• Important Information about Animal Care in Spain
• Garrigues Camposol Report, Produced for The Camposol Residents Association
• Camposol Residents Association , Minutes/ Activities- end Oct 09
• Camposol, Sector D Community Group, Information and updates.
• Joining the Pensionistas, invaluable for integration
• Best Beach Guide
• Camposol Residents Association, CRA, minutes, Nov 2009 onwards
• The Camposol Fiesta review 2009
• Amigos Bar at San Pedro, New Year's Eve, Michael Buble tribute

Best Beach Guide

One of the great joys of living in this area is the selection of wonderful beaches on offer, which give so many options of where we can take the visitors depending on the type of facilities they require and what their physical cababilities are.
We have stunning rocky bays with virtually private bathing, naturist beaches,    fantastic snorkeling beaches,  places where the children can be entertained by qualified monitors, perfect locations for sailing, windsurfing or kitesurfing, and even places where you can enjoy  a free natural mud beauty treatment for free.
Whatever you want, this region has it all.

 

Here's a selection to suit all tastes.

 

Cala Cortina, Cartagena, busy, secluded bay with lifeguard facilities, restaurant and secure swimming area. Snorkeling.

 

El Portus, nr Cartagena, 2 choices, secluded coves, minimal facilities, but lifeguard cover in summer, natural beauty and real Spanish village feel. Snorkeling, Canoeing.

 

Bolnuevo- Percheles. Several km of wild , rocky coastline, secluded beaches, naturist bathing, no facilities, stunning scenery and uncrowded, open spaces. Snorkeling.

 

Mazarron town, and Bolnuevo beaches, full range of beaches, with monitored childrens activities, poor mobility assisted access, snorkeling, sports beach, jetski and powerboat hire, windsurfing beach, good family beaches with facilities and restaurants nearby.

 

Isla Plana, La Azohia, Good range of beaches and bays, diving schools, boat launch point, scuba diving schools, snorkeling, good bar and restaurant facilities.

 

Mar Menor, Playa Paraiso, Natural mud bathing and beautiful beaches.

 

Mar Menor,Playa Honda, Windsurfing, dinghy sailing, good facilities

 

Mar Menor , Dos Mares, stylish beach bar, good beach, sailing, pedaloes and dinghy hire, kitesurfing.

 

  

 
To go where the in crowd go- Cartagena, Cala Cortina.

This is a secluded cove on the edge of Cartagena and during the busiest summer weeks is really busy and buzzing. Protective netting screens it off for swimmers and during the summer it has a lifeguard, toilets,  first aid facilities and a busy fish restaurant, which, although a little on the pricey side compared to other restaurants does reasonable staples as well as the normal snacks and drinks. This is the most popular beach with the locals from Cartagena, and there is plenty of parking above, and with a lower level walk through tunnel for those with less mobility.
It is accessed from the port area of Cartagena. Drive along the sea front and bear around to the right, alongside the port. At the roundabout with the old crane on it, bear around to the right, following the line of the port and carry on through the tunnel and you'll find the beach on the right.
If you enjoy exploring , take the right hand fork at a point where the road curves off on a corner and it takes you down by the side of the great harbour walls of Cartagena. Moored down the side you will find some of the Spanish naval vessels and a small area at the end with a diving school, where the locals come to fish, as the water is deep, but with good access , perfect for a quiet Sunday morning fishing session.
We also found a lot of locals fishing further along the coastal road which heads into the refinery area of Escombreras. Carrying on along the coast road, there are quite a few secluded , rocky bays which could be easily accessed, and along a bumpy track that ran down off the road, we found dozens of fishermen sitting on the massive concrete blocks that support the shore in this corner. It was interesting to see the enormous refinery operations tucked away here, at the foot of Cartagena, the scale of industry down here is quite astonishing, and surprisingly, some of it is quite pleasing to look at, the shapes being very architectural. We were actually quite  surprised to find how much we'd enjoyed exploring this little corner of Cartagena.
If you don't want to eat at the restaurant on the beach, but want to really try Cartagenan fish how the locals eat it, go back towards Cartagena and try one of the fish restaurants on the corner opposite the port. The Spanish flock here in their hundreds, and at weekends there can be long queues.
We were a little fried fished out by the time we'd tried a few dishes, but its as authentically Spanish as it gets, and the locals love it.

