Murcia's closest beaches

There's a lot of good reasons to live in Murcia: the sun, the mountains, the beach, the bars and pubs, etc. However, you could so there is one not so good thing: the beaches are actually quite far away.

But, if you have a car this isn't the case (20 minute drive). Even if you take the bus, although it takes a little more time, it's not too bad if you make sure you choose the right place amd avoid wasting 3 hours on the journey. To help with all this, I'm going to share the places I usually go to with you.

You have two choices:

1. Go to the closest, Mar Menor.
2. Go slightly further away, but to the bigger beach, The Mediterranean.

Mar Menor

This is technically part of the Mediterranean sea as there's a stretch of countryside that links them together, between La Manga and San Pedro del Pinatar. Obviously however, the Mar Menor is less clear than the Mediterranean sea, but it does have its own advantages.

• Less people, all year round.
• Loads of cheap local bars.
• Cheap clubs that are never too full. It's so much better when there isn't a queue and you don't even have to pay to get in. It's not as hot inside either.
• You can walk along the seafront and visit loads of different villages (although they are just a massive cluster of houses compared to any French or Belgian village).
• Untouched pieces of land to explore.
• Cycle lanes and routes to make the most of.

Los Narejos and Los Alcazares

You can get here by using the Lycar buses. They changed their timetable this year but one thing for sure is not to head down on a Sunday. The only way it would be a good idea is if you grabbed the bus at 09:30, anything later and you'll end up spending only 2 hours at the actual beach. Los Narejos is just before Los Alcazares. These two villages (more like small cities to me) are right next to each other.

In Los Alcazares, there's a small commercial street with bars, ice cream shops, clothes shops, and a lot more. I'd recommend going to Club Náutico and trying their Caldero (a Mar Menor speciality). If you do want to go and try it then make sure you book in advance, not only is it really busy but it takes a long time to cook them, two hours, so better to do something while you wait. There are also sun loungers you can use, but I'm not sure if you have to pay. I think if you're a customer you don't have to.

In Narejos, you'll find bars and restaurants too. The beach is much busier and if you go to the end of the pedestrian path, along the seafront, you'll get to a sort of wild garden. It's fully kitted out, with small wooden bridges and stone paths. It's really pretty and great to spend a bit of time relaxing. There's also a panoramic viewing point of the city. If you go right to the end you'll get to a little campsite with a small beach. It's not the nicest beach but there is practically no one there and it's really quiet.

After that however, you can't get any further. It's closed off as there is a military zone and after that the San Javier airport. You can see the planes landing though.

San Pedro del Pinatar

If you want more information about this place, you can read a post I have already written about it. You can find it here, on the Erasmusu page, under the category 'Murcia' then 'Places' (here's the link). But for those who want more information now, here's a little of that for you.

San Pedro del Pinatar is a nice beach as there is loads to do all in the space of an afternoon. You can take a dip in the 'baños de barro', take a stroll along the beach and the salt mines, or even go to the more unexplored beach (definitely worth a visit). It's an especially nice place if you prefer to actually explore the beaches rather than just get a tan. You can grab any Latbus bus (70) any day of the week, even the weekends.

La Manga

I myself am not a massive fan of La Manga. Purely because it's too far away and the beaches there aren't that great. It doesn't have quite the same charm. La Manga is the point that separates Mar Menor and the Mediterranean. The cool thing about it is that you can visit both of them while you're there. Of course, the Mediterranean side is prettier. However, I still don't like the beaches as they are surrounded by large buildings, they are narrow, and very busy. There aren't any hidden parts either, unexplored or untouched. Saying this, it's worth visiting at least once so you can make your own mind up about it.

The Mediterranean

It goes without saying: crystal clear water, white sand, gentle waves. The Mediterranean is much prettier than Mar Menor, but of course, the beaches are much busier. The places I've been to, close to Murcia, are Alicante, Calblanque and Cartagena.

Alicante

It's always a good time to spend a day in Alicante. You can enjoy the beaches, close by or taking the tram to see some others. Take a break from the beaches and visit the castle (it has a lift that takes you to the top, just in front of the beach). The city is old and beautiful, there is a pedestrian path along the seafront with tourist shops, etc. It's a nice walk. The only bad thing about it is that in the Summer it's packed. You can grab any Alsa bus to get there, there is one every 2 hours from Murcia.

Calblanque and Cartagena

I'm not actually sure if you can get to the beaches from the city. However, the city itself is a lovely place to spend the day. Visit museums, go on a boat tour. Everything is pretty cheap and really cool. Calblanque is a protected nature zone, with rocks and small mountains. It's really quite something.