Costa Cálida

The Mar Menor lagoon, La Manga's sandbar and the port of Cartagena.

193 homesFrom €105,000

The Costa Cálida is the coast of the Murcia region, centred on the Mar Menor, Europe's largest saltwater lagoon, with the narrow sandbar of La Manga between it and the Mediterranean. Homes generally cost less here than similar ones on the Costa Blanca, and ITP on a resale is lower, at 8% as a guide. The foreign market is smaller than on its northern neighbour, and the towns feel more Spanish as a result.

Living here

The towns around the Mar Menor change with the seasons. Spanish families arrive for July and August and La Manga's high-rises fill up, then winter turns quiet, with fewer restaurants open on the resort strips. San Javier, Los Alcázares and Cartagena keep an ordinary rhythm all year, which helps if you plan to live here.

British, Belgian and Dutch owners are the main foreign groups, with more Scandinavians arriving, but the communities are smaller than on the Costa Blanca. You will use more Spanish here, and learning the basics pays off quickly. The larger towns have supermarkets, health centres and private clinics, and Cartagena and Murcia city provide the full range of city services.

Towns to know

La Manga
A narrow strip of high-rise resort between the Mediterranean and the lagoon, with water on both sides, busiest with Spanish summer visitors.
San Javier
A local town on the lagoon with a seafront at Santiago de la Ribera, popular with Spanish families and people who sail.
Los Alcázares
A flat, easy seaside town with long lagoon promenades, liked by retired buyers who want shops and the water within walking distance.
Los Nietos
A small, low-key village on the southern shore of the lagoon, chosen by people who want quiet and a boat more than nightlife.
Cartagena
A historic port city with Roman remains and a naval past, for buyers who want a year-round Spanish city near the coast.
Águilas
A fishing town near the Almería border with coves on either side, popular with buyers who prefer open sea to the lagoon.
Lorca
An inland market town below a castle, a Spanish place to live rather than a resort, with country houses in the land around it.

Climate

The climate is almost the same as Costa Blanca South: hot, dry and sunny for most of the year, with some of the highest summer temperatures on the mainland, and mild winters. The lagoon is shallow and warms up quickly, which makes for gentle swimming over a long season. Late summer and autumn can bring gota fría or DANA storms, and low-lying streets around the Mar Menor have flooded in the past.

Getting here

Murcia airport at Corvera is the nearest, around 30 minutes from Cartagena and the Mar Menor towns and closer to an hour from Águilas. Alicante airport is about an hour from the Mar Menor and usually has a wider choice of routes. The AP-7 motorway runs behind the coast, with a dual carriageway out to La Manga. High-speed trains from Madrid reach Murcia city and Cartagena has rail links, but a car is the practical choice for daily life.

What you can buy

Expect flats and townhouses around the Mar Menor, high-rise flats on La Manga, and newer low-rise developments and golf homes in the countryside behind the coast. Further inland you find rural houses and village homes.

On the lagoon, ask about the state of the water and the restoration work under way, since it affects daily life and resale. Homes near the shore need a check on the Coastal Law and on past flooding. Rural Murcia is one of the areas where houses may lack proper permits, so your lawyer should confirm the legal status in writing before you sign anything binding.

Work out the buying costs here

Who it suits

Buyers on a tighter budget who want more space for their money than on the Costa Blanca.
Families with young children who like calm, shallow water and easy days at the beach.
Sailors who want a sheltered lagoon on the doorstep.

Questions buyers ask

What is happening with the Mar Menor?

The lagoon has had water-quality problems and is in an ongoing ecological restoration. See it for yourself on your visit and ask locally how the area you like has been affected.

Is it cheaper than the Costa Blanca?

Homes generally cost less for a similar specification, and as a guide resale ITP is 8% in Murcia against 10% in the Valencia Community. Compare live listings and ask your lawyer to confirm the current rate.

Is it quiet in winter?

Yes, especially on La Manga, where many flats are summer homes. Cartagena and the larger lagoon towns keep going all year.