa del Esparto-Veneziola (from 45,000; € 1509 per m2); Playa del Galán (from € 45,000; € 1500 per square meter); Entremares Area (from € 45,000; € 1579 per square meter); Galúa-Calnegre area (from € 55,000; € 1514 per square meter).
Foreign buyers currently prefer new build homes in La Manga: these are modern residential complexes built according to the latest international standards, using the highest quality materials and the latest technologies, and they are equipped with an excellent infrastructure. It should be noted that, the great advantage of buying a house in La Manga is the proximity of the sea. It is simply impossible to buy a home here far from the beach, since they simply do not exist. In addition, the housing prices in La Manga are affordable.
Are you interested in this amazing place known as La Manga del Mar Menor? Do you want to spend your holidays or buy a property here? Our experts will be happy to answer all your questions about renting or buying a home in La Manga. You can find all our housing supply in this area, here.
