The Best Beaches Near Murcia's Golf Resorts: Calblanque, La Manga and the Mar Menor

Murcia's golf resorts put you within easy reach of two seas. The calm, shallow Mar Menor has warm, family-friendly beaches at Los Alcázares and Santiago de la Ribera. The Mediterranean offers the unspoilt coves of Calblanque, La Manga's long strands, diving at Cabo de Palos, and the dramatic coast of Mazarrón and Águilas.

Which beaches are closest to MedSol's golf resorts?

One of the best things about owning on a Murcia resort is that the beach is a day-trip decision, not a holiday. Here is roughly how far the main beaches are from our developments. Times are approximate and depend on traffic and exactly where you are going.

Why is Calblanque so special?

If you only visit one beach, make it Calblanque. The full name is the Parque Regional de Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas y Peña del Águila, a protected regional park declared in 1995 on the coast between Cartagena and La Unión. There are no hotels, no apartment blocks and no beach bars on the sand, just golden beaches, dunes and rocky headlands.

The main beaches include Playa Larga, Playa de Calblanque, Playa Negrete, Playa Parreño and Las Cañas, with smaller coves such as Cala Magre and Cala Arturo tucked between the headlands. It is a lovely place to walk in winter, too, when you might have a whole beach to yourself.

In the busy summer period, car access into the beach area is managed to protect the park. During those dates a paid shuttle bus runs to the beaches during the day, and the Región de Murcia's Murcia Natural website publishes the calendar and timetables each year.

For a quiet morning swim, Calblanque's Playa Larga is hard to beat.

What is La Manga like for beaches?

La Manga del Mar Menor is the narrow strip of land, more than 20 km long, that separates the Mar Menor from the Mediterranean. That gives it two very different sets of beaches, sometimes only a few hundred metres apart.

• Mediterranean side: open sea, proper waves on a breezy day, and views out to Isla Grosa, a protected island that is an important nesting site for Audouin's gulls. It is best admired from the water on a boat trip or a dive.
• Mar Menor side: calm, shallow water that is ideal for paddleboarding, windsurfing and sailing lessons.

At the southern end of La Manga, the old fishing village of Cabo de Palos has a lighthouse, a harbour lined with seafood restaurants and some of the best diving in Spain.

Why are the Mar Menor beaches so popular with families?

The Mar Menor is Spain's largest saltwater lagoon, and it is shallow, which means the water warms up quickly and stays calm. There are no big waves, so it is ideal for children, grandchildren and anyone who simply wants a relaxed swim. The lagoon is also the focus of an ongoing regional recovery programme, and the protection it now has is good news for everyone who loves it.

The best-known beaches on the lagoon include:

• Los Alcázares: a long promenade, a string of beaches, and the traditional wooden bathing jetties known as balnearios.
• Santiago de la Ribera: a smart seafront promenade and one of the most popular sailing spots on the Mar Menor.
• Lo Pagán (San Pedro del Pinatar): famous for its mud baths. For generations, visitors have coated themselves in the black mud at the edge of the Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar regional park, left it to dry in the sun and washed it off in the lagoon. It is a fun local tradition, and the walk through the salt flats is lovely, often with flamingos in view.

Where is the best diving near Murcia?

Cabo de Palos. The Reserva Marina de Cabo de Palos e Islas Hormigas has been protected since 1995 and is one of the most popular diving destinations in Spain, with Posidonia seagrass meadows, rich marine life and well-known wrecks. The most famous is the Sirio, an ocean liner that sank in 1906, which is a dive for experienced divers. Several dive centres operate from the harbour and offer try-dives and courses for beginners too.

What are the beaches like around Mazarrón and Bolnuevo?

The coast west of Cartagena feels different again: mountains coming down to the sea, sandy bays and quiet coves. For our owners at Hacienda del Álamo and Condado de Alhama, this is the closest stretch of coast.

• Puerto de Mazarrón: a working fishing port with a marina, promenade and a choice of town beaches.
• Bolnuevo: a long sandy beach backed by the Erosiones de Bolnuevo, sandstone formations carved by wind and rain into extraordinary shapes. They were declared a Natural Monument in 2019 and are one of the most photographed sights on the Costa Cálida.
• The coves west of Bolnuevo: a string of smaller, quieter coves reached along the coast road.

Why visit the coves of Águilas?

Águilas, near the border with Andalucía, is a lively town with a castle above the harbour and some of the prettiest coves in the region. Just south of the town are the Cuatro Calas, four small, unspoilt coves including Calarreona and La Higuerica. The water is clear, the backdrop is wild and it makes a lovely day out, with lunch in town afterwards.

When is the best time for the beach in Murcia?

Most people swim from June to October, when the sea off Cartagena averages around 22-26°C, and the Mar Menor is warmer still. Outside those months the beaches are wonderful for walking, lunches by the sea and quiet coastal paths. A golf-resort home gives you both: golf in the cooler months, beach days in the warm ones, and often both on the same day in spring and autumn.

When you come out, we arrange and accompany a viewing trip across the resorts, so you can see for yourself how close each development is to the stretch of coast you like best.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best beach near Murcia's golf resorts?

Calblanque is many locals' favourite because it is a protected regional park with no development on the beaches. For calm, warm water, the Mar Menor beaches at Los Alcázares and Santiago de la Ribera are hard to beat.

Can you drive to Calblanque beach in summer?

During the managed summer period, car access to the beach area is restricted in the daytime and a paid shuttle bus runs to the beaches. Check the Murcia Natural website for the current year's dates and timetable.

Is the Mar Menor good for swimming?

Yes. It is shallow and calm, so it warms quickly and is popular with families. Los Alcázares, Santiago de la Ribera and Lo Pagán are among its best-known beaches.

Where can you dive near Murcia?

The Cabo de Palos and Islas Hormigas marine reserve, at the southern tip of La Manga, is one of Spain's best-known dive areas. Dive centres in Cabo de Palos offer courses and try-dives.

How far are the beaches from the golf resorts?

Depending on the resort, the nearest beaches are around 10 to 40 minutes' drive. Santa Rosalia is closest to the Mar Menor, while Hacienda del Álamo and Condado de Alhama are closest to Mazarrón.

Come and see the coast for yourself

If you'd like to see the resorts for yourself, and the beaches on their doorstep, I'd love to show you round. Message me on WhatsApp on +44 7424 864 684 or send an enquiry and I'll get straight back to you.

About the author — Lee Doherty is the founder of MedSol Real Estate. He spent two years researching the region before buying here himself, and now helps UK and international buyers find golf-resort homes across the Region of Murcia.