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HOME > MURCIA MAR MENOR & CARTAGENA > LOS ALCÁZARES
Introduction to Los Alcázares
Los Alcázares lies on the inland shore of the Mar Menor, surrounded by the sea and the municipalities of San Javier, Torre Pacheco and Cartagena, with a permanent population of around 19,000 inhabitants.
Its main activity is tourism and the hotel of La Encarnación is one of the oldest in the Region of Murcia. It was built on the shore of the Mar Menor, Europe´s largest saltwater lagoon, which multiplies the population in summer with holidaymakers attracted by kilometres of soft sand, warm, safe and shallow water and the opportunities to enjoy the superb watersports facilities.
The Mar Menor is renowned for its safe sailing and afternoon thermal winds, with kitesurfers and windsurfers taking advantage of the clean run from shore to shore and learners enjoying the safety of an enclosed lagoon whilst more experienced sailors can head out into the Mediterranean or charter yachts to explore the Murcia coastline.
Los Alcázares is also the location of the only surviving Balneario or bathing station, which is still in use today as a restaurant, a vestige from the days when bathers wished to maintain a level of decorum by descending into the waters from the privacy of a bathing hut rather than baring all on the beach. This part of the beach is also the focal point for one of the most important gastronomic traditions of the region: the preparation of the fish-based rice dish of caldero, the staple diet of the fishing population who fished from these shores before the onset of tourism.
Los Alcázares has been the chosen destination of Murcianos from the regional capital for many decades and celebrates the annual migration with its vibrant and colourful Semana de la Huerta y El Mar, filling the town with the scent of tapas, the colourful costumes of folk dancers and a selection of artisan crafts from across the Region.
Los Alcázares also hosts one of the best medieval markets in the region when it celebrates its Berber fiestas, commemorating the raids by Berber Pirates which were such a feature of its history during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The town is home to an established ex-pat community with a wealth of social activities and organisations for the English-speaking population, and offers residential properties in established urban locations, as well as in newer urbanisations.
The town is around half an hour's drive from the Region of Murcia International Airport in Corvera, with good connections along the Mar Menor to the road network of the rest of Spain.
Petition to ban jet skis in the Mar Menor gains 26,000 signaturesPetition organisers say the lagoon's recovery remains fragile and are calling for a permanent ban on jet skis to help protect wildlife and water quality A petition by Abracemos al Mar Menor calling for jet skis to be banned from the Mar Menor.. 03/07/2026
The 2026 FarmFoods European Senior Masters Golf Championship - 5th-8th November Promoted by Champions (UK) plc, and part of the Legends Tour, La Manga Club’s biggest commercial golf event returns to the 5-star resort's iconic south course for the fifth consecutive year. The start of the championship will be.. 03/07/2026
More families to qualify for reduced VAT on new homes in MurciaFamilies earning up to €2,400 a month could qualify for the reduced 4% VAT rate on new-build properties under the revised housing decree Thousands more people in the Region of Murcia could soon qualify for a reduced 4% VAT rate when buying.. 03/07/2026
Rock Imperium kicks off today: everything you need to know before you goFrom shuttle buses and cashless wristbands to what you can and can't bring through the gate, here's your practical guide to the festival It's here. After months of anticipation, Rock Imperium Festival opens its gates today in Cartagena for.. 03/07/2026
Skip the summer taxi queues and let Airport Buses take the stress out of your Murcia transferAirport Buses offers four routes covering the Murcia coastline, Costa Blanca south and as far as Mojácar in Almería With the summer holidays in full swing and Murcia International Airport busier than ever, the last thing anyone wants.. 02/07/2026
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Major flood defence works get underway in Los AlcázaresThe restoration of the Rambla de la Pescadería will cost €17 million and won’t be finished until 2029 The tender process has officially opened for a major flood protection scheme in Los Alcázares, with the Ministry for Ecological.. 02/07/2026
EU funding lost as Lo Pagán health centre faces further delaysConstruction began in 2023 and was due to be completed within 16 months, but legal action and payment disputes have left the project stalled for months Residents in Lo Pagán will have to wait even longer for their new health centre, as ongoing.. 02/07/2026
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Murcia bus passengers left in the dark as regional transport strike gets under wayCommuters from outlying districts bore the brunt on day one, with many only finding out about reduced services when they arrived at the stop If you tried to catch a bus in Murcia on Wednesday morning and found yourself waiting longer than usual, you weren.. 02/07/2026
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Microplastics found in Mar Menor blue crabs raise food safety concernsResearch by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography found microplastics in 100% of blue crabs tested from the Mar Menor A study by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) has found microplastics in blue crabs living in the Mar Menor, raising.. 01/07/2026
Murcia pulls out of native English assistant programme in schoolsThe decision means around 270 language assistants will no longer be placed in classrooms across the Region next academic year The Murcia Region has decided not to join the national programme for native language conversation assistants in schools.. 01/07/2026
Woman dies after being found unconscious on Mazarrón BeachWitnesses began CPR and used a nearby defibrillator after the 66-year-old was found unresponsive at the water's edge A 66-year-old woman has died after being found unconscious at the water's edge on Parazuelos Beach in Mazarrón on.. 01/07/2026
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