 

 

 

 

El Portus.

If you fancy the atmosphere of an old fishing community in a sheltered rocky little bay, head for El Portus.
The drive through winding country lanes is an experience in its own right, passing through the tiny village of Galifa before dropping down to the fishing port.
There are no facilities to speak of, a little chiringuita, beach shack sells drinks and snacks, and you can be assured of the warmest of welcomes by the charming owner, there are chemical toilets and bins provided and during the peak weeks there is lifeguard cover, but there are no restaurants for main meals.
A stop-off could be made on the way through in the little village of Galifa where there is one of the most wonderful ventas you could wish to find, the Casa Ramirez y Isabelita, which has been there, run by the same family, since 1927. Hams hang from the roof, a tantalizing selection of wonderful cheeses and meats beckon from the cold counter, and a full supermarket and fresh veg selection makes it easy to put together an impromptu picnic. As with all these ventas, there is a bar for coffees and the restaurant area serves tapas, and light meals.
If you wanted a full restaurant meal, it would be necessary to head into Cantareros, about 3km further towards Cartagena, where the Bar Moreno do a menu del dia, or carry on for a further 2km towards Cartagena to stop at the Sacramonte, which, although wonderfully Spanish and very popular with locals is fairly steeply priced at 11.50 for a del dia, although the food is excellent and well worth the money.
Anyway, enough talk of food, back to the beaches.
Driving down to El Portus, we see the naturist colony stretching back into the hills from the road on the left hand side, and arriving at the anchor roundabout we can either take the left hand turn which drops down the hill to the rambla and turn right up the rambla into Playa Morena, or right down to Fishermans beach and the small number of houses clustering around the beach.
Fishermans beach is busier, a protected cove with a sloping beach , about 200mtrs long, and pebbly rather than sandy.. The lifeguard is on duty from 11-7 in the summer and he said that although the beach shelf slopes fairly steeply to deep water, that there are no currents or rocks that present any great danger, and the beach was popular with families in the summer. There are toilets, water and bins provided.
Playa Moreno is accessed via the rambla, and although a much longer beach was less populated as there are no lifeguard, water or toilet facilities. Access is also slightly more difficult for some as the beach is accessed across a slight ridge of rocks, which makes it impossible for boats to enter and difficult for those manoeuvering buggies or young children, whilst wheelchair access would not be possible.
It is, however, a sheltered beach, that doesn't get too crowded, and with interesting snorkeling opportunities for those who like to explore around the coastline. Whilst we were visiting a group of canoeists arrived, who canoe the area regularly and said there were no dangerous currents along the edges of the bay, so they use it frequently as a launch point.

El Portus has its fiesta the last week of august every year, so there is music and partying every night, with a wild foam party on the last weekend.

Bolnuevo - Percheles-Calnegre

This run of stunning coastline can be accessed from either the Mazarron end, running straight out of the back of Bolnuevo, or via the main Aguilas road, with a short distance off road to take you to enormous, open beaches where you'll be lucky to see another bather.
None of these beaches are suitable for disabled access, although those with poor mobility could walk straight from the car to the beach at the Percheles end. We have seen boats being launched from these beaches, but its not easy.

