Murcia or Alicante Airport? Choosing for Your Costa Cálida Home

Owning a home on the Costa Cálida gives you two airports to choose from. Región de Murcia International Airport at Corvera is calm and close to the golf resorts, with year-round UK and Dublin flights. Alicante, a little over an hour away, adds a huge route network. Most owners use both, depending on where they fly from.

Why is having two airports such an advantage?

Corvera gives you a short, relaxed arrival for the main UK and Irish routes. Alicante, one of Spain's busiest airports, fills in almost every other departure point in Britain and Europe. Between them, getting to your Murcia home is easy whichever city you live near and whatever time of year you travel.

How far is each airport from the golf resorts?

The Corvera resorts are the standout here: land, collect your bag and you can be on your terrace inside half an hour. For Condado de Alhama both airports are a comfortable motorway drive, so the right choice comes down to your flights.

How much are airport transfers?

As a guide, a private transfer to Condado de Alhama costs around €64 from Murcia airport and around €164 from Alicante. If you visit several times a year, that difference adds up, so it's worth pricing transfers or car hire alongside your fares. Car hire is available at both airports.

Which UK and Irish airports fly to Murcia?

Corvera has year-round flights from:

• London Gatwick (easyJet)
• London Luton (easyJet)
• Bristol (easyJet)
• London Stansted (Ryanair)
• Birmingham (Ryanair)
• Manchester (Ryanair)
• Dublin (Ryanair)

In summer the list grows further, with routes including East Midlands, Bournemouth and Glasgow. If you live near any of the year-round airports, Murcia is usually the simplest choice for every trip.

When is Alicante the better choice?

Alicante is the easy answer when you're flying from somewhere Corvera doesn't serve at that time of year:

• The Netherlands and Scandinavia, which have no scheduled Murcia routes, and Belgium, whose Murcia service is a seasonal summer charter.
• East Midlands, Bournemouth and Glasgow between November and March, when those Murcia routes pause for the winter.
• Last-minute trips, when the extra choice of flights and times helps.

Alicante handled 19,950,394 passengers in 2025, including 6,553,349 from the UK, and offered 181 winter routes across 29 countries. That scale means competitive fares and plenty of daily options, and the drive south to the Murcia resorts is straightforward motorway.

What is Murcia airport like to use?

Corvera is a calm, easy airport to use: short walks, short queues and a quick exit to the car park or the Interbus coach to Murcia city and Cartagena. It handled 949,007 passengers in 2025 and continues to grow.

Alicante is much busier, as you'd expect of a major international hub, but it's well organised and the motorway links south are excellent.

Which airport is best for a winter golf trip?

October to May is golf high season in the Region of Murcia. It's too hot to play much in July and August, so the cooler, sunny months are when the courses are busiest and the conditions are at their best. At La Torre, GNK Golf's 2026 rate card treats February to May and September to November as high season; at El Valle it's March to May and September to October.

That's why the year-round routes into Corvera matter so much. From Gatwick, Luton, Bristol, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester or Dublin you can fly almost straight to the first tee in January. From anywhere else, Alicante's winter network keeps you connected, and your clubs travel down the motorway with you.

How should you choose between Murcia and Alicante?

A simple approach works for most buyers:

1. Start with your home airport. Check which of the two it serves, and whether it runs year-round or summer only. 2. Think about when you'll visit. Winter is golf high season on the Costa Cálida, so year-round routes matter if you plan to spend the cooler months here. 3. Add the transfer or car hire to the fare for the full door-to-door price. 4. Match it to the resort. If Corvera is your main airport, the Corvera resorts give you the shortest trip of all. If you'll mix airports, Condado de Alhama sits comfortably between both.

When you come out to view, we arrange and accompany the viewing trip across the resorts, timed around the flights that suit you, and we'll compare the resorts for you honestly, travel times included.

Frequently asked questions

Is Murcia or Alicante airport closer to the Costa Cálida golf resorts?

Murcia's Corvera airport is closer: 12-20 minutes to the Corvera resorts and about 45-50 minutes to Condado de Alhama. Alicante is roughly 70-90 minutes from the resorts.

Which UK airports fly to Murcia all year?

London Gatwick, London Luton and Bristol with easyJet, and London Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester with Ryanair. Dublin also has a year-round Ryanair route.

Can I fly to Murcia from the Netherlands or Scandinavia?

There are no scheduled Murcia routes from the Netherlands or Scandinavia, so owners from those countries fly into Alicante, a little over an hour from the resorts.

How much is a transfer from Alicante airport to Condado de Alhama?

Around €164 for a private transfer, compared with around €64 from Murcia airport. Car hire is available at both.

How many passengers use Murcia airport?

Región de Murcia International Airport handled 949,007 passengers in 2025. Alicante handled 19,950,394.

If you'd like to see the resorts for yourself, 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.