A short drive Northwards, or a walk of an hour or so, to the next coastal town of Lo Pagan allows you to experience the contrast between the Med and the lagoon; taking the local ferry across to the ‘La Manga’ strip - which runs for 18km but in places can be traversed in a matter of metres - allows you to do the same.

A little further Northwards is the town of San Pedro del Pinatar and the nearby beaches of El Mojon & Horadada on the Med.

Los Alcazares is well worth a visit and is a 10 min car journey away. This area provides numerous bars and restaurants and has a beautiful beach with bars located on it. A large watersports centre operates off the beach and provides, canoeing, jet ski-ing, sailing and much more.

A drive to the Southern end of the Mar Menor will take you to the small port town of Cabo de Palos which boasts an impressive lighthouse and has access to the Med. The La Manga strip stretches out from the mainland close to here and you can drive along it.

The regional capital of Murcia is about 30 minutes drive away and has a host of fine buildings and shops. A 45 minute drive South is the historic port city of Cartagena which has a good array of shops and old buildings even a Roman Amphitheatre. There are several protected areas within half an hours drive, Calblanque and Sierra de Carrascoy regional parks and the San Pedro Salinas bird sanctuary to name but three.

Talk about Murcia and it is impossible to ignore the fact that it will soon challenge the rest of Spain as the golf capital. With Polaris World alone building 6 championship courses within a 28km radius, and approximately 20 more courses planned or under construction, the area will be a haven for the keen golfer. Not forgetting, of course, that the region is already home to one of the most famous European golf and sports complexes “La Manga Club”. Many of these golf courses also provide additional sporting facilities such as tennis, squash and football.

There are a number of golf courses close by, Villa Martin, Las Ramblas, Campoamor and La Finca are approximately 15 minutes drive away.

 Torrevieja is within a 20 minute drive and is surrounded by salt lakes which are home to a variety of wildlife including pink flamingos which are protected within the La Mata nature reserve. The town has a large marina, fun fair, promenade which is bustling from early evening with street artists and stalls, a harbour walk and abundant bars, shops and restaurants. Going North, Alicante is worth a look as are the many beaches and bays all along the Costa Blanca and of course Benidorm is only an hour away with it's vast selection of attractions including the Terra Mitica theme park, Mundomar sea life attraction and Aqualandia water park.