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Cities:
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Murcia
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Airports
Murcia Airport
Alicante Airport

MURCIA AAlong Costa Calida

With it’s many castles, quaint fishing villages, ancient harbors and romantic hillside hideaways, this rugged, beautiful region was one of Spain’s best kept secrets until the dawn of the 21st century. However, Murcia can no longer expect the surrounding mountain ranges of Andalucia, Castilla and Valencia to keep the sun worshipers and cultural visitors at bay. The last stronghold of the Moors contains many castles: an indication of Murcia as being of historic strategic importance to the rest of Europe. Flanked by the provinces of Alicante and Valencia to the north, and Almeria and Granada to the west, the Murcia region was known until recently mostly for the Mar Menor lagoon and its famous resort, La Manga Club. Besides service from nearby Alicante, there's a new international airport scheduled to open in 2007, and Murcia Airport is expanding as well.

Renowned for its unique microclimate, which makes this region one of the healthiest in the world, the Costa Calida extends along 250km from the beach of Carolina in Aguilas, a few kilometers from the province of Almeria, to the beach at El Mojon on the boundary with Alicante. The Costa Calida, or “Warm Coast,” is part of Murcia, and is best known for the largest lagoon in Europe (the Mar Menor) around the La Manga Strip and along the Mediterranean coast to Aguilas in the south. This stretch of Murcian coastline is blessed with 315 days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 17 degrees. The area offers a diverse selection of activities for the

visitor, including all manner of water sports, hiking, hill-climbing and much more. Famed for its international golf and tennis tournaments hosted over recent years, the area is dominated by the Mar Menor (little sea) which at 170 km2 is Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon - and a windsurfer’s paradise! The contrast between the old sea-faring towns and the agricultural communities could make the traveler think that this region is far larger than it is. With the different corners, it is only 100 km apart.

Murcia was a capital of Baroque art, where the church as leading patron asked that the art work speak to the illiterate rather than to the well-informed. Closely identified with Murcia is the exceptional work of native son Francisco Salzillo, an artist of renown identified with Baroque art.

The last Moorish stronghold in Spain, the province’s capital of Murcia is a fine example of history blended perfectly with new commercial interests. Investors have now discovered the region, yet the more authentically Spanish way of life feels like it will last with the help of a strong festival tradition.

The Islas Hormigas
This underwater preserve is a protected area that is World renown in diving circles. Several of the diving schools at the village of Cabo de Palos take trips out to this area. Cabo de Palos is a working fishing village located at the base of the strip, and is well known throughout the region for its collection of fine fish restaurants.

CALBLANQUE NATURE RESERVE (LA MANGA)
Just south of La Manga, this has been a protected natural area since 1987 and nature reserve since 1992. Calblanque is an amalgamation of wonderful sand beaches, sandbanks, arid hills, cliff tops and salt flats, all of which are of of great ecological value. This Nature Reserve represents one of the last untouched areas along the Mediterranean coastline.

Mar Menor the largest saltwater lake in the world

The Mar Menor (Little Sea) is open to the sea at it’s northern end and is quite shallow. It is excellent for children as it’s beaches shelve very gently. In the summer, the waters are literally like a warm bath. The sunrises over the Mediterranean can be spectacular and the sunsets over the quieter Mar Menor are stunning. The waters of the Mar Menor are renowned for their restorative properties, the absence of strong waves and shallow waters (maximum 7 meters). Exceptional temperatures both in summer and winte, makes Mar Menor an excellent therapeutic remedy. 
On the far side of the Mar Menor can be found the famous resort area of La Manga Strip, which is unique in Europe for having the sea on both sides. This whole area is a Mecca for lovers of watersports of all kinds: sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, jet skis, snorkeling, scuba diving or just swimming. There are many marinas in the area and several schools for these activities. The area also offers several golf courses and municipal parks.

The Mar Menor is divided from the Mediterranean sea by La Manga, a 22 km long narrow stretch of land with numerous hotels, casinos, restaurants, beach side bars and water sports facilities. The coast of the Mar Menor contains many small towns, which are homes to fishermen and tourist resorts. San Pedro del Pinatar in the north has 15,200 inhabitants. This can swell to 60,000 in the summer months. San Javier has over 20,000 residents. New housing developments have sprung up between Los Alcazares and Lo Pagán, with an influx of British and other Europeans settling here. La Manga (literally "the sleeve"), the strip of land that separates the lake from the Mediterranean, has seen huge amounts of construction with hotels, apartments, clubs and shopping facilities lining the roads from Cabo de Palos lighthouse to beyond the Puerto Deportivo Tomás Maestre.

