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La Manga, Spanish for “the sleeve" is an 18km strip of land which separates the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor giving it the unique advantage of having a coastline and beaches on 2 seas. At its narrowest point it is just a few hundred metres wide.
La Manga strip encloses the Mar Menor which directly translates as the small or lesser sea, although in fact it is not actually a sea, it is actually Europe´s largest saltwater lagoon. It covers a total area of 130km² with a maximum depth of just 8m. The shallow waters are warm, calm and rich in salts and minerals, making it ideal for families with younger children.
Along the full length of the strip on both sides are beautiful beaches with golden sands, rocky outcrop. There are a number of small marinas many with watersport schools offering sailing, canoeing, windsurfing and jet-ski hire. The most impressive of these is the Tomas Maestre Marina where you can sit and admire the boats with a cold drink or choose from the many boat trip options on offer around the Mar Menor or out to the Mediterranean.
La Manga is divided into numerous sub resorts located along the entire length which are identified both by name and their specific distance in km´s from the base of the strip. Many of these have large commercial areas and enclosed plazas away from the main road. All have a great choice of bars, cafes, restaurants and, gift shops as well as the usual leisure facilities and general services.
The strip is a purpose built holiday destination with high rise hotels and apartment blocks and is very popular with Spanish visitors who tend to visit in their 1000´s during the Summer months. This makes it very busy and lively in July and August but relatively quiet and more relaxed during the rest of the year.
