Costa Calida
The Costa Calida is the coastline of the province of Murcia, including the Mar Menor, a vast, salt-water lagoon. It averages 320 days of sunshine a year and has an average temperature of 18°c. The Costa Calida is famous for it's golf course resorts, of which Polaris World and La Manga are perhaps the best known.
Its attractions for visitors include the fact that the area remains un spoilt from commercialism and retains a lot of the feel of the real Spain.
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Polaris World
Polaris World is located in the region of Murcia, which whilst being one of the richest provinces in Spain has remained the least exploited. Alicante international airport is only 40 minutes away whilst the Murcia San Javier Airport is only 8 km away.
Polaris is a whole new concept in real estate and a number of factors contribute to this concept - Quality, Security, Superb Services, Meticulous design and Environmentally friendly urban planning. It is currently made up of 5 resorts, however, membership of one allows you to access the facilities of all five.
Mar Menor
Mar Menor is Europe's largest salt water lake and it stretches over 170 square km. Small towns dot the coast of Mar Menor: Los Alcarares, Santiago de la Ribera, Los Nietos and La Manga. La Manga has the added advantage of being ideally placed on the isthmus so can easily enjoy both the salt lake and the sea.
The very nature of the salt lake, calm and warm, and the option of the Mediterranean coast with its waves encourages all sorts of water sports. Sailing, canoeing, swimming, water-skiing, jet-skiing, flysurfing, windsurfing, catamaranning can all be found in the area.
Mar Menor does have an historical side as well. Remains found in the area date from the Roman and Arabic periods but it is thought that it was originally settled in prehistoric times. The Romans valued the area and developed a valuable salt industry.
Cartagena
This town was founded by the Carthaginians around 230 BC and it's strategic importance has given it a rich history. It was captured by the Roman general Scipio in 209 BC and at the time was said to be one of the richest ports in the world.
In the time of King Phillip II of Spain Cartagena was a major naval seaport, defended by forts and surrounded by a wall. The medieval Concepcion Castle offers terrific panoramic views of the city.
Cartagena has lots of archeological sites because of its rich history and a trip to the archeological museum is a must.
Mazarron
This is a small Spanish town with superb restaurants and bars. It is actually two towns in one as, just 5 minutes away, the Puerto de Mazarron sits on the coast. Puerto de Mazarron has a harbour and marina. It has long sandy beaches and beautiful coves and is a haven for divers and sun seekers alike.
Places to visit in Mazarron are the church of San Andrés, with it's Mudejar coffered ceiling, the convent of Las Purísimas and the ruins of Castle Vélez.