This run of coastline is accessed from a rough, bumpy dirt road, which bumps along for several kilometers. A 4 x 4 is not required, although its not a good idea to take a treasured sports car or low suspension model on the road, and the track could be pretty unpleasant after the rains. The scenery is stunning, peppered with old fishing cottages, and there is a huge choice of rocky bays, sandy coves, and secluded corners to bathe privately, even in the busy summer period. The area is open for naturist bathing, so its not uncommon to see the odd gleaming white buttock or two sticking out of the sea, but the area is so enormous, you can stop anywhere you choose and be as private, or as public, as you want.
There are absolutely no facilities, so bring everything
This really is a wonderful place for those who want to just get away from it all and be at one with nature. Its also very popular with local cyclists, especially the mountainbikers who can off-road as much as they like, or stay on road, and in some places that's just as bad as being off road. Its also a gorgeous place to walk on a summers evening with stunning views and sea breezes.
To access from Bolnuevo- drive along the seafront, past the famous erosions, and just keep going. The road winds off up to the left, past a series of residential villas, then curves sharply past a stunning bay with vibrant red rock walls and off along the coast.
From the other end it is a simple run along the old  main road to Aguilas, turning off at the turning for Canades de Gallega, then staying to the left. Go past a few tomato greenhouses and you will see  tracks heading off down to the left, which take you down to the beaches. Don't panic if you think you've missed the turning as there are many turnings all along on the left, right through the village and all along out the other side, all of which end up down on the beach.

Mazarron Town beaches.

Decide what you want- a beach with sporting facilities such as football and beachball net and entertainment for young children, a quiet space to read, facilities for the more mature bather with mobility issues, or a family beach with restaurants and bars just a few feet away. You can have any of these in the beaches which run from the Puerto de Mazarron up to Bolnuevo.
During the summer months, there are lifeguards, water for washing off feet, plenty of bins, toilets and parking.
In the winter there is just beach, open sea and space. None of these beaches get crowded, they're just too vast.

Playa Deportiva- Playa de Bolnuevo and Playa de la Isla
Sporting activities are encouraged on the Playa de Bolnuevo and the Playa de la Isla where beach football pitches and volleyball nets have been set up for the general entertainment. There will be tournaments throughout the summer.
There is masses of parking all along in front of the erosions, with the Oasis Bar right at the end for cooldown time.

Playa Infantil, based at the Playa del Castellar, a huge open beach that stretches right up the coastline.
This is the childrens zone and offers monitored activities for children between the ages of 6 and 14.
There are monitors available from 12.15am-2.15pm and from 6.15 - 8.15pm and the childrens area is  located at the far end of the coast road, heading towards Bolnuevo.
There are monitored traditional games, sporting games, table games, sporting activities and craft workshops , free of charge to occupy the youngsters whilst the parents enjoy a spot of relaxation on the beach.
Plenty of parking, bars and restaurants nearby.

 
Playa Cultural.

Playa de la Isla, which is by the Phoenician boat centre, a couple of hundred metres out of the main town centre, heading towards Bolnuevo.
Here visitors can borrow newspapers and daily magazines and relax. Book loan open from 10-1 and 5-8, closed Mondays.
This is right next to the Phoenician boat interpretation centre , which is well worth a look , open from 10-1pm and 6.30-9.30pm.Click the link to read about the opening of the centre.
Plenty of parking, lots of bars and restaurants nearby.
 This is also a good snorkelling beach as there are nice sandy banks and interesting rocks with good flora and fauna, heading across the channel to La Isla.
Playa de Mayores.
Playa del Puerto - the main beach which runs along the front of the Paseo .
Here the more mature amongst us can use the special facilities to help those with mobility issues. There are water chairs, sunshades and paddleoes on offer amongst other things.
This is the busiest beach area in Mazarron, being right in front of the Paseo, with its large range of shops, restaurants and access into central Puerto de Mazarron.There is Underground parking in the port or in the streets at either end, don't even think about trying to park anywhere in between. To access the parking, drive straight down the paseo from the roundabout with the boat on, and just carry on straight, and you'll see the carpark on the left hand side.

 
Isla Plana and L'Azohia.

