Beaches

The House Beaches

The nearest beaches are Playa Negrete or one of the many small Calas (coves) along the nearby coast. To get there, you can either hike or drive the roughly 2km along dirt tracks. Hiking is best done in the cooler months, either through the valley and pine forests behind the house or via the dirt track that leads past the Fuente (spring).

Playa de Calblanque and Playa Larga

If you are looking for vast expanses of golden sand, then you might want to head to Calblanque Nature Reserve. Here, you can also find a wealth of wildlife, including flamingos and migratory birds that visit the Salinas (salt pans). Most of the year, you can easily drive from Los Belones along the dirt tracks to Cobaticas, before turning down towards the beach. But in July and August, access is restricted and you can only get there by shuttle bus from the nature reserve's entry gates or a bus stop in Los Belones.

Playa de Calafria

Head to the charming fishing port of Cabo de Palos, and you'll find Playa de Calafria, right next to the lighthouse. This, and the nearby Cala de Muerto, is where we come for scuba diving, as the walk from the carpark is short and the pebbly beach helps keep the water clear and free from silt. Afterwards, you could visit one of the many bars and restaurants for a cold beer and a seafood tapas.

Cala Flores

Drive east from Los Chopos for 10 minutes and you'll reach Cala Flores on the edge of the village of Cabo de Palos. This is our favourite spot for snorkelling, especially in the summer months, when the surrounding rocks and reefs are brimming with marine life. It's also very sheltered from storms, providing a calm swimming space in most conditions.

Cala del Barco

Just a few km down the coast, through the La Manga Beach Club, you will find another great snorkelling zone, where the rocky seabed ensures the water is usually crystal clear. There’s a rocky pillar in the middle of the bay, which has a spot for jumping into deep water. The beach also has an excellent restaurant and bar.

Portman Bay

This is the site of one of Europe's worst ever ecological crimes, so Portman Bay might not be your top pick for bathing. But since dumping of mining waste ceased in the 1980s, much has been done to restore the bay to its former beauty. At the very least, you'll find the place interesting, with a small fishing port, historical mining works, and military gun emplacements nearby.

Playa del Gorgüel

If you're looking for palm trees and solitude, then Gorguel Bay has that in spades, along with a rough, post-industrial wasteland ambiance. It even has its own shanty town. It's about a 30-minute drive from Los Chopos, via Portman Bay and a long dirt track that winds through abandoned mining buildings. Think of it more as an adventure than a beach trip.

Mar Menor beaches

The beaches of Mar Menor are nothing special (either too crowded and some a bit polluted), but they are a perfect place from which to view the sunset. We usually head to one of the beachside bars or restaurants near the Salinas at Playa Honda.

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