Sunsets at La Manga del Mar Menor in the Murcia region are an explosion of orange, pink and reddish veins exploding against a gradually darkening blue sky. These are sunsets with a unique light that remains stuck to the retina and to the memory; images from a film which, in autumn, can be appreciated more, if possible, because the beaches and towns of this coastal range are more uninhabited.
This strip of land is 21 kilometers long and extends from the coastal town of Cabo de Palos, passing through the town of San Javier until reaching the Salinas and Arenales of the municipality of San Pedro del Pinatar. With a width of between 100 and 1,200 meters, it partially separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Mar Menor.
This beach was formed from the Quaternary until two thousand years ago by the accumulation of sand on rocks of volcanic origin and, by closing an existing bay, it gave birth to the coastal lagoon of the Mar Menor.
We are talking about five special places to admire the sunset, among others, in this strip of sand in the Murcia region; Some of them are also protected areas.
Cape Palos and Hormigas Islands
It was in 1865 that its lights illuminated the coast and the sea for the first time. Since then, it has become the icon of Cabo de Palos. The lighthouse stands on a small peninsula of around 600 meters which was once occupied by an old watchtower. The building rises 30 meters above sea level and cut stones from a quarry were used as construction material. Its light signal reaches approximately 24 miles.
Its seabed forms the Cabo de Palos and Hormigas Islands Marine Reserve, a unique enclave that belongs to the municipality of Cartagena. It is a protected underwater natural area, with an explosion of underwater life. The Reserve is recognized as one of the best diving areas in the country.
Cabo de Palos also has a small and delicate fishing and sports port, surrounded by restaurants where you can eat caldero, a flagship dish of the region that combines rice and fish and has an intense flavor.
Calblanque Regional Park
Sea and countryside coexist in the heart of nature. Calblanque Regional Park is located between Cabo de Palos and Portmán. This enclave is characterized by the great diversity of environments that coexist there, such as Aleppo pine forests, scrublands, boulevards, sandbanks, dunes, paleodunas, coves and cliffs, as well as the Salar de Rasall, a wetland included in the minor Mar SPA.
As it is protected, the areas in which you can circulate are limited and signposted. From mid-June to mid-September, access by motorized vehicles is regulated. From September 15, however, you can visit without vehicle limitations between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays, also from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Salinas de San Pedro del Pinatar Regional Park
It is a protected natural area, a wetland of great importance because it is a nesting and resting place for many species of birds. In fact, it is a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA), since every year it becomes a transit point for flocks of flamingos and other migratory birds.
It is located between the municipalities of San Pedro del Pinatar and San Javier and has an area of 856 hectares, including six kilometers of Mediterranean coast. In the park you will find different ecosystems: salt pans, pine forests, reed beds, salt marshes, dunes and reed beds, where traditional environmentally friendly activities are combined, such as fishing or salt extraction.
The Interpretation Center is located at the entrance to the Park and offers information on the environmental values of this natural space, as well as on routes and guided tours. The park also has observatories to facilitate observation of the birds that inhabit the region.
The Encañizada
La Encañizada is a wetland located on the border with the Mediterranean and where a series of reefs or small barriers stand out. On the other side, next to the Mar Menor, there are two small islets, El Ventorrillo and La Encañizada, crossed by two golas or communication channels, the Gola de la Torre and the Ventorrillo, the only preserved natural ones, of the five that they exist in La Manga.
In these two golas, to take advantage of the migratory movement of certain fish such as mullet, sea bream, magre or chub, fishing systems made with reeds and nets, called encañizada, are installed, which gave its name to the area.
This art of reed fishing, originating from Arab times, has six centuries of artisanal fishing. Reed fishing involves placing rods forming circular mazes in the water channels between the Mar Mayor and the Mar Menor so that fish passing through them are trapped in the maze, particularly bass and bream that emerge after spawning in the warmer waters of the Mar. Minor.
Calnegre Beach
It is the last beach in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to the municipality of Cartagena in La Manga del Mar Menor and it is also known as Monte Blanco beach. It should not be confused with the coves of the same name found in the municipality of Lorca and which also present an unusual beauty.
It is located at kilometer 3.5 of the Gran Vía de La Manga. It has good access and is located in the leisure area known as Plaza Bohemia. It is a beach of fine golden sand that has a length of 1,000 meters and an average width of 20, from where you can see the day die and the night begin.
It is important to remember for those who still wish to swim that the waters of the Mediterranean are busier and have wider beaches, those of the Mar Menor are calm and shallow.
