Market days
 Mondays - San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier
Tuesdays - Los Belones, La Unión, Los Alcázares Wednesdays - Cartagena, Santiago de la Ribera, Totana Thursdays - Murcia, San Javier, Los Urrutias, Fridays - El Algar, Torrevieja, Pilar de la Horadada Saturdays - Los Narejos, Torre Pacheco,
Sundays - Cabo de Palos, Los Nietos, Note:Arrive early as most markets close at 1.00pm. Take care of your personal belongings and beware of pickpockets. Cabo de Palos is a small fishing village approximately 10 minutes drive away and a favourite retreat of visitors to La Manga Club featuring a lighthouse overlooking the Mediterranean. Sundays are a good day to go, there is a large market in the morning (9.00am to 2.00pm) just a few minutes walk to the seafront and there are numerous harbour front restaurants where you can sit in the sun and watch the world go by. There are also two large ceramic shops, which are well worth a visit. To get to Cabo, leave La Manga Club, follow the signs for La Manga. When you get to the first roundabout take the second exit (right) and go up on to the dual carriageway, drive for about 4 to 5 minutes, you will see a sign for Cabo de Palos, take this exit, go past supermarket ‘Upper’ and this road takes you into Cabo, to get to the Harbour go right at the traffic lights
 The Mar Menor (10 mins) (the little sea) is the inland sea separated from the Mediterranean by La Manga del Mar Menor or La Manga Strip. The La Manga Peninsular is over 28 Kms long and stretches from the fishing village of Cabo de Palos to the salt flats of San Pedro del Pinatar. Only one road takes you along the "Strip" which although very busy in July and August can seem almost deserted outside these times. Both sides of La Manga Strip have something to offer. The Mediterranean side with its magnificent sandy beaches and the Mar Menor with its warm shallow waters that are ideal for children and for enjoying your favourite water sports. During the summer months you’ll find various different water sports available at many different locations along the strip including: waterskiing, jet biking, sailing and pedalos
The fascinating port of Cartagena (20 mins), the region’s second city, has a history stretching back over 3,000 years and features some of the most important collections of Punic Roman and Byantine remains in Spain. Part of the heritage is kept at the Municipal Archeological Museum and Maritime Archeology Museum featuring the most varied and best kept examples of 18th Century military architecture in the Mediterranean including the ‘Peral Submarine’ and the ‘Capitania’. Cartagena is also a great venue for a spot of shopping especially for fashion and jewellery.
Murcia contains so many different styles of buildings. The best example of this is the Cathedral, with its famous baroque main facade, its impressive tower, a combination of Tuscan and Baroque styles, the late Renaissance Junterones chapel and the Velez chapel, combining Gothic details and Moorish decorations. Down the Traperia, one of the pedestrian streets of the city, you will find the Casino (built in 1847): its entrance hall in the style of a Moorish courtyard, with richly carved ceiling and intricate stucco wall panels. There’s an elegant Viennese ballroom too! Two other buildings worth a visit are the Romea Theatre and the Town Hall. The theatre has a wide range of productions all year and tickets can be bought on the day and are very reasonably priced. Murcia is anxious to preserve its historical treasures as well as allowing visitors to see them. A variety of museums and exhibition centres have been opened. These include the Belle Artes public gallery or the Archaeological Museum, which holds one of the best collections of Iberian art in the country. The Exhibition gallery in the Church of the Las Veronicas Convent; the Salzillo Museum, containing the beautiful carved religious figures by the famous artist Salzillo, or the Cathedral Museum should be visited, along with the Municipal Museums. These include a wide range of themes including the Almudi Palace Art Centre, The Museum of Bullfighting and the Ramon Gaya Art Gallery. Examples of Murcia’s long traditions in pottery, embroidery and the making of carpets and paper mache toys can be seen at the Regional Craft Centre. Terra Natura is a new themed water and wildlife park just north of Murcia - 50 mins drive from La Manga Club - For further details, and opening times see the English version of the web site. About 1 ½ hours from La Manga Club is the beautiful and historic city of Lorca which dates back 2,000 years with Roman villas, palaces, monuments and works of art. The Castle is situated in the centre of the city surrounded by small streets which offers a wide variety of traditional Moorish cuisine at the numerous restaurants and bars.  
La Fuensanta Sanctuary is in the mountains and well worth a visit. To find it take the road to Murcia and take exit to La Alberca. |
