Murcia is the perfect place to enjoy either an energetic holiday or to relax and unwind away from it all. Or both!

The city after which the region was named was founded in 831 and lies in the middle of the valley through which the River Segura flows.  It is a large, bustling, cosmopolitan city with a stunning cathedral at its heart, and a maze of side streets and plazas around it, dotted with cafés, restaurants, tapas bars and independent shops - as well as the bigger designer names.

Murcia is like a Chinese box.  Its mainly pedestrian centre just keeps on opening up with new and unexpected spaces. The shop lined lanes are a must for the serious shoppers, with well known designer names selling their goods at considerably less than UK prices. 

Lo Pagán, on the Mar Menor, very close to San Pedro del Pinatar is best known for its therapeutic mud baths, the mud has been renowned for centuries for its healing properties.  Due to the long hours of sunlight and the very high salt level in the waters a unique mud has been created in a section of the lagoon, known as La Puntica. 

La Manga Club is one of Europe’s finest holiday and leisure resorts, and has been for the past 20 years. It has been voted Europe's top golf resort twice in the past seven years.

Nestling between the Costa Blanca and Andalucía, the Costa Cálida is one of the least known and most unspoilt areas of Spain - guaranteed to give you a taste of  'real Spain'. With over 315 days of sunshine every year, it is little wonder that they named it the warm coast, and the unspoilt inland waters of the Mar Menor - the largest natural lagoon in Europe - offer safe and warm water for bathing all year round.

Take time to enjoy the lifestyle of the Mar Menor and Costa Calida.  There are stretches of unspoilt beaches and bustling bars and restaurants where you can enjoy fantastic seafood, meats, fruits, cheeses, and rice from around the region at very reasonable prices.  Not to mention the wines … visit the local bodegas (wine cellars) and get a real taste of Spain.

 Two spectacular and tranquil resorts lie within a stroll of each other at the base of La Manga. Both are busy, yet quiet, and boast fantastic, extensive beaches.

This new and exciting resort, constructed by Polaris World is situated barely 12kms from the warm waters of the Mar Menor, a 10 minute drive from San Javier, Murcia International airport and 60 minutes from Alicante airport.

Santiago de la Ribera is a tourist village on the coast of the Mar Menor, close to San Javier.

It has an attractive esplanade flanked by palm trees that run the length of the beach, but still at its heart this is a fishing village with an excellent sailing club and water sport schools.

San Javier has a population of around 23,000. It´s a busy, business-like town with a compact centre, lovely town square and various interesting little shops dotted throughout. It is home to a very popular International Jazz Festival in July and an International Theatre Music and Dance Festival in August.

This bustling little town lies to the north of the Mar Menor. It is a very popular summer destination for Spaniards and ex-pats alike. There are a dozens of bars and restaurants here to cater for all tastes and budgets. The best known dish of the area Caldero, a rice and fish dish cooked in an iron cauldron, and is the speciality of the town. Try it!

This is the strip of land (the literal translation of la manga is 'the sleeve') that runs north-south from Cabo de Palos in the south almost to Lo Pagan and San Pedro in the north and all but encloses the lagoon: the Mar Menor. 

Cabo de Palos has a charm that is typical of Spanish fishing villages.  The very friendly people will welcome you to the blend of this marine environment, with its bars,  and its Sunday Market, all of which give it a special appeal.

The historic port of Cartagena is one of the deepest natural harbours in Europe. The city was born from the sea, and still worships it today.

It has a 3000 year history; Hannibal set out from here with his elephants and it was invaded by the Romans (still commerorated during a yearly festival). In the winding back streets layers of the ancient city can be seen underfoot, through glass panels.

Situated beside the tranquil Mar Menor, only 6m above sea level and with a beach which extends 7km the length of the town. The town has a large, buzzing market on a Tuesday morning very close to the newly restored Town Hall or Ayuntamiento.

Walk to the Guns at Portman (Bateria de Cenizas)

Enjoy a lovely walk up to see the incredible Guns at Portman.  This is an easy, but quite a long walk, which takes you from the edge of La Manga Clubs West Course up to the top of Calblanque National Park.    The views all the way up the 2.5km of dirt road are stunning, looking over the bay of Portman and across the vast blue of the Mediterranean.