La Manga is located on Spain’s Costa Colida (the “warm coast”), by the Mediterranean Sea, within easy access of both Murcia and Cartagena. The name translates into English as “the sleeve of the little sea”, which relates to its location, spread along a narrow strip of land almost 13 miles long, which separates off a small area of sea to form a shallow inland lagoon – the Mar Menor.
Although this is a modern resort, there has been a settlement on the site ever since Neolithic times, and the area was later used as a base by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Until the Middle Ages, pine forests used to stretch from the mountains to the sea. Today it is a very cosmopolitan town, with residents from all over Europe.
La Manga is a year-round resort, having one of the most moderate climates in Europe, with average daytime temperatures ranging from 15 degrees Celsius in January to a high of around 30 degrees Celsius in July and August, and more hours of sunshine than most other mainland regions.
The closest airport is the small San Javier aerodrome near Murcia, although most tour companies fly into Alicante Airport, approximately an hour’s drive away.
At the entrance to the strip stands the landmark Cabo de Palos lighthouse, which towers above the town of La Manga; and at the opposite end of the resort is the beautiful Tomas Maestre yacht club and marina. In between are numerous sandy beaches – many of which have earned the coveted Blue Flag award – fronted by dozens of hotels, apartment buildings, bars, restaurants and shops.
La Manga is a perfect location for watersports, including kayaking, snorkelling, windsurfing and dinghy sailing, which can be arranged through one of the local professional water sports centers, such as Aqua Adicta. The Mar Menor is calm and fairly shallow, making it a safe place to learn. It was the first location in Spain to be designated an “Estacion Nautica” (Nautic Resort), and its warm waters are also reputed to have therapeutic powers.
There is a lively nightlife in the resort, with bars and clubs open until the early hours of the morning, as well as three open-air cinemas. El Zoco, in the Gran Via, is a modern complex of restaurants, nightclubs and bars that is well worth a visit; and during the summer months there is the Hippy Market in the Plaza Bohemia. If you fancy a flutter, there is a casino in the Hyatt Hotel.
The destination’s most famous attraction is the La Manga Club, with its three award-winning golf courses. This 1,400 acre sports venue is a resort in its own right, with accommodation in either a private villa or the five-star Principe Filipe Hotel, and over 25 restaurants and bars on site. Although primarily a golfing resort, the Club also boasts its own diving centre, horse-riding stables, tennis courts, quad biking and karting courses as well as a range of water sports.