Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

May 26, 2011

Villamartin Costa Blanca Spain

Villamartin Golf Course

Villamartin Golf Course

One of the most popular areas of the southern Costa Blanca, Villamartin is actually on the part of the coast that is known as the Orihuela Costa, which is the coastal region for the city of Orihuela which is about 19 kilometres inland from the sea. Developing around a top class golf course the urbanization of Villamartin has grown and grown over the last 20 years or so and now covers a significant area, joining Villamartin with surrounding urbanizations and towns, such as Los Dolses, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia and San Miguel de Salinas. The property boom in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s saw thousands of UK and International buyers purchasing holiday homes in Villamartin and many even choosing to settle permanently in the area. The financial crisis of the last 3 years has caused many to reconsider their position and many hundreds have subsequently sold or are trying to sell their properties and return to the UK. There is currently a glut of properties available to buy in Villamartin and it is a great time for investors, with many properties being half the price they were at their peak (or even less in some cases). For those wanting to holiday in the area, there is also a wealth of rental properties, and with so many available you can always find cheap villas and apartments to rent in Villamartin and the surrounding urbanizations. What is the attraction of Villamartin, you may well ask, well the excellent golf course would be a big plus for those interested in this sport, the proximity to the beaches and resorts of the Orihuela Costa would be another tick in its favour, the wonderful weather conditions are also a big attraction, along with the excellent facilities and entertainment possibilities, especially at the popular Villamartin Plaza, so there are plenty of reasons to visit Villamartin some time soon . Villamartin is approximately twenty five minutes drive from San Javier airport, and is in the Alicante province of Spain.

Villamartin Map.

February 10, 2011

Los Alcazares Apartments for Rent

Filed under: Costa Calida,Holidays,Spain — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 2:57 pm
Los Alcazares Apartments

Los Alcazares Apartments – The Beach

Luxurious two bedroom apartment, currently available for holidays on the Mar Menor resort of Los Alcazares, Costa Calida, Spain. Perfectly situated just fifty metres from the beach of Los Narejos, this super Los Alcazares apartment should be ideal for your holiday in this popular area in the Murcia region of Spain. Renowned for its wonderful beaches and excellent golfing facilities, Los Alcazares is also very handy for the airport at San Javier, being just a few minutes drive away, it can also be reached from Alicante airport, though is is a somewhat longer drive. Another of our superb Mar Menor, Los Alcazares apartments, this property offers, 2 bedrooms (sleeps up to 4 people), 1 bathroom, community swimming pool, kid’s pool, fully fitted kitchen, outside terrace with garden furniture, air-conditioning etc. Holiday rentals in this fine apartment are offered from just £255 per week, and long term rentals may be considered as well, should this be your requirement. Los Alcazares has all the usual amenities expected of a modern resort and of course the beach area is the most popular, with warm waters and safe bathing, due to the Mar Menor being a huge enclosed lagoon. Full details of this and other Los Alcazares apartments for rent can be found here: Los Alcazares Apartments.

September 17, 2010

Costa Calida Spain

Filed under: Costa Calida,Spain,Travel — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 12:52 pm

A popular Spanish region enjoying a fine climate (it is one of the driest areas of Spain), and lying within the Murcia autonomous community, the Costa Calida has some of the best beaches in this part of the country, especially those along the Mar Menor coastline, which also enjoys a sea temperature five degrees warmer than the surrounding Mediterranean Sea. The best of the beach resorts include Los Alcazares, San Pedro del Pinatar, Lo Pagan, San Javier and Puerto Mazarron, most of these are easily accessible from Murcia (San Javier) airport which is actually located beside the Mar Menor, some distance from the city of Murcia which is some 20 kilometres inland. The Costa Calida is a fantastic area for golfers, with a huge choice of courses which you can try out, around the Mar Menor there are several fine courses including Roda Golf, the Serena Golf Resort, La Torre Golf and the Mar Menor Golf Resort, near to Los Alcazares. There are even more courses surrounding the city of Murcia,with the now troubled Polaris World developing lots of courses and residential complexes in this area.

December 9, 2009

Jellyfish of the Mar Menor

Filed under: Costa Calida,Spain — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 5:28 pm
The Mar Menor

The Mar Menor

There have been reports suggesting that the Mar Menor jellyfish population has been significantly reduced by an ongoing campaign aided by local fishermen. Some 42 km of protective nets have been installed in this large salt lagoon on the Costa Calida, Spain, to help protect the popular beach areas and this has been mostly successful in preventing jellyfish infestation during the busy summer seasons of the last 2 years (2008 and 2009). Seventy eight tonnes of jellyfish were netted last year by local fishermen on the Mar Menor, a significant reduction compared to the 5,000 tonnes removed between 2000 and 2002. The oceanographic institute in Lo Pagan has been monitoring the jellyfish situation. The Mar Menor, formed by a narrow spit of land known as La Manga (The Sleeve) has some of the most popular seaside resorts along the Costa Calida, boasting wonderful sandy beaches and safe warm bathing waters, which are particularly renowned for their healing properties, being very high in salt content. The Mar Menor and Costa Calida are situated within the province of Murcia, in south-eastern Spain, some of its best known resorts include Los Alcazares, San Pedro del Pinatar, Santiago de la Ribera, Los Narejas, Los Urrutias, and San Javier.

