Mar Menor Lagoon & La Manga Strip
The Mar Menor is a warm, shallow inland sea separated from the Mediterranean by La Manga, a slender 22-kilometre sandbar packed with beach bars and marinas. Its hypersaline, body-temperature waters make it one of the most beginner-friendly swimming spots on the Spanish coast.
A Sea Within a Sea
The lagoon averages just seven metres deep and heats up to 30 °C in summer, making it feel like a giant open-air spa. Windsurfers and kitesurfers love the predictable Levante breeze that funnels down the strip every afternoon.
From the waterfront promenade at Los Alcázares or Santiago de la Ribera you can watch flamingos wading in the shallows at dusk — a sight most visitors never expect to find here.
Getting the Most from La Manga
Drive or cycle the full length of La Manga to find quieter coves on the Mediterranean side, where the water is deeper and the waves slightly bigger. The town of Cabo de Palos at the southern tip has some of the best wreck-diving in Spain.
Stop at one of the chiringuitos (beach shacks) on the Mar Menor side for a cold Estrella Levante and a plate of coquinas — tiny clams steamed with garlic and white wine that are the lagoon's signature snack.
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