La Manga del Mar Menor is a popular strip of land on the eastern coastline of Spain. This strip separates the Mar Menor lagoon from the Mediterranean Sea. Known as the ” Sleeve of the minor Sea “, this area resides on the Costa Calida (warm coast).
Over the course of time, the volcanic reefs at the north and south points of the Mar Menor held back the sand. The Sea current dragged sand, rocks and sea vegetation into the bay. As a result, La Manga strip appears as it is today.
One noticeable thing when entering the Mar Menor is it’s distinct lack of waves and the calm water. This is because the strip of lands is keeping the waves from the Mediterranean Sea out.
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La Manga Strip
Beaches
Nightlife
La Manga Club
Weather
La Manga del Mar Menor, Costa Calida
La Manga del Mar Menor is usually shortened to La Manga Strip. This strip has a length of 22 km and a width of between 100 – 1200 metres. The Mar Menor lagoon started life as a bay allowing easy access to the Mediterranean Sea. Running adjacent to the strip are popular tourism areas such as Los Alcazares which often hosts an air show and San Javier.
The water temperature is usually much warmer than the Sea. The Mar Menor temperature rarely drops below 15 Celsius. Inside the bay are the islands of Isla Perdiguera, Isla del Baron and Isla del Ciervo. All three tiny islands are visible when taking a dip in the Mar Menor.
Beaches & Watersports
El Arenal (as shown above) is one of the top beaches of La Manga del Mar Menor. Located on the strip, this beautiful b each extends for 1.8 km’s. The sun reflects off the golden sand as calm waves wash up on the shore. El Arenal is not the widest beach, the average width is around 20 metres. This beach is very accessible with several bus stops close by.
Some of the other great beaches here include Pedruchillo, Alemanes and El Vivero. Playa Estacio, Lebeche Ensenada del Esparto and Puerto Bello are several more.
Most of the mentioned beaches have excellent water sports and activities on offer. Windsurfing is particularly popular here among other boarding sports. The conditions here are excellent for windsurfing and many other water activities. Sailing and water skiing also draw people from far and wide.
La Manga strip is open all year round for business due to it’s constant flow of visitors. Many choose to visit La Manga in the winter to relax. There are less tourists around but the temperature is still mild.
Those that are new to these sports have several local schools and training courses to teach you. La Manga Wind (link above) specialise in teaching beginners and advanced students. They provide courses for windsurfing, kite-surfing and sailing. The courses also range from beginners to advanced.
Nightlife & Restaurants
La Manga is not only about the beaches. There is a vast range of shops, bars, supermarkets and discos for nightlife. The strip houses many excellent hotels and restaurants. El Golleron (as shown above) is a must experience restaurant and club. You can dine on the beach with views out over the Mar Menor. Escuela de Pieter and El Sitio de mi Recreo are two more high quality restaurants to check out.
La Manga Club
La Manga Club is without doubt one of the top resorts on the Costa Calida. This amazing resort offers everything you could want for a fantastic holiday. This is just one of the super locations offering Murcia golf properties at discount prices. La Manga Club is like a small village of it’s own, full of wonderful activities to enjoy. Golfers tend to flock here to pit their wits and skill against the super golf course (picture above).
The resort offers a superb wellness centre. Here you will find a spa with many health and beauty facilities. Fine dining here is no problem with gourmet food on offer. La Manga Club boasts many other sporting activities such as tennis. There are always special offers for a short break available.
Climate and Weather
La Manga del Mar Menor has an average yearly temperatures of 19.3 Celsius. This area also sees around 325 days of sunshine each year. In the summer months of June, July and August there is very little rainfall if any. The average temperature is between 25-35 Celsius during the warmer months.
The Costa Calida generally is quite arid, this is also true for the entire province of Murcia. The temperature during the winter months will seldom drop below 6 Celsius. This can climb to as high as 15 Celsius at times. The colder months tend to be quite mild compared to other cooler parts along the coastline.