Mazarron (where?) crying foul

Mazerron is crying foul! .   My wife and I have an apt in Puerto la Duquesa in a lovely development up the hill overlooking the Marina, in Manilva just 10km to the south of Estepona and 30 minutes drive to Gibraltar.

We love the area and the people and one can choose between the British part (the marina) and the Spanish part (Sabinillas), both next to each other and at the beach front. However, since we have 2 little ones and 2 teenage boys we find this area to a bit too quiet and rather boring. So we decided to look for somewhere in between and hence decided to hit the road up the northern eastern coastas.

Over the past week we have been to Valencia, Denia, Xavia, Gandia, Calp, Mazarron and AlMunecar. Albeit we only stopped over in AlMunicar and missed Nerja. Our own observations: for us forget about Gandia - kind of a dump with hundred of 60s high rises. Xavia - well pedicured and manicured, quite expensive and unfortunately reminds us of Austria!. Beautiful, well groomed, too upmarket (most upper middle class) and terribly boring!  Denia - great place, more fun, liveable with probably just the right mix of Spanish and expats with a mix of lower, middle and upper middle classes. Has more character with its promenade and Tapas street etc and a bit of more fun loving people.

On our way back we booked a hotel somehow in the middle and in a totally unknown town to us - in Mazerron in the region of Murcia some 70km to the south of Murcia.  To us this was gem - a discovery by pure chance. Loved the place. Why??. 1st the temperature. Warmer than any other place by a 3-4 degrees that means even winters we are told are warmer as the area is pretty similar to Arizona.  2nd the beaches. You can have a beach either to your self, or with a few people or packed like sardines - choice is yours!. Can have sandy, rocky or pebbles and secluded between mountains. Loved the Marina, with salsa dancing clubs and all over the town people seem to be happy and in a party atmoshere with a very decent mix of classes of people in a balanced and nice way. Spoke to a few UK expats and they love it. Since the weather is warmer surprising the sea is also warmer - for us the only place we could swim in the sea without shivering. This was probably the least expensive place we have been too. While in Denia we also spend a day in Valencia and loved the city BUT it's a city.

Our conclusion - for a permanent place to live we will definitely also visit Nerja and revisit AlMunecar, Mazerron, and Denia and possibly Valencia. We are looking for place that is a bit jazzy, with charactrer, good climate, friendly, right balance of Spanish - expat and not too expensive, and young and senior, and with a school for expats (for the teenagers) and good Spanish schools for the little one's!.

Basically we want every thing!. Anyone interested in starting a new town somewhere in the coasters please do not hesitate to contact us!!!!!!.  H & N Bulushi, Puerto La Duquesa

And from Mazers you can nip up the road and pop in on Camposol!

Thanks Mark for your positive comments - I totally agree, let's hope it stays that way.

If you like it that much, as least spell the name correctly!

For the benefit of somebody who'se never been to Mazarron, other than maybe stopping for a coffee while driving through, would you care to be more specific about what you like about it? What are the must-dos? What is it in your opinion that makes Mazarron special?

Nasser - did you mean the (inland) town of Mazarron or the seaside resort of Puerto de Mazarron?

I really like Puerto de Mazarron even though it is a bit desolate in winter - everywhere is closed. 

Graham

Thank you all for your feedback - please see below my replies.
 

Guy T - I never knew what composol meant.   I looked in Youtube and was thrilled with the gushing of the dry river!  one more reason to be in Mazarron!.   Thanks for that.

Composol - you are absolutely right!.   It was careless whisper - please forgive me.   Hope did not offend Mazarronians!

MorlandG - Hope I spelt it right!.  Very good point.   Thanks for pointing this out.   I will be honest because of you I have now discovered that in addition to the port that my wife and visited there also exists a town called Mazarron a few miles inland!.   This really ads more spice and another reason to revisit.   Also Thanks for pointing out that the port is dead during winter.   My questions:   1) how dead does it get??   2).  Is the inland Mazarron lively all year around (I assume mostly spanish) and how is it like overall?.  Is there any English medium school for 16-18 year olds in the area?.

Amogles - from my wife and my own general 1st impressions here are the thnigs that at least to us make Mazarron quite special.  As indicated in my original posting our visit was just the beginning and by no means we claim to be experts.   We will have to revisit 3-4 places including Mazarron preferably also during winter.  