From the Puerto de Mazarron, the beaches carry on along the coast towards Cartagena.
There is a long thin beach on the strip between the big roundabout with the fishing boat on and the lighthouse roundabout, with the El Alamillo urbanization behind it, called Playa Alamillo. This is sometimes used for windsurfing, depending on the wind direction, but in the summer is the home of Nora Nautic, who hire out Jet skis and  motor boats. On the opposite side of the road is the Buena Vista Social Club with tennis and paddle courts for hire and a busy bar. There is also a beach bar which has live music on Saturday evenings (peak season).
This beach is a good launching point for sailing dinghies, small powerboats and jetskis as it has good access directly off the road and a good sloping beach shelf.

 

Turning towards Isla Plana is a lovely sheltered beach, known by the locals as stone beach, because many of the stones are so beautiful. A geological movement millions of years ago left veins of stunningly coloured rocks jutting into the sea along this stretch , so many beachstones are multicoloured, rounded off by the action of the sea, and as a result, we now have  a very attractive rockery!
It's just a shame that the 5 towerblocks ruin the view, but that's progress for you. The far corner of this beach is popular with surfers in the autumn and spring, the tides running into this corner providing perfect surfing conditions.
In Isla Plana itself is the popular social club, which sits above a tiny fishing bay and looks onto a splendid promenade and beach area. This really is one of the best kept secrets around, as the stylish outdoor seating area has great views across the seafront and little church, good prices and free entertainment most of the summer.
There are other little beaches along the Isla Plana seafront, then there's a drive before reaching L'Azohia.
The L'Azohia beaches are long, fairly empty and not particularly wide, but come equipped with all the facilities you could wish for. Apartments and villas run along on the opposite side of the road, together with a reasonable selection of restaurants and bars. The beach is fairly exposed and seems to catch the wind a bit, but this is very welcome in the summer heat.
One of the main reasons people head to L'Azohia is the launching ramp for sailing boats which is right at the far end of the beaches. Day trippers can launch powerboats or sailing vessels from the slipway, which gets quite busy during summer weekends, and sometimes there's quite a queue waiting to get in or out of the water.
L'Azohia is also the home of the Rivemar and Antipodes diving schools, where it is possible to enjoy a drink in the bars or book diving. The Mazarron coastline is renown for its fantastic diving opportunities and there are many dive schools offering taster days, full PADI courses, and a range of dives for more experienced divers.
There's also fantastic snorkeling from a lot of the beaches, as there are lots of rocky coves along the whole of this coastal stretch, with interesting flora and fauna.

Mar Menor, The Sea of health

 

Overview.
Covering an area of 170km, this is the largest salt water lake in Europe, and is a mecca for sporspeople, the unique conditions creating perfect sailing winds, and the enclosed waters, linked to the sea by narrow channels, creating  a safe environment for novices and families.
The water is only 7metres deep at its lowest point, and is fringed by kilometer after kilometer of sandy beaches which slope gently into the water, creating a shallow, sandy fringe, which warms to an extraordinary degree during the summer months. It is possible in many places to be 50 metres out from the shore, and still only be standing knee deep in the water.
This creates a wonderful environment for novice sailers, windsurfers and snorkelers and means that families can relax and enjoy the beach facilities without stressing unduly about the safety of youngsters in the water.
We have selected only a couple of places from the vast amount available , for specific activities and facilities that they offer, and plan to produce more detailed guides to specific activities as we move on.
To start with, lets talk about mud.

 

 

 

 

Playa Paraiso.

