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ONE OF SPAIN´S BEST KEPT SECRETS
Jennie Iredale

While the Costas you know are still very popular like the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol, there is a virtually undiscovered Costa on the south east coast of Spain……. the Costa Calida. In the Costa Calida you will find authentic Spanish villages, unspoilt blue flag beaches and much less commercialised than the other Costas. Costa Calida is known as ‘the warm coast’ as temperatures rarely fall below 18ºC and there is over 300 days of sunshine. It also has excellent transport links from both Alicante and Murcia and the new proposed international airport at Corvera. Additionally the beautiful and lively cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Granada are all within easy train or road distances making for exciting weekend adventures.

Costa Calida and particularly Puerto de Mazarron is a traditional Spanish holiday resort. The Spaniards have been holidaying here for years and understand the uniqueness of the area. There are many unspoilt beaches and beautiful coves running along the coastline from La Azohia to Bolnuevo making this a haven for anyone looking for a holiday home or permanent residence. Spain has developed into a much more liberal country in the last ten years and the coastline along from Bolnuevo boasts many nudist beaches for those who want to really get away from it all. Puerto de Mazarron area has been undiscovered for years by the British and is only now really coming into its own. You won’t find McDonalds or fish and chip shops but what you will find is traditional Spanish restaurants and bars and, for those who like the nightlife, there is a small area of bars that stay open until the `last person leaves´.

Although Spanish is still spoken wherever you go in Puerto de Mazarron, there are a number of doctors, dentists, and commercially run enterprises which speak English – although half the fun is trying to converse in your newly learnt language.

There are many plans for the future of Mazarron involving up to 80 different projects. Thirty nine of the beaches, many awarded the blue flag, will soon boast new promenades and a major new attraction will be the new marina which is currently under construction. So great are the changes that up to 20.7 million euros will be spent over the next couple of years in the Mazarron area.

Following the coast road from Puerto De Mazarron, we reach Bolnuevo where the wind has sculptured bizarre figures made of rock next to the sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. From Bolnuevo, there are vertical cliffs along the coast covering approximately six miles.

Within a ten-minute drive you have an area of hot springs and a mere 30 minutes drive will take you to the breath taking Sierra Espuña National Park.

Mazarron is the main town about ten minutes drive from the port and is still very much a traditional working town. Mazarron has always been a mining town, even in Roman times. It was considered a rich area producing argentiferous galena, iron oxide and alum. Today the mines are closed but you can still see the remains of the old mines on the hillsides. The town is now moving very much into the 21st century with the old buildings being restored and a number of new shops opening each month. The Saturday market is always a must and this is held in the town square. The town also boasts an indoor market, which is open every day except Sunday. For shopping on a Sunday, no better place to go than the market in Puerto de Mazarron. Here again you will find everything from locally grown fruit and vegetables to your covers for your sun loungers.

For the golfers amongst you, there are a number of excellent courses in and around Murcia. From Puerto de Mazarron you are only an hour’s drive from the famous Altorreal in Murcia, Dessert Springs in Almeria, La Manga (everyone knows this one), Valle de Este in Almeria and Camposol in Mazarron. Camposol is currently a 9 hole course but a further 9 holes should be open this year. If you look at the La Manga/Mar Menor area there are a number of fabulous golf resorts currently open or opening in the next 18 months.

An interesting fact about Mazarron and the Puerto De Mazarron is the swelling numbers of people that arrive during the fiestas and the summer months of July and August. The population of Mazarron is approximately 35,000 people while the population of Puerto De Mazarron is approx 15,000 people – quite small numbers in comparison to some of the Costa’s. Around Navidad (Christmas) and Semana Santa (Easter) the population in the Port swells to somewhere between 50,000 – 60,000 people but, the most fascinating thing about the port is that during July we see about 180,000 people and in August up to 220,000 people all experiencing the relaxing beaches and the great restaurants – the Spanish know what a great place this is to be and so do we who live here.

If it’s late nights you want, one of the summer highlights is when Bali Hai the open-air disco opens – then you know summer has arrived. This large open-air disco is on two levels and you will find all age groups from Gran to Granddaughter. As the tired ones amongst us go home at 2am the youngsters are arriving in their droves and party until 7.30 in the morning and, there is never any sign of trouble!

For the summer months you will see restaurants full from early evening, when the European people tend to eat until the early hours of the morning when the Spanish eat, this gives the bar owners and restaurateurs a great opportunity. Although Puerto De Mazarrón is a mainly Spanish environment there are a number of English entrepreneurs that have opened flourishing businesses in the area. Is it becoming too English and the answer is no, there are still many more Spanish bars, restaurants and shops to enjoy than in a lot of other areas and, there is always that one day when you would like a traditional English breakfast or evening meal. What better way to spend the summer months than enjoying your self on the beaches, visiting good restaurants or driving into the mountains and escape the crowds.

If history is what you look for then Mazarron has it. A Fish Salting factory was found in 1976 when work was being carried out to foundations of a building in the Port. The structures preserved in the room are part of a great industrial complex from the 1V – V centuries B.C. dedicated to the process of cleaning, cutting and salting fish for the production of salted fish and fish sauces. The other part of the factory would have extended under today’s streets and adjoining land.

Another interesting piece of history is in front of the Playa De La Isla, where there lies two great underwater treasures dated V11 BC. Known as Mazarron 1 and 2, two Phoenician boats act as a reminder that Mazarron was once an important commercial link for the Phoenicians. The two boats are the only ones of their kind in the world.

Population figures supplied by The Tourist Information Office, Puerto De Mazarron