Seven kilometres of beach can change the pace of a holiday. In Los Alcázares, that shoreline comes with warm, shallow water, easy-going seaside life, and a rare mix of active days and slow spa afternoons. This coastal town sits on the edge of the Mar Menor in the Region of Murcia, about 24 kilometres from Cartagena and close to San Javier. It feels made for travellers who want the sea within a few steps, but do not want every day to look the same. One morning can start with k

San Pedro del Pinatar is one of those places where the map explains the town. It sits between the calm water of the Mar Menor and the open Mediterranean, edged by salt flats, dunes, fishing harbours and long, flat beaches. The result is a small Murcian town with more variety than its size suggests. This is not only a place for a beach day. San Pedro del Pinatar has a layered history, a working salt landscape, traditional fishing roots and some of the most distinctive coastal

La Manga del Mar Menor is one of those places that looks almost unreal on a map: a long, narrow strip of land with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon on the other. That shape has made it famous, busy, and, in places, heavily built up. Yet the wider area still holds some of the most rewarding natural spaces in the Region of Murcia. The best way to enjoy La Manga is to treat it as more than a beach resort. Use it as a base for calm lagoon wa