Things To Do

La Manga Club Resort - the world famous La Manga Club is just a 5 minute drive away. Here you will find supermarkets, shops, bars, restaurants, swimming pool, tennis, bowls, sports acadamies, football and championship golf courses.

Terra Mitica Theme Park - Benidorm - approx. 90 minutes drive. This huge theme park is certainly well worth the trip up to Benidorm.  It takes around 90mins to 120mins to drive each way but the park itself is excellent fun.

There are numerous roller coaster rides, including a stomach churning yellow and purple one which turns through 360º.  Best to keep your eyes closed it only lasts 20 LONG seconds.  There are other suitably terrifying rides and couple of sedate things to do.  Boats rides through the rapids and bumper cars.  The one rather expensive price is for the whole day and after that you only have to buy lunch and drinks. 

The park is divided into 4 themed sections, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Roman and Iberia.  There are some really great rides for the children which have an upper height restriction so that the little ones can enjoy the bumper cars for example without being bumped by adults.  There are of course bumper cars for adults too but separately! 

Plenty of restaurants, water machines, and coffee shops means that you will be able to get refreshment all day long.  Also the two water rides will soak you through to the skin which is very refreshing in the heat.

The Sun Fort, Lorca Castle - Lorca -www.lorcatallerdeltiempo.com
 - for those who enjoy history visit Lorca Castle an hour from here.  The castle was constructed during the time of the Moors.  Enter the “time machine” and travel back in time to 1480.  Discover more of Spain´s rich and vivid history through the videos and actors who are dressed up around the castle and will tell you of the life and times of those days.  Lorca Castle was one of the main castle's in Spain during the times of the Moors and a centre for communication via the castle network across the country.

Lorca Aquapolis - water park in Torrevieja - Torrevieja the Aquapolis water park in Torrevieja is a popular attraction for the area. With numerous water slides and play areas it is a fun day out for all the family.

A huge water park set up around 15 years ago which has steadily grown over the years.  This water park has many slides and attractions, including a “slow river” a wave pool, infant lake and slides with encouraging names such as “Black Hole” and “Zig Zag”. 

Water Sports & Beach Club at Pedruchillo Beach, La Manga del Mar Menor

Aqualandia and Mundomar - Benidorm - water park Terranatura - brand new theme park just north of Murcia. 13,000 square metres of safari park and water park. 30 minutes-1 hour by car

Medieval Tournament - Rincon de Loix - food, wine, dancing

Thalassotheparia - Spa, Lo Pagan, Mar Menor - visit the brand new spa at San Pedro del Pinatar for a day of relaxation and pampering

Cultural port of Cartagena There are numerous cheap and even free attractions in Cartagena. These includes the Castle, the open top bus ride around the town and the catamaran boat trip around the harbour.

Tourist Bus - the tour leaves from the Marina and takes about 40 minutes.  The bus is a modern double decker, open top and fully equipped with audio guides in various languages.

Tourist Boat - this is a modern catamaran and gives splendid views of the bay, castle and coastal gun batteries that used to defend the city.  The cruise takes about an hour and commentary is given in several different languages.

The main Tourist Office is at Puertas de San Jose and the Port Tourist Office is on Paseo de Alfonso Xlll.  You can purchase a Cartagena Card, priced around E18 (£14) which is valid for 2 weeks and covers entry to 8 cultural sites, as well as free travel around the city on the tourist bus and the harbour ferry.  There is also a family ticket available.

Shopping in Cartagena - love them or hate them … Cartagena has just opened a brand new shopping mall which all the designer names both Spanish and English

Parque Mediterraneo just outside the city of Cartagena. Shops include Zara, Punt Roma, Hennes, C&A and even Toys R Us

Scuba Diving - Cabo de Palos - about 10 minutes by car

Cabo de Palos - shops, restaurants, supermarket, Sunday morning market, boat excursions, swimming pool, lighthouse, scuba diving school.

The Cabo de Palos-Islas Hormigas marine reserve offers diving enthusiasts the opportunity to explore the depths in an almost virgin marine environment. There are many different species of sealife, as well as a number of well-preserved wrecks that are now home to barracuda, tuna, moray and conger eels.

The Mar Menor Water Sports Consortium offer a wide range of activities and services for all the family. There are more than 25 water sports centres where you can learn, perfect and enjoy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, jet-skiing or diving at any time of year.

Peke Park – La Manga del Mar Menor 3km from Cabo de Palos - childrens' 'fun fair' type rides

Horseriding - Calblanque Natural Park

La Manga del Mar Menor - beaches, shops, restaurants, bars, golf, jet ski hire, sailing boat hire, canoeing, diving, kite surfing

La Perdiguera Island - boat trips are run daily.

Lo Ferro, a village near Cartegena, hosts the Lo Ferro Flamenco Song Festival in August each year.  The festival lasts several days during which the artistes compete for the prestigious 'Golden Melon' award.

In San Javier during June, July and August, the town hosts a series of internationally renowned cultural events.  These include the San Javier Jazz Festival, the Pecata Minuta Pop Festival and the Festival of Theatre, Music and Dance. 

Cycling

You can hire a bike and cycle virtually all the way around the Mar Menor along trails, dirt tracks and an old royal drive-way, none of which ever stray far from the coast. The 56.4 km cycling route around the Mar Menor is a pleasant and not difficult ride that can be covered in about 7 hours. There is just one stretch, in the area known as Las Encanizadas at the northern end of La Manga, where various canals prevent crossing by bike.

Football

Of course, it depends on the time of year you visit Spain, whether you can see La Liga (Spanish league) football.  The nearest club is Club Real Murcia, who play in the Spanish second division.  Their stadium is Estadio Nueva Condomina at Avenida del Estadio S/N, Churra, Murcia.

If you want to see one of the big Spanish clubs - Real Madrid or Barcelona - for instance, then you will have to be prepared for a long drive.

Market Days - generally 8am - 2.30pm

Monday - San Pedro del Pinatar, Elche

Tuesday - Los Belones, Los Alcazares, La Union, Alicante

Wednesday - Santiago de la Ribera, Cartagena

Thursday - La Palma, San Javier, Lorca, Alicante

Friday - El Algar, Llano del Beal, Pozo Estrecho, Islas Menores (Summer)

Saturday - Los Alcazares

Sunday - Cabo de Palos, Los Nietos (Summer), San Javier

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