Mar Menor Sea - Murcia Province
A salt water lagoon with an entrance from the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mar Menor
is one of the reasons that this area of Spain is so healthy, the micro climate created by this natural lagoon and several smaller salt lakes further up the Costa Blanca, the minerals contained in the lagoon and over 320 days of sunny days, all help to make this a paradise. The winter in particular is an ideal time to stay in the area, the sea has a temperature of around 5ºC higher than the Costa Blanca, owing mainly to the fact that the lagoon is very shallow and is sheltered from the Mediterranean currents. This also makes it very safe for children and for those wishing to learn water sports, such as wind surfing.
The lagoon starts in the north at San Pedro del Pinatar travels round in an oblong shaped circle, the eastern part of the lagoon is known as La Manga (the sleeve) as it is a thin strip of land separating the Mar Menor from the Mediterranean Sea.
Just a little way to the south of La Manga strip is the harbour village of Cabo de Palos, which contains a marina and a promenade with several restaurants where for most of the year you can enjoy the fresh fish meals, steak etc. al fresco beside the Mediterranean sea.
The special weather in this area, with a high percentage of hours of sunlight a year and a high level of salinity, have led to the formation of mud in the north of the lagoon (an area known as La Puntica) that has been building sediment into a bed and is now used for therapeutic remedies.
Studies undertaken at the University of Murcia in 1995 show that these sediments contain a high percentage of calcium, magnesium, potassium and fluorine, as well as anions, chlorine and sulphate in much higher quantities than the average levels, even in saline waters. In addition to this, medical grading in this area shows there is a considerable amount of fine sand, lime and clay, which are the real curative elements in mud. PH is an essential element and it reaches rates between 7.12 and 8.45.
La Manga
is situated in the Province of Murcia in a coastal area which boasts one of the most moderate climates in Spain, with more days of sunshine than other mainland areas and water temperatures higher than average. As a result it has become known as the Costa Cálida - the Warm Coast. It is a strip of sand, approx. 22 kilometres long, forming a barrier and enclosing the Mar Menor (Minor Sea) separating it from the Mediterranean Sea . At its narrowest parts it is only 100 metres wide and the maximum width is 1.5 km. There are over 44 km of beaches, narrower but with protected bays and coves on the side of the Mar Menor, and longer, wider expanses of pure golden sand fronting the Mediterranean. Considering the vast effort needed to keep them clean, it is proud to say that many can boast the Blue Flag - awarded in accordance with the regulations laid down by the European Community.
Minerals and Medicinal Waters
The Mar Menor is an extremely salty lagoon. The characteristics of its waters are conditioned by sun exposure, winds and especially its connection with the Mediterranean through the barricades. The ion concentrations measured for some elements such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, bromine, iodine and fluorine are much higher than the levels found in the Mediterranean sea.
It has been proved that thermal treatments with this kind of saline waters have an osmotic effect on the interstitial tissues of the human body, thus activating the whole blood flow. As a result the toxic particles are eliminated and muscles relax, which is very good in cases of arthritis, rheumatism, tendon inflammation, nervous conditions and any kind of illnesses connected with the joints.
Fishing
San Pedro del Pinatar is where the first and only Fishermen's Association in the entire lagoon and the place where in 1918 the first fishermen's cooperative was established.
In 1983 the first Marine Assistant ship and the Sailors Association were established in San Javier. Another particular feature of this place is the tradition to count in measures of "arrobas" 16 Kg. (30 lb), so the answer to the famous question by fishermen, "what did you catch today?" that is often heard at the Lo Pagán pier, is not answered to in kilos, but in this measurement.
Up until the year 1960 the most abundant species in the Mar Menor were the mullet (grey, golden, leaping grey and long-finned), sea bream, red mullet and slender. From 1967 to 1971 there was a clear abundance of eels, and although 1965, 66 and 67 were rough times for tiger prawns, the truth is that the fishing and commercial boom of this crustacean did not take place until 1968.
Nowadays there is an abundance of eels and mullets, which does not mean that the anchovy, prawn, place, sea bream and red mullet have disappeared from this rich sea in salts and iodine. Amongst the algae we can often see the seahorse, which is well-known for having a different morphology to the rest of fish. Adults get hooked to the algae using their tail and the younger ones get stuck to the floating dead leafs. Needlefish, which are similar in their way of life and have a long and wavy shape, are hidden amongst the vegetation and sometimes acquire the appearance of the leafs of algae.