HISTORY, ART AND NATURE ALL WITHIN
EASY REACH
Apart from the many different beaches of La Manga and the bays
at Cabo de Palos, there are a multitude of other ways in which
visitors with different tastes can indulge themselves. There are
many areas of interest to nature lovers, many "protected" areas
with different species of birds plus places of historical interest
and natural beauty.
 Nearer home, the remains of walls built by the Greeks can be
seen around the area known as "Cala del Pino" (The Bay of Pines).
Well known landmarks in the area include the two lighthouses -
the one at Cabo de Palos having been built in 1865 and the smaller
one called the "Faro del Estacio" which guards the only navigable
entrance to the Mar Menor. In the near future, the Autonomous
Community of Murcia plans to build a cultural park on the ground
which was home to the first settlers here. This will be located
at the beginning of La Manga, in the area known as Las Amoladeras,
and among many things will reproduce the typical "cabañas" (cabins)
which used to exist there and which were made from wattle and
reeds.
At the northern end of La Manga, overlooking the Salt Flats of
Arenales and San Pedro del Pinatar and to the south, the Salt
Flats of Marchamalo offer the opportunity to see a great variety
of migrating bird-life on it's way to Africa, including flamingos,
storks, herons, ducks and "avocetas".
This is where the road ends and is known as "Veneciola" (Little
Venice) due to it's network of inland waterways. The beaches are
deserted and it is here that the old fashioned fishing techniques
known as "la encañizada" can be seen in use. To sit and watch
the sun go down over the Mar Menor at these places, or for that
matter, anywhere on La Manga, is an experience which surpasses
many of the better known and more celebrated sunsets. 
In the other direction, it is also possible to either walk, or
take a bicycle and explore the route along the Mediterranean coast
from Cabo de Palos to the beaches of Calblanque. The views from
such places as the "Punta de los Saleros" and the "Punta Espada"
are exceptional and the route is full of vegetation and aromatic
plants such as lavender, thyme and rosemary. The original "breather
holes" from the mines which run underneath the mountains abound
in these mountains, but they are adequately sign-posted and protected
by walls due to avoid accidents. At the end of the journey the
visitor will be rewarded with vast expanses of unspoilt beach,
surrounded and protected by the mountains which overlook the Mediterranean.
With easy motorway access, day trips to other parts of the province,
such as Lorca and Caravaca to the south of Murcia, including the
natural park of "Sierra Espuña". Heading north from Murcia are
the famous heated baths of Archena and Fortuna, renowned for the
therapeutic values of their natural spring waters. Mula, Bullas
and Cehegin are also within travelling distance and renowned for
the wine grown in the region. All of these visits can be planned
without the need for an overnight stay.
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