Beaches, historic cities, markets and fiestas — there's plenty beyond the golf course.
Los Alcázares — 10 minutes away, a long sandy beach on the Mar Menor lagoon. Shallow, warm, calm water — ideal for families and paddleboarding.
La Manga del Mar Menor — the famous strip between lagoon and Mediterranean, beach on both sides. ~25 minutes.
Lo Pagán — natural therapeutic mud baths. Wonderfully bizarre and genuinely enjoyable. ~30 minutes.
Cabo de Palos — charming fishing village, rocky coves, excellent snorkelling. ~30 minutes.
Cartagena — 25 minutes south. One of Spain's great historic cities with a remarkable Roman theatre and naval museum. Worth a full day. Visit Cartagena
Murcia city — 30 minutes north. Baroque cathedral, brilliant tapas, good shopping. Visit Murcia
Lorca — 60 minutes west. Historic town with a dramatic hilltop castle. Visit Lorca
The Mar Menor lagoon — Europe's largest saltwater lagoon. Kayaking, paddleboarding and boat trips from Los Alcázares.
For much more, the regional tourist board is excellent: murciaturistica.es
Torre-Pacheco Saturday Market — around 160 stalls of fresh produce, bread, clothes and more. A proper Spanish market. There's a smaller market on Wednesdays too.
Fiestas Patronales (early October) — Torre-Pacheco's biggest celebration, famous for its parade of floats decorated entirely with hand-rolled paper flowers — a tradition unique to the town, and the inspiration for the little flower you'll see across this site. Plus live music, fireworks and a melon-throwing competition. Yes, really.
Romans vs Carthaginians, Cartagena (September) — one of Spain's most spectacular historical festivals.
Lo Ferro Flamenco Festival (summer) — authentic flamenco, running for over 40 years.
We'll be adding our own personal recommendations as we spend more time at Casa Calida — watch this space!