The therapeutic properties of mud have been known since antiquity and used in both medical and beauty treatments for thousands of years. Special climatic conditions in the Mar Menor have brought about clay deposits which contain a high percentage of positive ions, calcium, magnesium,potassium, fluoride, in addition to negative ions, chlorine and sulphate, which combine with extraordinarily fine sand to create a unique, healing mud.
This is found in abundance in several locations around the edges of the Mar Menor, and may be removed in small quantities for personal use.
People with more money than sense pay hundreds for beauty treatments like these, but we can go along and have a wonderful day out and have the same treatment for free!!
There are extensive deposits in Las Charcas de lo Pagan or the Marchamalo salt flats in La Manga.
We like the little beach area tucked behind Playa Paraiso as its easy to access by car, there are good deposits of mud to dig out, we can park right down on the fringe of the beach and just a couple of hundred metres along the beach are toilets and water for washing off the salt afterwards.
As you drive down the road, you will see a creek running down to the beach, and very often there will be people wandering around covered in mud. Some pensionistas run coach trips to the creek as the mud is easily dug out, but the best place to dig it out is behind the creek, on the opposite side of the road, in the old salt extraction plant area behind the ruined buildings you can see from the road. There's a track that takes you across the waste ground to the salt flats where the absolute best mud is to be found.
We park the car and go across to dig out some mud first, before continuing down to the beach to mud up and enjoy a fun day out with friends .Of course, you can always park the men on the beach with a beer and wander back to dig out some mud after a relaxing swim.
We walk right to the back corner of the Salinas, which is where the best mud is to be found. Take a small trowel and don't wear your best shoes as you'll get muddy. The best mud is about a foot down. Find a hole where someone else has been digging. If you run your hand down the edge of the layers, you can feel the difference in textures. About a foot down is a softer layer, its black, the grains of sand are softer and when you pull it out it and rub it between your fingers, it feels silky and soft on the hands. Its very black and has a slight sulphury smell.Don't be shy, just get on your knees and pull it out by hand, theres nothing in the hole other than water!
If you don't want to use your hands, use the trowel to dig down to the layer. You don't need very much. We use a lemonade bottle, cut it to about 1/3 of its size, and this amount full will give 3-4 people a good mud treatment.
Back on the beach, its best to test a small area if you've not used the mud before, otherwise, just mud up and get the camping kettle on for a cuppa.
We wait until the mud has dried out completely and is cracking off before going into the water to wash off, then amble along the beach for a clean water shower before going home.
It does need a good rub to get it off, but it doesn't stain, although it takes a while to get it out of your nails and you may smell like a match factory until you've had a good soap down at home. We also dry out a potful and use it for facials throughout the winter.
It's something different to do with the visitors, and the photographers amongst you won't get another opportunity like this for fun photos of a summers day on the beach.
And to be honest, we always feel better in the few days after a mud trip, whether it's the relaxation or the combination of the mud and the high salinity of the warm water, we don't know, but the Romans swore by the healing properties of these mud treatments and used them in this same spot for hundreds of years nearly 2000 years before ourselves, so try it and see, it doesn't cost anything except a little effort.

To access Playa Paraiso,
Come into the Mar Menor on the MU312 from Cartagena. Go past the La Manga Camping site, ignore the first exit straight after the camping, then  take the next exit to a roundabout above the dual carriageway. Take the third exit which crosses over the dual carriagewayas though you'r going to rejoin the carriageway in the opposite direction, but before you rejoin the carriageway there is a right hand turn, by the go-kart track . Take the right hand turn and follow the road without turning off which goes through some old Salinas and narrows in places passing the old salt works. You will then arrive at a crossroads. In front to the right is the creek. Go straight over and this takes you straight onto the beach. To dig out the mud first, stop at the crossroads, then go over to the left and you'll see the old ruins on the left.

Playa Honda, windsurfing, sailing and the Campsite facilities.

 

