Make the most of Murcia

Aug 22 2008 By Nick Lavigueur

HISTORY is never far from the surface in Murcia.

In 1905, six years before the Titanic went down in the icy north Atlantic more than 500 people perished in Spain’s worst marine disaster.

The tragedy happened when an Italian steamer, the Sirio, hit the notorious submerged island Bajo de Feura off the coast of Mar Menor.

Its wreck is now a top scuba diving destination and just one of hundreds of stricken vessels lying around the Costa Calida.

Few British people beyond the diving community will have heard this tragic tale, but as I lay floating in the bath water warm lagoon of Mar Menor with Spain’s equivalent of the Red Arrows presenting me with my own personal acrobatics display I wondered how this up and coming region has remained hidden for so long.

The locals like to call the region of Murcia ‘the home of the sun’ as it boasts more than 300 days of sunshine a year, with temperatures averaging over 20°C (68°F), even in mid-winter.

You may have heard of La Manga for its golf and tennis and for its hosting of the England football team.

But the absence of Red Lion pubs and burger bars mean this unspoiled sandy peninsula is still popular with Spanish and Portuguese tourists, making it the perfect place for a quiet family break.

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