In Los Alcazares there is a Carnival, which is held together with the municipalities of San Javier and San Pedro del Piñatar, called the Carnival of the Mar Menor. Groups come from Tower Pacheco, Cartagena and Alcantarilla, with a grand parade the Sunday before Carnaval Sunday.

  marmenor.net/

TRAVEL TOOLS - AIRPORTS

Located near the Mar Menor at San Javier, the airport is being expanded to hande the increase in the the 500,000 visitors per year it has been handling. A second international airport is currently under construction, and a high speed railway will eventually link the area with Madrid.

If you plan on driving to or from an Airport you can search the AA Route Planner for tailored directions. Be sure to click the EUROPE icon on the top right before entering your details.

• San_Javier-
  Murcia_Airport
  by wikipedia
  
• official web site by www.aena.es in espanol only
• Murcia Airport by www.spanish-
  airport-guide.com
• Multi Map for the San Javier and Murcia Area for you
• Directions from
  Murciaor Alicante
  Airports to lamanga by lamanga.com

It is very well signed and access is well planned. Car parking is right outside the arrivals and departures lounges. Car parking costs from 1€. Take a ticket on entry to the car park and pay at the machine before collecting your car.

Inside the airport it is modern and spacious. It comprises of several floors, each with all the expected facilities.

Alicante Airport is 68 km from Murcia by car.

Buses from the airport
About 1.5€ for a bus to the city, every 60 minutes between 7.30am and 10.30pm. Also possible to catch bus to Murcia. Alcoyana-SuBús' (tel 96-526-84-00) bus No C6 runs between the airport and Alicante city. The airport stop is in front of Arrivals between the terminal and the parking lot. In Alicante the bus stops at Plaza Del Mar, Plaza de los Luceros, the bus station (C/Portugal 17) and Politécnico de Babel.

For up to date fare and scheduling information, check www.subus.es,  choosing 'aeropuerto' from the 'Lineas que Realiza...' dropdown menu.

official website for the Alicante Airport  by www.aena.es in English

Car Hire & Rentals
Located on the lower level (the arrivals level) you can find the offices for different car hire companies including Avis (965 286 579), ATESA (965 682 526), Centauro (965 286 579), Europcar (965 682 770), Europa Car (965 683 362), Hertz (966 919 125), Sol-Mar (966 919 280), Auriga (965 687 918) and Record Rent a Car (966 919 016).

Taxi
There is a large taxi rank outside the terminal building. Taxis work on a queue system so choose the taxi at the front of the queue. Taxis are white and of a very high standard. Approx. price to Alicante is about 20€. From airport to Benidorm, approx. 45€.

AIRLINES

IBERIA Airline offices in Murcia at La Libertad, no.3, Tres Jardines Building. Tel: 28 50 93 or San Javier Airport. Tel: 57 05 50.

Iberia Airlines by wiki

MURCIA AIRLINES by wikipedia

• Aerolloyd
• Air Nostrum
  LAMSA
• BMIbaby
• Caledonian
  Airlines
• First Choice Airways
• GB Airways
• Iberia Airlines
• Jet2.com
• Maersk Air (UK)

MORE:

• aerlingus.com
• air2000.com
• air-scotland.com
• ba.com
• easyjet.com
• eujet.com
• jet2.com
• flybe.com
• flyglobespan.com
• flymonarch.com
• murciaflights.com
• mytravellite.com
• ryanair.com

wikitravel.org/en/
Discount_airlines_
in_Europe

Ryanair is the low fare leader in Europe but this does have a price. Ryanair is difficult to comparison shop, as it actively keeps its fares off many of the fare comparison websites, forcing users to go directly to ryanair.com. If you wish to change planes in a hub then you must book the two segments separately. You can book a return at the same time as the outbound but you get no discount for doing so. If you miss a second flight due to a delay in the earlier Ryanair flight, you will not get a refund for the missed flight and will be forced to buy a new ticket. Ryanair operate a huge network in Europe, and are generally (but not always) the cheapest airline on the routes where they compete with another airline. They have hubs in Shannon, Dublin, Glasgow (Prestwick), Liverpool, London, Brussels (Charleroi), Frankfurt (Hahn), Stockholm (Skavsta), Milan Bergamo, Rome and Barcelona. Unlike Ryanair, easyJet tend to operate out of principal airports, such as Barcelona and not Girona, in Spain.

