Cartagena

Cartagena (pronounced 'carrta-henna') city lies in the Murcian province SE Spain, on the mediterranean sea. A major sea port and naval base, it has a fine natural harbour, protected by forts. The city (1990 pop. 175,9666) was first founded around 227 BC by the Carthaginians and was originally called Carthago Nova. There still lies much evidence of ancient architecture dating right back to 227 BC. The Roman amphitheatre, carved into the rock above the port has been dated around 1 BC and the original 13th century cathedral is still standing. The city is an eposcipal see. There's the Museum of Maritime Archaelogy and a city centre offering a fine array of delightful shops interspersed with Roman relics. You can even peer down through a glass pavement and see the ancient cobbled street below. Festivals and Music play a big part in Cartagena's culture; in July the city hosts the world music festival 'La Mar de Músicas', there's the International Jazz Festival in November and in September the city's colourful history is brought to life in the form of the festival of 'Carthaginians and Romans' The medieval Castillo de la Concepcion whose ruins are surrounded by fine gardens and commands spectacular views is a must see.

La Manga

La Manga del Mar Menor is a 22 km strip of land that makes up the lagoon of the Mar Menor which makes it a very interesting natural attraction. Truly situated between two seas, its miles of sandy beaches are a favourite for sunseeking toursits and locals who arrive in droves throughout the summer. The entire Mar Menor is at its deepest only 8 metres deep & maintains a water temperature 17 Celsius above the average. Good food and entertainment can be found all along the strip which also has a plentiful supply of supermarkets and souvenir shops.

Murcia

Some 20 kilometres inland, the city of Murcia (pronounced 'murrthia') is one of the smaller regions of Spain. The coastal area of Murcia is known as the Costa Calida or 'warm coast'. It stretches from the largest lagoon in Europe (Mar Menor) around La Manga and along the mediterranean coast to Aguilas in the south. It is a shopping heaven with many up market shops and department stores. You can wander through the pedestrianised areas to beautiful squares which are just waiting to be discovered.

Mazzaron

South of Cartagena, the Mazarron area Spans 35 kilometres of the Murcian coast with dozens of sandy beaches and coves. There are two main centres of activity... the town and the port. The town of Mazarron itself is 5 kilometres from the coast, whilst Puerto de Mazarron is the town centred around the fishing port. Street markets are held in Mazarron town centre on Saturdays and in Puerto de Mazarron on Sundays. Bolnuevo a small coastal village has some shops, bars and restaurants and some amazing rock formations.

Alicante

Alicante is the administrative capital of the Alicante region. The town is also known by the name Alacant. The Moorish castle of Santa Bárbara sits on mount Benacantil and overlooks this ancient town, whose history dates back to before 1000 BC. Today, it is a major industrial city with a mediterranean coast lined with hotels and apartments. It's many attractions include; the Archaelogical Museum and the 'Museo Casa de la Asegurada' with it's excellent art gallery. Even by Spanish standards Alicanteans are serious fiesta addicts. There are fiestas virtually all year round. Not to be ignored is "Las Fogueres de Sant Joan" at the end of June. On 24th June a procession of giant figures is torched amidst a massive firework display with the festivities continuing for four more days. The city has excellent road links, a sea port and a major international airport at El Altet. Alicante's 'Recincto Ferial' is large conference centre which regulary hosts major international trade fairs. Fiestas are a very important part of Spain and the Spanish way of life. They are very colourful, vibrant, more often than not very noisy, often chaotic and always great fun, so why not try one out. Another thing the Spanish love is their markets where they can stock up on fresh produce, clothes, leather goods and shoes amongst many other things. No matter where you are, you can be sure there will be a local market going on somewhere nearby. Come and join in the fun!