Tap into this post to read about some of our sightseeing, fun facts, travel tips and many pictures of our time in La Manga, Spain. We encourage you to get out and see the world if you are able, and if not, we will bring it to you through our posts. We hope you enjoy!
The national flag of Spain consists of a yellow field containing the national emblem sandwiched between two horizontal red bars. Yellow and red are traditional Spanish colours that according to legend represents bullfighting (red from the blood of the bull and the yellow sand of the bullring). The symbol in the yellow band is the Spanish coat of arms.
Home Away from Home
La Manga (literally ‘the sleeve’) is a unique geographical formation in Spain where a thin sleeve of land separates the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor (minor sea). This sleeve of land is 21km long in total and averages 100 meters wide. Urbanization began in the late 1960s and today it is a bustling seaside resort with villas and high rises that provide amazing views of both seas.
La Manga, our home away from home, has become a very popular summertime tourist playground among both Europeans and Spaniards. The Mar Menor borders the west side of ‘the sleeve’ and is typically a bit warmer than the Mediterranean Sea (see Facts & Figures below). The hotels along La Manga typically have terrific sea views, often of both seas, and the entire ‘sleeve’ offers incredible sunsets!
Facts & Figures
- La Manga literally translates to “the sleeve” in Spanish
- The Mar Menor (minor sea) is fed by the Mediterranean Sea and has an average depth of 5 meters (16 feet) with water temperature averaging 3 degrees C higher than the Mediterranean Sea
- The area was known to the Romans as ‘Palus’, then as ‘Al Buhayrat Al Qsarand’ by the Moors, and later as ‘Mar Chico’ in the 1600s by the Spaniards.
- La Manga is part of the Region of Murcia along the Costa Calida (Quality Coast).
Travel Tips
- There is an adequate bus service up and down La Manga but you will need a car to go further afield. The nearest trains are in Alicante and Murcia for connecting to other parts of Europe.
- La Manga has one main road, the Avenida Gran Via, that runs 17 kilometers north from Cabo de Palos. Traffic on the Avenida during summer (especially July and August) is quite heavy, often taking one full hour to travel from the bottom to the top.
- La Manga has unique sign posts to mark each kilometer along the ‘strip’ in the shape of surfboards (see above).
- The unit of currency for Spain is the Euro.
Psalms 37:4 – New Living Translation (NLT)
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
If you are a worldwide trekker like us and want to become more ‘worldly’, then you will want to try our books below. Thanks to the former British Empire and current Commonwealth, the English language is widely spoken across the world; however, it is spoken quite differently depending on where you are traveling. We believe the books below are essential to worldly trekkers and think you will find them both fun and informative. The books include a dictionary of everyday words and phrases, traditional cuisine, some history and culture, as well as other handy and humorous information.
Simply click on the book covers below to find out more:
