Mar Menor Area Guide

The hidden jewel of Murcia and the Costa Calidá, the Mar Menor is a unique gift from Nature.  The largest salt water lake in Europe, it is separated from the Mediterranean sea by a thin strip of land called La Manga.  It was once a simple bay, but sediment building up on a range of underwater mountains created this strip of land which separates the bay from the sea.  Now the Mar Menor is connected to the Mediterranean only by a series of channels which allows the water and sea life between the two to interchange.   The Mar Menor is ideal for bathers and water sports as it is shallow, calm and warm.  It reaches a maximum depth of 7 meters and is edged by numerous soft sandy beaches, which slope very gently into the water.  The water in the Mar Menor has long been recognised as special; the Romans built thermal baths here to enjoy the curative properties of its waters.  Today there are a number of spas available along the coast line and visitors use the properties of the Mar Menor mud to help health conditions such as psoriasis and arthritis . 

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