Holiday apartment in Los Alcazares on the Mar Menor – beach and culture

Los Alcázares lies on the Mar Menor and combines an extensive coastline with nature observation, regional cuisine and an unusually multifaceted history. Seven kilometres of beach define the town. Along the water runs the Paseo Marítimo de Los Alcázares, a continuous route of approximately 5.5 kilometres along the seven beaches of Las Salinas, Los Narejos, Las Palmeras, El Espejo, Manzanares, Carrión and Las Concha.

Coast and nature

Playa la Hita is a special landscape area. The site is a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA), with lush coastal vegetation and small wetlands. Wooden walkways and a birdwatching station offer views of the coast while causing as little disturbance to wildlife as possible. Thus, at the Mar Menor, the focus is not only on the beach and water, but also on a protected coastal area with its own vegetation and habitats.

Culture and history

The Torre del Rame recalls the former border situation between the municipalities of Cartagena and Murcia. The rural defensive tower was built at the end of the 16th century by Don Diego Bienvengud Rosique, captain and councillor of Cartagena. It was intended to protect Hoya Morena and El Ramí from frequent raids by Berber pirates. The Balneario de La Encarnación preserves another historical trace: an inner courtyard with Andalusian influences, as well as original marble baths and fittings for the thermal baths. The Balneario was the first hotel on the Mar Menor and has been a centre of therapeutic tourism since the beginning of the 20th century.

Other cultural sites include the Iglesia parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Its construction began in 1898 on the site of a small oratory that had already existed there since 1890, and it was completed as a modest chapel in 1905. The Museo Aeronáutico Municipal displays aircraft models, aerial photographs, helmets, weapons, propellers, guardhouses and anti-aircraft guns. Los Alcázares airfield also has a special past: at the end of the 1920s and beginning of the 1930s, it had a seaplane base and a school for aerial combat and bombing. Spain's first seaplane base was established in Los Alcázares as early as 1915.

By the sea stands the Balneario Playa de La Concha, a historic wooden bathing platform and a viewpoint on the coast. Historical events are reenacted during the Incursiones Berberiscas through performances on the beach and in the town centre. The focus is on events connected with pirate attacks on the coast of the Mar Menor in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Incursiones Berberiscas in Los Alcázares have the status of a festival of regional tourist interest.

Festivals and cuisine

The town's cuisine is closely connected with the Mar Menor. Caldero is considered the most famous dish of Los Alcázares and originated as a meal prepared by fishermen of the Mar Menor who fished for mullet. During the established Día del Caldero on 12 October, visitors gather while peñas along the beaches prepare Caldero in cast-iron pots and compete with one another using their dishes.

Gastromar also takes place in Los Alcázares every October. The event includes a food market, tastings of regional products and live cooking demonstrations. Alongside the coastal paths and historic sites, the preparation and presentation of regional products therefore form an integral part of local life.

Further destinations

More town pages: Santiago De La Ribera.

To the higher-level travel overview: San Javier.