Nudist Beaches in Murcia
Murcia Region
The region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain and differs from most other autonomous communities in the sense that it consists of just a single province. Situated in the southeast of the country between the Valencian Community and Andalusia, the region stretches along the beautiful Costa Calida from San Pedro del Pinatar to Aguilas and inland to Motoralla and Yecla. Murcia has a typical Mediterranean climate and enjoys mild winters and many days of sunshine with average summer temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius. The fertile soil of the region is perfect for agriculture and it is a major producer of various vegetables, fruit and flowers, however, water supply has been a concern in the past. To augment the water supplied to the region by the Segura River, civil engineers built a transvasement from the River Tajo to the Segura, thus boosting the regions water supply. Other agriculture in Murcia include olive oil, and wine from the vineyards around the towns of Jumilla and Yecla. Most of the regions other economy comes from tourism.
Visitors to the area can enjoy many miles of beautiful beaches, rugged mountain ranges, lush valleys, quaint fishing villages and lively towns and holiday resorts. The city of Cartagena has played an important part in the Roman Empire and was one of Spain’s most important naval ports. To this day the Port of Cartagena is still the main military port in the country and the third deepest in the world, receiving regular visits from cruise ships. The city’s Military Museum has the largest collection of military artillery in Spain and visitors can see the huge Guns of Cartagena, built to defend its port in the 20th century, they measure 56ft and weigh a hefty 88 tons each with a firing range of 20 miles. The city has a selection of beaches and water sports as well as a choice of 4 nudist beaches. For the full naturist experience, visitors can head about 10 kilometres south to the nudist resort of El Portus. The city’s seafront area offers a selection of bars and restaurants with a further choice in its charming Old Quarter. A short drive from Cartagena is the famous Mar Menor. Referred to by many as an inland sea, the Mar Menor is actually a vast salt lake near the town of Lo Pagan and connected to the sea by fishing canals. For a theraputical mud bath, the best part to visit is the far North of the lake where the mud is known locally as La Puntica. Due to it’s high levels of salt and long hours of sunlight, the mud in this area is rich in beneficial minerals. Mar Manor is a Mecca for water sports and has clubs and schools offering equipment hire and lessons in surfing, wind surfing, sailing, kayaking and scuba diving, just to name a few.
The Murcia Region benefits from having a busy international airport, located near the town of San Javier. Murcia-San Javier Airport services many budget airlines from all over Europe and the United Kingdom and is less than a 30 minute drive from the popular seaside resorts of the Orihuela Costa. Situated inland on the slopes of the Sierra del Cano mountains is the town of Lorca which has the second largest municipality, by surface area, in Spain. Inhabited since Neolithic times, the town is steeped in history and has an abundance of monuments. Known as the Fortress of the Sun, the town’s impressive Medieval castle sits on an elevated position and can be seen from miles around. The castle is now a large themed area receiving many visitors to its exhibitions and cultural activities. Sadly, in 2011 Lorca was hit by a 5.1 earthquake, causing serious damage and killing 9 people. The inland areas of Murcia offer many types of sporting and recreational facilities including golf, cycling, hiking, horse riding, mountain climbing, potholing, fishing and canoeing.
Situated in the centre of Murcia’s coastal region, the town of Mazarrón offers visitors around 30 kilometres of sand and gravel beaches for lazy days in the sun, and the promenade in the town’s port is a good place to enjoy live music during the warm summer evenings. There is a selection of shops, bars and restaurants, perfect for dining on the fantastic local produce and seafood of the area. To the south of Mazarrón’s port area naturists can enjoy a choice of 7 official nudist beaches. Throughout the region there are Protected Natural Parks, and close to the town of San Pedro del Pinatar, nature enthusiasts can enjoy hiking the various marked trails through the salt marshes and sand dunes of the Salinas Regional Park, an area abundant in flora & fauna that is also home to a variety of wetland birds. There is a sports harbour at La Salinas, providing a range of water sports, and beach lovers can head to the dunes of Playa de la Torre Derribada.
Visitors to the region will be delighted in the fantastic local cuisine that incorporates all the ingredients the area has to offer, from the mountains to the sea. The fertile plains produce wonderful fruit and vegetables, the valleys and mountains are home to game such as rabbit, hare, antelope and wild fowl, and the fishing villages provide mouth-watering, fresh fish and seafood. Rice plays a major part in the regions dishes including favourites such as Arroz y Conejo (rice with rabbit ) and Arroz Marinero ( rice with seafood ) The king prawns fished locally are heavenly and the region produces a caviar called Huevas de Mujol, a local delicacy. There are a great selection of holiday choices in the Murcia region, be it hiking in the mountains, exploring ancient ruins and monuments, all over sunbathing on one of the 13 official nudist beaches in Murcia or a fun-filled family holiday in one of the region’s excellent seaside resorts.