Local Facilities
There are a great deal of interesting places to visit less than 30 minutes from the Villa:
Beaches
In the south eastern part of the Iberian peninsular around 40 kms east of the city of Murcia lies the spectacular Costa Calida (The Warm Coast) which rims the region and sits between the Costa Blanca to the North and the Costa Almeria in the south. Its enviable climate and fine beaches are making this an increasingly popular area for visitors from home and abroad.
Sucina is a short 15 -20 minutes’ drive from several golden sand lined blue flag Mediterranean beaches such as Mil Palmeras, Campoamoar and Punta Prima. All have a good range of amenities, parking and place to eat and drink. They are picturesque and seem to have avoided the big tourism influx of the other Costas making for some perfect beach days.
Mar Menor
Europe’s largest salt water lagoon. Its warm micro-climate is rated as one of the heathiest places on earth to live by the World Health Organisation. Golden sands slope gently into the warm water so make the beaches of the Mar Menor ideal for families and swimmers of all ages. San Pedro Del Pinatar has the largest outdoor mud therapy site in Europe, coat yourself in the mineral rich mud then rinse off in the warm lagoon. There are some lovely seaside towns and beaches to explore such as Santago De La Ribiera that are both unspoilt and have some great value restaurants looking out to sea to while away an afternoon or evening.
Golf
There are 16 golf courses in the Murcia region, including “The Nicklaus Trail”: 6 Nicklaus Design courses within a 25 Km radius.
A few popular local courses (around 10 – 15 mins drive) are: El Valle (Nicklaus), La Torre (Nicklaus), Roda (Dave Thomas) and the closest course to the villa (less than 1 mile), Hacienda Requelme (Nicklaus).
La Manga, home to 3 championship courses including the south course (Remodelled by Arnold Palmer) is around 35 mins away by car.
Watersports
An Adventure Divers and Activity Centre is based in the south of the Mar Manor in La Manga Club resort.
There, they offer many diving courses as well as many other watersport activities such as kayaking, windsurfing, jet ski hire and sail boat experiences, large and small, all of which take place in and around the beautiful Mar Menor and Mediterranean areas.
Shopping
The large outdoor Mediterranean mall of Zenia Boulevard (below), is 25 minutes away by car. It offers over 150 shops and around 40 restaurants A touch of America in Spain!
Dos Mares, another mall, is smaller in size with around 70 shops and is around 15 mins away near to San Javier Airport.
Historic Towns
There are several interesting towns worthy of a day out to explore within easy reach of the villa. A few of note are: Cartagena – Founded by the Roman empire with a number of landmarks such as the Roman Theatre, the second largest of the Iberian Peninsula after the one in Mérida, an abundance of Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Moorish remains, and a plethora of Art Nouveau buildings. Murcia – Founded by the Arabs in 825 AD. Highlights for visitors include the large and magnificent Cathedral of Murcia, a number of baroque buildings and the renowned local cuisine. Fortuna – Roman spa town with relaxing natural spa baths and pools to in which to relax, recharge and unwind.
Walking, Hiking and Cycling
Sucina is surrounded to the north and west by mountains and ranges. There are any number of walks, hikes and mountain or road bike routes to explore. Discover mountain lakes, roman ruins, natural spring villages and much more.