THE MAR MENOR: This delightful area in the Province of Murcia has an average annual temperature of 17ºC (in summer this rises to over 21ºC!). The winters are mild, rarely falling below 10ºC, rainfall is minimal and the area enjoys over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year and with the mild climate, the area has become massively popular with northern Europeans who have flocked here to buy their ‘Dream Home in the Sun’ at much lower prices than their ‘Costa
Cousins’ in Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. The Mar Menor is
flanked by lots of small towns each having an almost dream-like sandy beach with lots of cafes and beach-side walks and activities on its simply beautiful shores. In addition, several much
larger towns and cities are only a few hundred yards
from the sea shore, making the area a really fun place
to live with virtually any type of shopping on the
doorstep. The area also offers several golf courses,
municipal parks and the famous golfing resort of
La Manga, which itself has more than 40km of
beaches and the unique possibility of choosing
between two seas with very different water
temperatures, one with waves and one practically
calm all year long. With so much water here there is
no wonder that the area is a haven for water sports
– the possibilities here are endless from sailing to
diving, windsurfing and jet skiing. Over recent years
there has been much work done to improve
the Mar Menor’s water quality and everyone is
delighted at the progress made thus far, with
‘meadows’ of sea grass (posidonia) returning
to full health, and work planned to continue for
some time yet. Scuba divers too, are returning
in large numbers – a sure sign that all is well!