The Costa Cálida begins in the Northern situated place El Mojón, a former fishermen village with a beautiful sandy beach and lies in stretched out fields with reed. The cities San Pedro del Pinatar and Lo Pagán are located within a stone’s throw and forms, together with the place El Mojón, the nature park Parque Regional de las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar. One can find the best therapeutically outdoor mud baths, which are recommended for all sorts of skin diseases and forms of rheumatism in Lo Pagán. It’s recommend to combine these mud baths with salt baths, which one can take in the Mar Menor. The Mar Menor (little sea) is a shallow inwards sea, with crystal clear water with an important therapeutically value and kilometres long white sandy beaches. This inward sea is being separated from the Mediterranean Sea by the narrow tongue of land of 22 kilometres named La Manga (an exclusive piece of paradise between 2 seas). One can see the Mar Menor as an outdoor spa due to the fact of high concentration of minerals of salt + iodine and the influence of the strong sunshine, which creates a very healthy climate. This area is also known by the water sport fanatics due to the little waves and flows in the Mar Menor. It’s also very save for children because the Mar Menor is very quiet and shallow (max. 7 meters deep) and offers a lot of sea pleasure. We find the place Los Alcázares in the rounding at the coast of the Mar Menor, this idyllic place is know for its bath houses with long footbridges that goes into the sea and chosen by Arabic kings for their summer houses. One can make trips to the different islands in the Mar Menor from out Los Alcázares.

A part of the tong of land La Manga with at one side the Mar Menor and at the other side the Mediterranean Sea

We find the place Cabo de Palos, a fishermen village with a pleasant harbour, South of the Mar Menor and at the end of La Manga. The hill, at which the lighthouse of this village is situated, offers a spectacular view over the whole tong of land of La Manga. And from the watchtower Cabezo de la Fuente in Los Correlanos you have a magnificent view over the Mar Menor. Southwards, along the Regional Park of Calblanque (this park is one of the few nature reserves where the original natural beauty is still almost untouched), we come in the city Cartagena. The harbour of this city was labelled as most secured of the Mediterranean Sea due to the sea wall that runs along the harbour and protects the cosy old city centre. One can find the remains of a rich history and the leftover architecture and monuments in this city. Then we come, along the coast, to Mazzaron, a touristic centre with excellent facilities and animated nightlife. Here you can admire the Ciudad Encantada (enchanted city), Ciudad Encantada is a remarkable landscape through time and wind sculptured sandstone. Before the boundary of where the Costa de Almería begins, is the city Águilas situated. A former Roman fishermen harbour and in those time a important miner place, which you can still see in the wharf of El Hornillo. This fishermen village has kilometres of deserted beach with crystal clear water and as a result of that this is one of the best underwater sport areas. Finally we come to the Capital Murcia. This Capital has really all the facilities and has a rich history what still reflects in the cultural and artistic charisma. One can feel the beating hart of the city life around the main street La Traperia and shops, restaurants, banks etc. are situated here. The La Traperia ends at the beautiful cathedral of Murcia.

Los Alcázares

Cabo de Palos

Ciudad Encantada

El Hornillo in Águilas

Cathedral in Murcia

SPORT

This Costa is, due to the Mar Menor, the several water sport centres and the unique offer of the possibilities on the field of water sport tourism, an excellent region to practise the water sports. Especially the variation in sea ground, transparent and good view under water makes this coast to one of the best places for the underwater sport. But also the hiking- and nature lovers can enjoy the routes through the magnificent nature in the several Nature Parks. One can also ride a horse, play golf and go look at the surroundings by mountain bike.

FLORA AND FAUNA

One can entitle the whole area around the Mar Menor as a nature park. Especially the Parque Regional de las Salinas de San Pedro, consisting of a complex network with pools and basins where a lot of birds hide out, is the nature area of the northern half of the Costa Cálida. As well in the park as in the southern situated Parque Regional de Calblanque, one can walk here for hours over the placed plank bridge path meanwhile enjoying the several species of birds, among them flamingos, which look for food in the Salinas (Salt lakes)

PLACES TO GO OUT

In the Costa Cálida one can enjoy a health- and rest cure in the magnificent situated health resort like in Balneario de Archena or take a nice bath in the hot water well of, for example, Balneario de Fortuna. One can go to the centres of the cities for night entertainment where one can find numerous bars, discotheques, theatres and restaurants.

FOLKLORE AND CELEBRATIONS

They celebrate Carnival a lot in this Costa, there are spectacular parades and parties in the places Águilas, Lorca and Cartagena. Also the Easter week is celebrated extensively with scenes out the old Testament and processes in Murcia, Lorca and in the whole area of the Mar Menor. Then there are also the Maria-parties in July, tied together ships go along the Mar Menor with the holy virgin of the Sea. The longest party is in Cartagena, here they play the battle between the Romans and the Carthagers in the form of battlefields, camps and parades. You can enjoy this play for 15 days.

GASTRONOMY

The calderos (rice course with different kinds of fish and paprika’s), mojama (salted tuna), pastel cierva (pie filled with pigeon, rabbit or chicken and eggs) are typical courses in the Costa Cálida. And they usually take melon, figs, drapes from Cartagena or goat cheese as dessert. And they take asiático (coffee with cinnamon, milk, liqueur and coffee beans) as closing.

Flamingo's

Balneario de Fortuna

Carnaval

Mojama

	Artificial coral reef: the most activities in the Costa Cálida concern with sportive elements and/or nature. For example diving in the magnificent artificial coral reef in Calabardina (Águilas).
	Isla del Fraile: the island in front of the coast near Águilas, where one can find the remains and ruins from the Roman history. You can also visit the islands situated in the Mar Menor.
	Nature reserves: Parque Regional de las Salinas de San Pedro, Calblanque, Cabo Cope y Puntas de Calnegre, Sierra Espuña, Sierra de la Pila and Reserva de los Sotos y Bosques de la Rivera de Cañaverosa.
	Museum and architecture: most museums are based on the shipping, culture history or nature and the including elements. You won’t get bored concerning the architecture due to the fact that the Costa Cálida as well as the Costa Almería have a lot of untouched buildings and archeologic discoveries and one can entitle the whole Costa Cálida as an open air museum.
	Golf: the beautiful golfcourse of La Manga club is situated near the Mar Menor, which has 3 paths with 18 holes and palm trees. Torre Pacheco is a golfcourse with 9 holes.

	Temperature: annual average temperature of ca. 18,5 °C ( max. ca. 33,1 °C / min. ca. 4,9 °C) and the average temperature of the seawater is 20°C (max. ca. 24,9 °C / min. ca. 13,5 °C)
	By plain: airport Alicante/El Altet or San Javier. Amsterdam – Alicante = ca. 2,5 hours flying, Brussel – San Javier = ca. 2 hours and 15 min. flying.
	By car: Utrecht – Murcia = ca. 2116,2 km in about 20 hours and 09 minutes.
	By train: Utrecht – Murcia = ca. 31 hours with several transfers.