November 29, 2009

Still Need Car Hire at Murcia Airport

Filed under: Costa Calida,Spain,Travel — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 9:42 am

Visitors finding it a little strange when arriving at Murcia airport and noting that the airport is actually a long way from Murcia itself, will be pleased to know that there is now a new Murcia airport being built at Corovera in the Sierra de Carrascoy, however they may not be so pleased when they realise that this airport is also going to be at least a 20 minute drive from the city itself. Of course the vast majority of arrivals at Murcia (San Javier) airport are actually heading for the coastal resorts of the northern Costa Calida and southern Costa Blanca, so San Javier, site of the existing Murcia airport, is actually better placed than the new airport for these visitors. Plans for the airport were first discussed in 2005 and despite objections to the construction, work has continued, and the new airport is due to be completed in 2010 at a cost of 266 million euros. Whether you are arriving at the existing airport or the new one when it opens, you will probably need to book car hire to get you to your resort and then around the area to make the most of your stay, other options include taxis, or a pre-booked airport transfer, in both cases once you arrive at your resort you will be somewhat confined to that immediate area if you have not booked a car hire vehicle, so you had better check that your destination accommodation is within easy reach of local facilities and beaches or you could be in for a long walk.

October 19, 2009

The City of Murcia Spain

Filed under: Costa Calida,History,Spain,Travel — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 11:30 am

The capital of the autonomous community of the same name, the city of Murcia is located in south-eastern Spain and has a population of around 433,000 and a municipal area of  881 square kilometres. Lying at the confluence of the River Guadalentin and River Segura, Murcia is in a rich and fertile area, despite experiencing some of the lowest rainfall in Spain. The surrounding fertile countryside is known as the “Huerta” (Orchard) and it is irrigated by the previously mentioned rivers, using methods introduced by the Romans and later the Moors. The city has a long history and was settled even before the Romans arrived in Spain. Its biggest changes occurred during the Arab occupation, when it was established as a provincial capital in 825 AD. Freed from Muslim control by the Castillians during the 13th century, Murcia subsequently came under the control of the  Kingdom of Aragon, and then back to Castile in 1304. After various periods of decline Murcia became wealthy during the 18th century as the city saw a boom in silk manufacture, though it was hit by a great earthquake in 1829, and was often flooded over the centuries. Murcia cathedral was built between 1394 and 1465, it displays various architectural styles including Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. During the late 20th century Murcia city and region developed into a significant area for tourism, in particular golf resorts, which surround the city. Boasting some of the lowest rainfall in all of Spain the area is perfect for holidays all year round with Murcia weather conditions generally sunny and dry for over 300 days each year. Especially popular are the resorts along the Mar Menor coastline where such popular destinations as La Manga, Los Alcazares and San Javier, where the airport for the city is currently located, though a new airport is under construction as this article is being written are located. Murcia Map.

October 18, 2009

San Javier Costa Calida

Filed under: Costa Calida,Spain,Travel — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 2:38 pm

If you are travelling to south eastern Spain and heading for the Costa Calida region, there is a good chance that you will be arriving at San Javier airport. Generally called Murcia airport, it is actually some distance from the city of Murcia which can be confusing to visitors.

The town of San Javier itself is a traditional Spanish town with a resident population of about 23,000, it was named after Saint Francis Xavier. The municipal district of San Javier consists of 8 boroughs and covers an area of 74km2, it is an important area for agriculture as it has been for many centuries, though tourism is quickly taking over in importance.

The town sits beside the Mar Menor (“Lesser Sea”), the largest saltwater lagoon in Europe, and looks across to the famous resort of La Manga, which looks like a group of tower blocks rising vertically from the sea.

San Javier was originally developed during the Moorish occupation and it was their irrigation methods which enabled the region to be put to agriculture, they also developed fishing methods which were ideal for the Mar Menor’s conditions.

San Javier today is a busy little town enjoying a wonderful Mediterranean climate and typically the weather in San Javier is dry and sunny. This is a popular area for golfers as there are a number of complexes built or under construction nearby. To view a map of San Javier follow this link: San Javier Map.

October 17, 2009

San Pedro del Pinatar Spain

In the northern section of the Mar Menor coastline of Murcia, you will find the charming little town of San Pedro del Pinatar (St Peter of the Pinewoods), a popular holiday destination for both International holidaymakers and the Spanish themselves, especially those from the city of Murcia. The town itself has a population of just over 21,000 and is located just 4 kilometres from San Javier airport. The history of San Pedro del Pinatar goes back to the 17th century when a hermitage was constructed, dedicated to the apostle San Pedro, though it was probably settled much earlier by Romans who left remains of villas in the area, it could possibly even have been a Roman base during the Punic Wars as the Romans battled for control of Cartagena. Until the relatively recent arrival of tourism as a source of income, San Pedro del Pinatar relied mostly on fishing for its economic survival, even today still using Arabic fishing methods, which proved ideal for the conditions on the Mar Menor. Nature lovers should head for the Parque Regional de Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro a significant area for migrating birds and a protected Natural Park, culture lovers can try out the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum. San Pedro del Pinatar is located on the N-332 in the north of the Costa Calida region of Spain.

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