La manga
At the northernmost end of the Costa Cálida, La Manga – or, to give it its full
name, La Manga del Mar Menor (The Sleeve of the Little Sea) – is a long spit of
land that divides the Mar Menor from the Mediterranean Sea. Originally, it was a
bay open to the Mediterranean; volcanic reefs at each end gradually held back the
sand and sediment that was dragged along by the sea currents to form a sandy column
of dunes and rock vegetation and long beaches. It is cut off by natural channels
that keep the two seas in contact with each other; the so-called golas allow water
from the Mediterranean into Mar Menor. The Mar Menor is a warm salt water lagoon,
the largest in Europe, and it attracts thousands of birds. In autumn, flamingos
stop here on their migration south, a wonderful sight.
The area was untouched until the 60s, when La Manga was discovered as a tourist
resort and underwent a transformation which included the urbanisation of the area
and the construction of tourist infrastructures. For many visitors the name is synonymous
with the luxury resort that takes up a large part of the “sleeve”. The majority
of accommodation consists of luxury self-catering villas and apartments, which dot
the hillsides and flank the beach but there are enough high rises hotels to explain
the resort’s nickname, “Mini-Miami”. With three golf courses, an Olympic standard
tennis centre, horse riding, catamarans, a luxury health spa, a casino, hundreds
of bars and excellent restaurants, this is truly a holiday wonderland. Indeed, a
lot of the people who stay here never bother to leave the resort.
The Tomas Maestre yacht club is a wonderful place to have a coffee and watch the
world go by – it’s also possible to take sailing courses there. Swimmers will love
this area – the Mar Menor is ideal for children, as it is 17°C all year round, with
calm water that is only 8m deep at its deepest point. The Mediterranean is at its
cleanest here, with crystalline waters – but the height of the waves make it suitable
only for expert swimmers. It is, however, ideal for those who want to try windsurfing,
water skiing or diving. The lagoon is also known for its therapeutic mud and curative
waters, rich in iodine and salt, which have the reputation of helping rheumatism
and infections.
For those seeking the real Spain, it is nearby – there are numerous towns and villages
along the 73 km of coastline fringing the lagoon, and you will find a warm welcome
in all of them. These are the best places to try the local cuisine – the region
is famous for its wonderful vegetables, which are baked, grilled, or made into soups,
as well as paella, the quintessential Spanish dish made with rice, meat, seafood
and vegetables and glistening lightly with olive oil. Washed down with delicious
Murcian wine, either by itself or made into sangria, this meal is difficult to beat.