The closest beaches to Murcia

There are lots of advantages about living in Murcia: the sun, the mountains, the beach, the 'tascas' (narrow streets with lots of bars)... However, some people could complain that the beaches are too far from the city. If you have a car, it isn't a problem (20 minutes). If you take a bus, effectively, it is a bit longer. That's why you have to choose where you want to go so you can organise it. This is why I want to share my list of favourite places with you, where I often visit.

You have the choice to go to the Mar Menor, or a little further to the Mediterranean sea.

Mar Menor

About the Mar Menor

The Mar Menor is an enclosed sea in the Meditarranean sea. It is not quite closed off, there a narrow passage which links it to the meditarranean sea between 'La Manga' and "San Pedro del Pinatar". It is definitely less blue than the meditarranean but it has other advantages:

• Less people throughout the year
• Local and cheaper bars
• Clubs that are never too full and less exppensive (so it is nicer not having to queue for the toilets and it not being as hot)
• The possibility to stroll alongside the sea and see different villages (which are more urbanised than French or Belgian villages)
• Discovering un-touched areas
• Cycling tracks

Los Narejos et Los Alcazares

You can get here using the bus company, Lycar. This year, the number of buses has reduced a lot. On Sunday for example, unless you get up to take the bus at 9. 30am, it isn't worth the trouble of going there because you can only stay there for two hours. Los Narejos is an extension of the Alcazares. These two 'villages' (small towns in my opinion) are situated next to each other. In Los Alcazares, there is a small street with shops, bars, ice cream parlours, boutiques... I recommend going to the sailing club (Club Nautico) and trying the "Caldero" (specialty of the Mar Menor). If you want to eat a 'Caldero', it's best to call ahead and book a place because the recipe takes two hours to prepare (like paella... ). There are also chairs to sit at in the Club Nautico but I am not sure if you have to pay to use them.

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In Los Narejos, there are also bars and restaurants. The beach is normally busier. If you walk to the end of promenade along the sea, you will come to a small nature park that has some tall plants. There are some wooden bridges and stilted paths in the park. It's nice to walk around. There is a viewpoint in the middle. If you go beyond this area, you reach a campsite which has a small beach. Not very pretty but at least there are not many people there so it is quieter. After here, the area is closed off because nearby is the military camp and the San Javier airport. You can see the planes take off from here.

San Pedro del Pinatar

If you want some more information about San Pedro, you can read the article I wrote about it here.

Overall, San Pedro is a nice beach as there are lots of things to do. You can take a mud bath, walk along the sea and the Salines, or go to a wild beach. I highly recommend it, especially if you like a walking by the sea and not just sunbathing. We went there with the Latbus company (the number seventy bus). The good thing about this bus company is that the times are pretty much the same on the weekends.

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La Manga

Personally, I am not a fan. Quite simply because it is far away and I didn't find the beaches there very nice. La Manga is strip of land that separates the Mar Menor from the Mediterranean sea. What's nice is that you can access the Mar Menor from one side and from the other side the Mediterranean. As you would probably guess, the Mediterranean side is more beautiful. However, I didn't like the beaches. Crowded, narrow, with buildings all along the seafront. So for smaller and more natural places, it is not the place to go. Though it's nice to go for there at least once, to see what it's like...

The Meditarranean Sea

I don't think I have to describe it... blue water, white sand, sun, waves... The Mediterranean Sea is prettier than El Mar Menor, but there are also a lot more people on the beaches. The places I know of which are close to Murcia are Alicante and Cartagena and Calblanque.

Alicante

It's always nice to spend a day here. You can enjoy the beach (possibly take the tram to the beaches a little less crowded) and take a break from the beach by visiting the castle (there is an elevator on the promenade to reach it). The old town is pretty, there is a promenade with some tourist shops. It's nice to walk around. In the height of summer, a lot of tourists visit Alicante. I travelled here using the bus company Alsa. There are buses every two hours from Murcia.

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Calblanque and Cartagena

I don't know where you can access the beaches of Cartagena from the city. Either way, it is nice to spend a day in the city of Cartagena. There are museums, cheap boat rides which I recommend...

Calblanque is a protected natural area with rocks and mountains. I was told that it is a very beautiful place.