About Spain
Costa Cálida
Murcia's warm coast with the Mar Menor — the warmest and calmest sea in this part of Europe.
The Costa Cálida takes its name from the temperature of the water. The Mar Menor is a shallow lagoon separated from the Mediterranean by the twenty-kilometre spit of La Manga — in summer the water passes twenty-five degrees and there are virtually no waves. This is a coast for families with small children and for anyone who prefers a slower rhythm than the Costa Blanca.
Los Alcázares, San Pedro del Pinatar with its salt-flat park and flamingos, Santiago de la Ribera and Mar de Cristal: small, Spanish towns without the crowds. The nearest airport is Murcia-Corvera, about half an hour away.
The Mar Menor — a sea without waves
The Mar Menor is a lagoon separated from the Mediterranean by the twenty-kilometre spit of La Manga. In summer the water passes twenty-five degrees, stays shallow over a wide area and has virtually no waves.
For a family with small children that is a completely different kind of holiday from the open sea: you can wade a hundred metres out and still stand. On the other side of the spit is the open Mediterranean with real surf — the two beaches are a quarter of an hour apart, so you do not have to choose for the whole stay.
Getting there
The nearest airport is Murcia-Corvera, about half an hour away. It is small, so the walk from the plane to the car rental desk takes fifteen minutes rather than an hour.
The other option is Alicante-Elche: further out, but with more flights and more often a direct one. The drive takes roughly an hour on the motorway. For every apartment we give the distance to both airports, measured by road.
When to come
The name "Costa Cálida" — warm coast — is not a marketing line. The shallow lagoon heats up faster than the open sea, so the swimming season starts earlier and ends later here than a little further north.
May and June are our pick: the water is already warm and the towns are still empty. In July and August the visitors are mostly Spaniards from Murcia and Madrid — lively, but still without the crowds you know from the Costa Blanca.
The towns we know
Los Alcázares is a long promenade along the lagoon and a dozen restaurants where you eat fish, not pizza. San Pedro del Pinatar has its salt-flat park with flamingos and the mud baths people travel here specifically for. Santiago de la Ribera and Mar de Cristal are smaller and quieter — quiet enough that in September you can have the beach to yourself.
These are small Spanish towns without districts built for tourists. If you are looking for a slower rhythm than the Costa Blanca, this is the side.
Costa Cálida
See apartments in this area