Recharging at La Manga del Mar Menor
Before setting off on the 2025 Spain motorbike tour, we spent a glorious week at La Manga del Mar Menor — a narrow strip of land that separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon. It is the perfect place to rest and recharge before a long road trip. On one side, the open Mediterranean stretches to the horizon with its deep blue waves and fresh sea breeze. On the other, the Mar Menor offers calm, warm, shallow water that feels almost like a natural swimming pool. Walking from one sea to the other takes just minutes, and each day we could choose our mood — adventurous ocean waves or peaceful lagoon relaxation.
The week was spent in the simplest and most enjoyable way possible — long morning swims, lazy lunches of fresh seafood and cold beer, afternoon siestas, and evening paseos along the waterfront as the Spanish families emerged to enjoy the cooler hours. La Manga in late May is not yet overrun with peak summer crowds, so the beaches were pleasantly quiet and the restaurants welcoming. The warm Mediterranean water was already perfect for swimming, and the Mar Menor’s famously mineral-rich waters felt therapeutic after months of Swiss winter. It was exactly the kind of slow, sun-soaked week we needed to build energy for the long motorbike adventure ahead.
Highlights
- Swimming in both the Mediterranean Sea and the calm Mar Menor lagoon in a single day
- Fresh seafood lunches at beachfront chiringuitos along the strip
- The unique geography of La Manga — a narrow sand strip between two bodies of water
- Warm late-May weather without the intensity of peak summer heat
- Evening walks along the waterfront watching spectacular sunsets over the lagoon
Travel Tips
Late May is an ideal time to visit La Manga — the water is already warm, prices are pre-season, and the crowds have not yet arrived. The Mar Menor side is perfect for families and relaxed swimming thanks to its shallow, calm water, while the Mediterranean side has more wave action and deeper water. Renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel gives you more flexibility and access to kitchens for preparing local market produce. The nearby town of Cabo de Palos has excellent seafood restaurants and a beautiful lighthouse. If you are continuing to a motorbike trip like we did, La Manga is perfectly positioned on the southeast coast for heading north into mainland Spain.
Next in this series: From Leon to Betanzos