PLACES TO STAY

The greatest concentration of hotel establishments is found on La Manga, followed by Murcia, Cartagena, Puerto Lumbreras, Puerto de Mazarrón, Aguilas and the rest of the coast. The hotels at La Manga make up 50% of the total hotels in the region.

• 12+ Murcia Hotels by Carnaval.com
• 5+ Cartagena Hotels by Carnaval.com
• 1 Hotel in Aguilas by Carnaval.com
  real-time rate & reservations including reviews by travelocity patrons

La Manga Del Mar Menor ||Cartagena || Murcia w/ Maps  by TravelNow/Carnaval.com  
Booking is administered by folks at hotels.com/expedia

• hoteldonmiguel.com/ Aguilas
• hotelpuertomarinamojacar.es/ Mojocar
• http://www.iberialodging.com/Murcia
• _Hotels.html 11 hotels
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism
  -g187517-Cartagena-Vacations.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-
  g187518-Murcia-Vacations.html
• http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/
  Europe/Spain/Murcia/Cartagena
• http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/
  Europe/Spain/Murcia/Travel
  Guide-Murcia.

Homes & Management

• Design Home Management
• Benito Management Service

La Manga Club a luxurious resort resides in 1,400 acres of lush rolling countryside, dotted with thousands of palm trees. Here, an area the size of Monaco features three championship golf courses, one of Europe’s finest tennis centres, a magnificent new state-of-the-art spa and many other excellent sporting and recreational facilities. At the very heart of the resort lies the stunning Hyatt Regency La Manga Hotel, whilst many luxuriously appointed villas and apartments cluster in small, dazzling ‘villages’ on the green hillsides. Leisure and pleasure seekers are drawn here time after time by the glorious vistas, the wonderful climate and the unique experience which is La Manga Club.

• Hyatt Regency La Manga Hotel
• Calida Resorts
• La Manga Holidays
• Hotel Príncipe de la Manga Club
• Barwell Leisure & lamanga.com/
• Design Holidays
• Exclusive Vacations
• La Manga Direct

REGIONAL INFORMATION

FOOD & DRINK:
The local cuisine is based on fish, and the most famous dishes are "Moraga de sardinas y caramel", "Caldo pescao" and "Arroz a banda". Popular ingredients are shellfish, picked sardines, prawns & lobsters. There is a considerable variety of “tapas”, hot or cold, with different origins, from the most ancestral stews to the nouvelle cuisine which can be enjoyed everywhere. Murcian food includes: “morcilla”, “longaniza”, fresh or dried sausage, “butifarra”, “morcón”, “sobrasada”, “blanco”, “chorizo” and “chiquillos”. All of these and much more are taken as a starter or aperitif before moving on to the stews: “olla gitana” (gypsy stew), rice and beans, wheat stew, stew with meatballs, rice and cauliflower, “michirones” and dressed lettuce hearts

WEATHER

Generally speaking, Murcia weather is one of the mildest around the Costa Blanca. The average annual temperature here is 17ºC and the average during the summer is above 21ºC. The winters are very mild, very rarely falling below 10ºC. Rain is also rare here. The Murcian region averages 320 days of sunshine each year, with an average winter temperature of 62ºF. It is a place to enjoy not only during the hot summer months but also to relax and enjoy the excellent facilities off season. The water here can reach 30º in August.

Murcia City misses the cooling breezes of the coastline, with summer temperatures of up to 40 °C. The coastline is about 45 km away, so be prepared for hot Murcia weather.

• 5 day Murcia forecast by bbc

Lorca
The largest town in Spain by area, Lorca stretches across an entire valley and its municipal district reaches the coast. The attraction of Lorca lies in its history and archaeology, present in the character of its streets, its living crafts (textiles, woodwork,ceramics) and its different offerings for festivals and cultural events. Lora is particularly well known for its enthusiastic and lavish fiestas. A hilltop castle presides over the city, which is a former frontier town. Lorca has numerous historical buildings, including churches, Roman villas, palaces - many of which also hold artistic treasures.