Anyone - for the benefit of everyone please feel free to add / correct / contradict etc or to mention any other place that in your opinion is better than Mazarron and if so please elaborate.   Here you go!.

1.   We stayed in the Hotel La Cumbre and loved everry minute of it!.  

2.  Spanish people and holiday makers (mostly British) seem very friendly and generally down to earth - we asked for directions among other questions relating to the area and almost everyone was keen to help.

3.  Most people appeared ordinary decent folks - a mix of decent classes.   The kind of people who would almost make anyone feel at ease.

4.  Came the evening the place was buzzing with people either strolling the promenade, shopping on the tourist street vendors, in bars and restauraents.   

5.   Strolled around the Marina and fun loving people were hitting the floor with an open house Salsa dancing and another with pop music and dancers of all ages.   Also saw street dancers. 

6. We saw a colourful train and thought it was one of those kiddies gimmick trains!.   Was a pleasure to discover it was a train that runs on the road carrying people to and from thier communities  etc until midnight.   For 3 Euros we travelled back and forth for 10km!.   Great idea.

7. The town is well managed, has character and well planned  - this is not Benedorm, Fuengorola or San Pedro!. Nothing wrong with these areas apart from being overdeveloped - they are meant for different people and differen age groups.  It all depends on your taste and what you want.   The Mazarron area seems to have been totally spared from over development.

The beaches?.  Wow!.   Best I have seen.   Since the region is arid similar to Arizona the population is pretty small and scattered around.  Hence any kind of beach you want you will  find  it here.  Love the crowd? No problema!.  Love a little crowd?>  No problema.  Love to have your own beach between mountains??.  You bet.   Love sand, pebbles or rocks???.   All is here.  Above all no need to shiver - the ocean water is just set at the right temperature. 

8.  Overall impressions on prices - seem pretty reasonable compared to the coastas!.

9.  Love Kebabs??!>  Saw 3 kebab houses!!.

10.  The whole outdoor / mountains are yours to enjoy and explore and plenty of dry valleys - I assume when it rains it's a scene to enjoy!.

11.  possible Issues for living here???.  Expats English speaking schools??.  Medical facilities???.  Isolated??.  Have not been to Murcia City but...???.   Kids could get bored during winter.  Flying here??

Surely there is more to Mazarron and surely there other -ves and hence your opinions.

Many Thanks in Advance for your forthcoimg contributions.

Nasser
 

Nasser. Your Posts are a fantastic read. I have owned a property in Puerto de Mazarron for the last 12 years.

I found the Costa Calida Area much by chance . A bit like you did. This was after a search taking in Barcelona to Gibraltar.

I purchased an off plan Build back in 2001. A 3 bedroom house on the El Alamillo Hill overlooking the Bay of Mazarron.

I travel out to my house approx 6/7 times a year

Winter months. The Port is very quiet but still rolls along

Summer months. Wall to Wall  Spanish. This is an Area where the Spanish take their holidays.

I Love the change in atmosphere that the Madridians bring to the Area.

The evenings in and around the port have a great Spanish feel to them.

Just a few more points

No more than a 20 min drive either way from Puerto de Mazarron

Follow the coast towards the fantastic beaches at Nares and Playa de Bahia and on to the soft sandy beach at Bolnuevo.

Further on towards the wild beaches at Moreras with it’s stretch of Naturist beaches and deserted coves down towards Canadas de Gallego.

If you turn the other way out of Puerto de Mazarron left from El Alamillo you will find more fantastic Beaches at

Isla Plana and the village of La Azohia.

With its fantastic Tapas Bars and fish restaurants.

A visit to the Guns of Mazarron at the top of the hills is well worth a visit if only for the view.

In All this is still my Spanish Dream

Enjoy. Don’t miss anything. You will be hard pushed to find anything else like it.

 Mazarron near Cartagena

Port of Mazarron is a lovely place .. real spain and just a short drive to the City of Cartagena which is becoming a great success as a thriving Cruise ship destination ... (see the attched link below.)   Cartagena was our Port of Call on a P & O cruise a few years ago and we were so impressed we purched a house near Mazarron  .

click onto the date to see which ship is going to be in Port

 look at the link below to see all the Cruise ships due in Port over the next year... click on the date to bring up the cruise line........... see what Cartagena has to offer and go visit.

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-cartagena-spain.html