Mar Menor & Murcia

The Mar Menor, literally “minor sea,” is separated from the open Mediterranean by La Manga, a 22km sandbar. That separation is what makes it special: shallower and warmer than the sea proper, calm enough for swimming most of the year, and a magnet for sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and paddleboarding.

The nearest beaches on the lagoon are around Los Alcázares, just 10 minutes away: gentle water, a long promenade, and plenty of beach bars if you fancy lunch with your feet in the sand.

A genuinely local experience: at San Pedro del Pinatar, free open-air mineral mud pools sit right by the salt flats. Cover yourself in the mud, let it dry in the sun, then rinse off in the lagoon. It's free, a bit silly, and everyone should do it at least once.

The same salt flats are a protected nature reserve and home to a resident colony of flamingos, worth a wander along the boardwalk even if you skip the mud.

• Los Alcázares: 10 min. Lagoon beaches, a long promenade, and Roman baths in the town centre.
• San Pedro del Pinatar: 20 min. Mud baths, salt flats and flamingos.
• Cabo de Palos: 30 min. Old fishing village, lighthouse, and some of the best diving on this coast.
• Cartagena: 40 min. A proper historic city: Roman theatre, old town, and a working naval port.
• Murcia city: 45 min. The regional capital, with a fine cathedral and a good tapas scene.

Murcia's cuisine leans heavily on seafood and fresh vegetables: it's known as Spain's “orchard” for good reason. Expect excellent rice dishes, grilled fish straight off the boats at Cabo de Palos, and paparajotes (fried lemon-leaf pastries) for dessert if you see them on a menu, a local specialty worth trying.