Cartagena beaches: El Carmolí

El Carmolí is the northernmost Mar Menor beach in Cartagena 

The beach of El Carmolí, the northernmost beach in the municipality of Cartagena, covers a long stretch of the western (inland) shore of the Mar Menor, the largest saltwater lagoon in Europe, and lies just south of the town of Los Alcázares, from which it is separated by an undeveloped expanse of land owned by the Ministry of Defence .

This area is part of a protected birdlife reserve and the 500 metre long beach is surrounded by natural salt flats and areas of wild vegetation, the majority of the coast in this corner in a natural and wild state.

All of the beaches listed as Mar Menor beaches are inside the circle of the Mar Menor, which covers a surface area of nearly 170 square kilometres, with 70 kilometres of internal coastline, separated from the Mediterranean by a 22km long strip of land (the La Manga Strip as it's often referred to by foreign visitors, or La Manga del Mar Menor), which is connected to the Mediterranean via a canal channel, so sailing boats can sail between the Mar Menor and Mediterranean and the water retain its salinity.

The internal area of the Mar Menor is divided between several municipalities, or local councils, and this area, known as El Carmolí, falls within the Diputation of Lentiscar, within the Cartagena municipality.

This end of the Mar Menor is largely undeveloped, and the residential area of El Carmolí with its sprinkling of small shops and restaurants is an attractive feature of this part of the Costa Cálida, popular with Spanish holidaymakers and property owners, and is a characterful corner of the Mar Menor which has largely escaped the large-scale development of other areas.

There are no beach services to speak of in El Carmolí except for rubbish bins, beach cleaning, steps down onto the sand and an attractive wooden jetty, and the majority of the beach is spread in a long, thin strip along in front of low density property development, then extending out into a thin strip of beach alongside the natural salt marshes and low scrub-covered dunes.

There is plenty of parking in the residential streets behind the promenade, but this does become more difficult during peak summer weeks.

The salt flats can also become quite pungent as they bake in the sun, so although the 500 metre long beach, which is very narrow for most of its length at just 5 metres, opening up into a central sandy area in the midst of the salt flats, is popular with those who really would prefer to get away from other people, there are so many sandy beaches within an easy drive, that this is a less popular option, most bathers tending to cram into the central sandy area or go elsewhere.

It's also not the easiest area for bathing, as although the central sandy area is popular with bathers, the remainder of the natural area is very shallow and better for birds than babies. This corner also tends to accumulate posidonia deposits, as there is very little water movement in this section, and although these are cleared, the smell of this natural seagrass can be unpleasant for those who prefer more highly serviced beaches, of which there are plenty moving around the Mar Menor.

El Carmolí and its beach is best reached by taking the exit from the AP-7 motorway at kilometre 794, and following the clear signs to the village. See map below for further details.

Go to the MURCIA BEACH GUIDE  for full details about the 200 beaches and coves within the Region of Murcia.

Go to the Cartagena section for dozens of articles about the municipality of Cartagena including what to visit, where to go, what's on and tourist information. Click CARTAGENA