The beach is nothing special, but the facilities afforded by the La Manga campsite are excellent as there is a lifeguard, chemical toilets, water and shower facilities, protected swimming area and beach bar facilities here.
It is also an excellent place to launch a sailing dinghy, having designated sailing launch lanes about 200 mtrs from the campsite, as well as a perfect  beach area for windsurfers.
Windsurfing instruction is available from the campsite, and the beach here is an excellent place to launch for windsurfing, as the winds in this corner of the Mar Menor are perfect for learners and improvers most of the time.
The shallow, warm waters are ideal for beginner and improver windsurfers, as learners spend an awful lot of time falling off the board in the early stages, and whilst the winds are fairly light, staying around a steady 2-3, this is enough to raise a sail, but not enough to overpower novices
Fairly regularly, stronger afternoon winds come through, and in the spring and autumn, more advanced sailors can expect some fantastic sailing conditions.
Theres a good website called windguru that gives accurate wind conditions for those wanting to sail. The corner running across from Playa Paraiso and Playa Honda is popular with windsurfers as the prevailing winds generally allow them to launch easily and take a good line across the sea towards deer Island and back.
The same goes for dinghy sailors who can launch easily from this site. There is also a dinghy training school in this location.
To access Playa Honda, come down MU312 heading for Mar menor. As you pass the La Manga Camping site, take the exit immediately after the site, cross the dual carriageway which will bring you down to a T junction. Turn left and 1st left which takes you into the urban area. Follow the road all the way down to the bottom, turn left and follow beach front towards brightly coloured hotel blocks at the end. Opposite the entrance to the blocks is a dirt car park. Follow this down and you can drive right alongside the beach as far as the camping site. In the summer you have to drop off any boats and park the car in the car park, but in the autumn, no-one takes any notice.

The strip, Dos Mares

 

This little beach is located in a sheltered spot, just by the Island of Ciervo, deer island and offers facilities to entertain the whole family at extremely affordable prices.
This beautiful little bay has a gently sloping, sandy beach, but what makes it slightly different is the Dos Mares beach bar which services the beach.
Its beautifully presented, with nice sun loungers, cocopalm seating areas, music playing and a lovely atmosphere, and the beach  is also home to a beach school who rent out pedaloes, kayaks and small sailing boats. They also run sailing courses for optimist sailing boats, which are childrens trainer boats, catamarans and windsurfing, so it's a good place for mum to relax in the shade of a sun lounger whilst other family members hire a kayak or pedaloe.
The water is very shallow in this corner which makes it perfect for another of the Mar Menors top sporting attractions - kitesurfing.
This corner of the Mar Menor has a long run with shallow water - 50 metres out and its still only knee high, and the prevailing wind direction means that kitesurfers can whizz from one end to the other.
On a perfect afternoon this corner is filled with coloured kites and it's a great experience just to be there watching, and for those with the energy, its an exhilarating sport. The kiteschools in this corner run beginners and improvers courses , as well as hiring and selling all the kit.
There's a story here about a local resident who started kitesurfing at 70, he's a real inspiration.

On the island just opposite the kite school is a place called the Peke park, which is a fantastic childrens entertainment area with rides, games and loads of entertainment for children of all ages. It's a really fun place to take the kids when they're bored with sitting on the beach and has all types of restaurant facilities as well.

The Dos Mares beach is at exit 27 of the Gran Via, which means driving down the strip to km3. The main road bends around to the right, close to the edge of the sea, get in the left hand lane and turn left at the lights, doubling back. Go past the shops, then pull in to the parking on the corner.

The strip, for those who are not sure, is the long thin piece of land which encloses the Mar Menor from the sea. It is 21km long and has beaches running both sides, with the sea on one side and the Mar Menor on the other.
We really could dedicate hundreds of pages to the wonderful beach facilities around the MarMenor as there are stunning beaches at places like Los Alcazares, San Pedro del Pinatar etc, but there are just too many. If you've not been there, go, it just doesn't get any better than this.

We will be adding more beaches and over the next few weeks and will add lots of recommended places to take the Visitors.

 

The strip, for those who are not sure, is the long thin piece of land which encloses the Mar Menor from the sea. It is 21km long and has beaches running both sides, with the sea on one side and the Mar Menor on the other.
We really could dedicate hundreds of pages to the wonderful beach facilities around the MarMenor as there are stunning beaches at places like Los Alcazares, San Pedro del Pinatar etc, but there are just too many. If you've not been there, go, it just doesn't get any better than this.

We will be adding more beaches and over the next few weeks and will add lots of recommended places to take the Visitors.