DISCOVERING THE COSTA CALIDA

Until the early 1990s, few of us would have considered taking a vacation in the Murcia region. But a transformation has taken place here over the past ten years and now the demand for holidays and holiday homes on the Costa Calida is almost as hot (calida) as the name of the coast itself!

Arguably, the climate (a good 320 days of sunshine per year) and the Costa Calida’s 155 miles of the Murcia province’s coastline are major attractions. But as with the Costa Blanca, people don’t come here just to build sandcastles.

The Murcia region is as respected for its agricultural prowess with huge tracts of land given over to growing citrus fruit, flowers, vegetables and wine as it is for its colourful history and fabulous architecture. You only have to spend a few minutes in any of the region’s principal cities – Murcia, Lorca and Cartagena – to be whisked back in time while marvelling at the lasting impressions left by earlier civilisations.

Another lasting impression of the Costa Calida region has occurred through a combination of time and geography: the Mar Menor, a 170 km2 area separated from the Mediterranean by a 22km peninsular of land known as La Manga.

Acknowledged as the largest saltwater lake in Europe (although there are several small channels leading in to the Mediterranean), the Mar Menor’s reputation as a popular and therapeutic bathing area has changed little since Roman times. Today, the warm, safe, sheltered and shallow waters provide an ideal location – especially for children and beginners - for year-round water sports.