HOME > MURCIA MAR MENOR & CARTAGENA > LOS ALCÁZARES
Introduction to Los Alcázares
Los Alcázares lies on the inland shore of the Mar Menor, surrounded by the sea and the municipalities of San Javier, Torre Pacheco and Cartagena, with a permanent population of around 19,000 inhabitants.
Its main activity is tourism and the hotel of La Encarnación is one of the oldest in the Region of Murcia. It was built on the shore of the Mar Menor, Europe´s largest saltwater lagoon, which multiplies the population in summer with holidaymakers attracted by kilometres of soft sand, warm, safe and shallow water and the opportunities to enjoy the superb watersports facilities.
The Mar Menor is renowned for its safe sailing and afternoon thermal winds, with kitesurfers and windsurfers taking advantage of the clean run from shore to shore and learners enjoying the safety of an enclosed lagoon whilst more experienced sailors can head out into the Mediterranean or charter yachts to explore the Murcia coastline.
Los Alcázares is also the location of the only surviving Balneario or bathing station, which is still in use today as a restaurant, a vestige from the days when bathers wished to maintain a level of decorum by descending into the waters from the privacy of a bathing hut rather than baring all on the beach. This part of the beach is also the focal point for one of the most important gastronomic traditions of the region: the preparation of the fish-based rice dish of caldero, the staple diet of the fishing population who fished from these shores before the onset of tourism.
Los Alcázares has been the chosen destination of Murcianos from the regional capital for many decades and celebrates the annual migration with its vibrant and colourful Semana de la Huerta y El Mar, filling the town with the scent of tapas, the colourful costumes of folk dancers and a selection of artisan crafts from across the Region.
Los Alcázares also hosts one of the best medieval markets in the region when it celebrates its Berber fiestas, commemorating the raids by Berber Pirates which were such a feature of its history during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The town is home to an established ex-pat community with a wealth of social activities and organisations for the English-speaking population, and offers residential properties in established urban locations, as well as in newer urbanisations.
The town is around half an hour's drive from the Region of Murcia International Airport in Corvera, with good connections along the Mar Menor to the road network of the rest of Spain.
Rain and storms in Murcia this weekend: Weather forecast May 8-11Enjoy the moments when the sun pops out because it will otherwise be a drizzly weekend, especially for the north of the Region Murcia weather warnings, Thursday May 8 While there will be plenty of calm periods of sunshine, and the temperatures.. 08/05/2025
easyJet sale this weekend only: 20% off UK-Murcia flights until May 13The airline has launched a flash discount sale of up to 20% to fly to and from Spain easyJet has launched a new edition of its ‘Super Sale’, which is already active on the airline’s website and which includes discounts of up to 20.. 08/05/2025
Why many solar panels stopped working during Spain's blackoutThe nationwide power cut revealed an uncomfortable trut, that most solar panel systems cannot function without the grid On Monday April 28, 2025, Spain experienced a major blackout that left millions of homes and businesses without electricity. What.. 08/05/2025
New association unites towns around the Mar Menor under one umbrellaThe collaborative step has been taken to promote local development and shared infrastructure in the area A new association has been formally established to bring together the municipalities that are part of the Campo de Cartagena and Mar Menor area.. 07/05/2025
A dry April in Murcia turns into a May with weather warnings for stormsLast month was the fifth driest April of the century, but the Region is now on alert for heavy rain and storms Last month was notably dry in the Region of Murcia. In fact, it was the fifth driest April recorded in the 21st century, following.. 06/05/2025
Get ready for a week full of rain: Murcia weather forecast May 5-8Stormy skies for Murcia this week as rain and fog take over Murcia weather forecast, Thursday May 8 This week in the Region of Murcia, the weather forecast from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) predicts rain and gathering storms.. 05/05/2025
Murcia photo of the month May 2025Here’s the top image of the month taken by the Los Alcázares Digital Camera Club (LADCC) LADCC members stretched the boundaries last month in their attempt to capture portrait photos for this month’s competition ‘Portrait.. 01/05/2025
Mar Menor homes evacuated as fire burns through 19 hectares of land at La Hita near San Javier AirportThe fire has now been stabilised but the campsite nearby had to be evacuated A wildfire broke out early this Tuesday afternoon, April 29, in La Hita, a protected natural area near the old San Javier airport, burning up 19 hectares of scrubland.. 30/04/2025
Spain blackout: What happened and how the country respondedA sweeping power outage plunged millions into darkness across Spain, Portugal and parts of France On Monday April 28, a sudden and massive power outage swept across the Iberian Peninsula, affecting millions of people in Spain, Portugal and even reaching.. 29/04/2025
Spain declares emergency in Murcia, Valencia, Andalucía and more, but what does that really mean?The ‘emergency of national interest’ designation means that extra funding and help can be accessed for affected areas without going through the usual lengthy legal channels Spain’s Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.. 29/04/2025
CONFIRMED: Volotea flights from Murcia to France this summerMurcia airline Volotea has confirmed there will be a new flight route from Murcia to France for the summer 2025 season Aena Passengers flying from Murcia’s Corvera Airport will have even more options this summer, with Volotea confirming.. 28/04/2025
Car full of Brits catches fire in San JavierThe vehicle, which was carrying four British holidayers to La Manga, burnt out this Sunday A car carrying four British holidaymakers caught fire this Sunday April 27 on the RM-F24 road in Murcia, near the AP-7 bridge San Javier, not.. 28/04/2025
OLE!! Los Alcázares parties in the sun at the inaugural Olé Fest event!Traditional Spanish food, drink and music in Avenida Río Nalón and Boulevard Oasis Blessed by gorgeous weather along the inland shore of the Mar Menor, the Andalusian-style “OléFest“ in Los Alcázares over the weekend.. 28/04/2025
Berber Pirate Raids fiestas lead a hugely successful Easter for the tourism sector in Los AlcázaresHotels in Los Alcázares report 100 per cent occupancy rates during Semana Santa 2025 Citing data compiled over the fiestas of Semana Santa, Los Alcázares councillor for Tourism María José Díaz Aragón believes.. 28/04/2025
More than 900 eels released into the Mar MenorA major conservation project aims to study this endangered species and assess the impact of fishing More than 900 eels have been released into the Mar Menor as part of a major project to study and protect the European eel, a species currently classified.. 28/04/2025
Santiago de la Ribera stars in Nutella's latest sunrise campaignLimited edition jars capture iconic sunrises from across Spain, including stunning coastal views in Murcia, Alicante and Málaga Nutella’s latest limited-edition collection has brought a slice of the Mar Menor into homes across Spain.. 23/04/2025