Lorca's transporation is well connected, with a coach station, a rail station and the main N340 motorway that runs next to the city. Lorca is 120km from Alicante airport, 150km from Almeria airport and 60km from Murcia’s airport at San Javier.

The nearest golf courses are in the neighbouring province of Almeria, including Valle del Este and Desert Springs, about half an hour away.

Puerto Lumbreras
Puerto Lumbreras - the port of lights - is located in the far West of the Murcia province, on the N340 motorway between Murcia and Almeria. It has a population of 10,600 inhabitants. A cattle-raising region, the area is largely agricultural, with olives and almonds being the main crop. The town is spread around the base of a hill, which is crowned by an old castle. There are some good walks to be taken in the countryside around the town. A market is held in the town on Fridays, and there are several hotels and restaurants in Lumbreras.

Lumbreras is 12km from Lorca and 60km from Murcia. Almeria airport is 105km away, Alicante airport is 135km away and Murcia Airport is 85km away.

LINKS

• direct2spaingolf.co.uk/tourist_information
  /murcia_detail.shtml
• los-alcazares.com

Murcia

The city of Murcia is described as one of the most beautiful and historic in the country. The city stands on the banks of a river and enjoys year-round sunshine. It has the highest temperatures in the region. The city of Murcia is situated in the South East of the Iberian Peninsula. It's the capital of the Autonomous Community of the same name, that, with an area of 11,317 square kilometers, is the largest autonomous community of only one province in Spain.

The metropolitan area of Murcia spreads over 881 square kilometers, and it is made up of the capital city and 54 towns and villages. Geographically, it's divided into two very different areas: the Huerta, which spreads along the banks of the Segura river  and the countryside, and dry land situated to the Northwest, Northeast and South of the region. There is a great deal of Moorish influence in the city, including the impressive city walls. After the reconquest, the 20 mosques in the city were turned into churches. Abderraman II founded the city of Murcia in 825. Murcia was the capital of an intermittently independent or vassal Moorish kingdom until it was taken over by Castile in 1243.

Narrow, twisting streets are found in the old city north of the river, the banks of which are lined with promenades. The baroque 17th-century Ermita de Jesъs houses a museum of the art of the city's native sculptor Francisco Salzillo. Other City museums include Murcia City Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Science and Water Museum, Ramón Gaya Museum Archeological Museum and the bullfighting museum.

Cathedral de Santa Maria, finished in the 15th century, is the most impressive monument of Murcia. A symbol of the city, the ninety-six meter tower with is twenty-five bells can be seen high above the city from miles around. The cathedral which is located at the plaza del Cardinal Belluga has a museum inside. The first foundation stone was laid in 1388 by Bishop Pedrosa; it took four centuries to complete. There are  many different styles and cultures within, including 23 different chapels.

Right outside the Cathedral you will find the city hall and the Palacia Episcopal, the residency of the Bishop of Murcia. To see Murcian Baroque at its best, visit the churches of La Merced, San Juan de Dios, San Nicolas or San Miguel, and buildings such as the Bishop 5 Palace or the Palacio Fontes.

Down the Traperia, one of the pedestrian streets of the city, you will find the Casino (built in 1847). Its entrance hall is built in the style of a Moorish courtyard, with richly a carved ceiling, intricate stucco wall panels and an elegant Viennese Ballroom. It contains a lovely library, the hidden secrets of the Lady’s Powder Room and a magnificent Moorish patio. 

Two other buildings that are well worth a visit are the Romea Theatre and the Town Hall. The theatre has a wide range of productions all year; tickets can be bought on the day and are very reasonably priced.  

The city is a centre for transportation, trade, and tin mining. Its industries include food processing, distilling, and the manufacture of textiles, chemicals, apparel, furniture, and building materials; the silk industry dates from the Middle Ages.

Near Murcia is another great Carnaval City: Cartagena. Learn more about it in our guide.

• Salzillo Museum by
  Spain-map.com

• http://www.multi
  map.com/wi/391.
  htm