La Manga del Mar Menor (Murcia, Spain)

...get to the end of La Manga you can't go any further so we just turned around and headed back!

THE AREA

La Manga is a strip of land which stretches for approx 15 miles and this is the only route you can take to get to Mar Menor. It runs alongside the Mar Menor (inland sea) one side and the Med on the other, making for a very picturesque journey from the airport, once you leave behind the high rise apartment blocks which ...
...were more expensive restaurants along La Manga.

One tip we were given when we were there was that eating out at lunchtime is better than in the evenings as you can choose Dish of the Day which usually costs around a fiver for at least two courses.

The development where we stayed consisted of several apartment blocks and villas, most of them privately owned. Some of them were rented out but mainly they were owner occupied, ... more

Being fed up with the English winter this year we decided to rent an apartment in Spain for several weeks. As it is coming round to that time of year again, this review might be useful to some of you.

BOOKING

We found this by doing a websearch and after sorting through different sites, we eventually booked through www.ownersdirect.co.uk

This site lists different types of accommodation in various locations, it shows pictures of the properties and has a good description, you choose your property and then contact the owner.

Booking was easy, we only booked a couple of weeks before departure and contacted the owner by e mail, who then rang us back.

FLIGHT

We booked our own flight to Murcia and this was an exceptional deal, taking advantage of some of the low cost airlines who now fly there. Alicante is also within easy travelling distance, so we looked at alternative flights there too.

By being able to travel on any day the flights cost less than 100GBP each.

ARRIVAL

We hired a car at the airport and drove from Murcia along the Mar Menor, it was a Sunday afternoon, out of season so the roads were fairly quiet. But having said this, we still managed to miss the turning into the development where we were staying. But it was no problem, once you get to the end of La Manga you can't go any further so we just turned around and headed back!

THE AREA

La Manga is a strip of land which stretches for approx 15 miles and this is the only route you can take to get to Mar Menor. It runs alongside the Mar Menor (inland sea) one side and the Med on the other, making for a very picturesque journey from the airport, once you leave behind the high rise apartment blocks which seem to be everywhere.

We stayed on the edge of the Marina, overlooking the Mar Menor, this was very pretty, with all the boats moored there.

All around the marina are restaurants, catering for every taste from French to Mexican, with the traditional Spanish as well of course. Eating out was realtively cheap, there were more expensive restaurants along La Manga.

One tip we were given when we were there was that eating out at lunchtime is better than in the evenings as you can choose Dish of the Day which usually costs around a fiver for at least two courses.

The development where we stayed consisted of several apartment blocks and villas, most of them privately owned. Some of them were rented out but mainly they were owner occupied, many by German people.

There was a childrens' playground, a swimming pool (closed as it was out of season) and a tennis court. Different apartment blocks have different facilities and these are usually accessed via locked gates, for the use of residents only. But there are also communal seating areas along the seafront.

ACCOMMODATION

Our apartment was superbly situated and was very well equipped inside. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living/dining room with balcony and a kitchen with all the appliances we could need, i.e. microwave, washer, dryer, cooker etc.

There were two major problems - we had gone to escape the cold British winter, only to find the apartment was only heated by two portable electric heaters! Fortunately there was no extra charge for heating! But we were COLD most of the stay and thankfully we had thought to take warm clothing with us.

The other problem was that although there was a balcony overlooking the sea, the sun didn't get round to this until about 4 pm so most of the day it was in the shade. If we could have sat outside in the sun it would have been warmer than being inside!

However, the apartment only cost us 250 GBP per week, which was exceptionally good value for such good accommodation.

ACTIVITIES

This region of Spain is well known for its golf courses, but as we are not golfers, we cannot comment on these.

However, for sailing enthusiasts it would be ideal. Or for anyone just wanting a relaxing get-away-from-it-all break this would be suitable.

Being on the harbourside I would not recommend it as a family holiday. There were very few children around, but again this was out of season so may be different in the summer.

There were a few shops within walking distance of the apartment and a daily stroll along there for fresh veg etc started the day off well, followed by a more leisurely stroll along the seafront.

Thankfully we hired a car and were able to visit some places of interest - Cartagena and Alicante are within easy travelling distance of La Manga, so we were able to take in some of the cultural sights.

We also drove along La Manga towards Murcia and stopped off along the way, either to pop into the supermarket to stock up on fresh fish and fruit and veg, or for a walk along the beach.

There were a lot of Brits living there, all of them only too happy to discuss the advantages of moving abroad!

DISADVANTAGES/RECOMMENDATIONS

I would recommend this place as an ideal location for a winter break, if you are not too bothered about nightlife. If it is peace and quiet you want, then this is ideal.

If you are thinking of visiting this area, then I would advise you go there out of season. The route along La Manga can get very congested, and I dread to think how long it would take to travel along this stretch at the height of the season.

If you rent an apartment, then check with the owners about heating, if it is not included in the price you may end up paying as much as the heating bills at home! 

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