Spotlight on Mar Menor

Over 300 days of sunshine a year? Check. 

Glossy new custom-designed hotel? Check. 

Exciting activities and thoughtful little extras by the bucketful? Check.

Our Select Beachclubs take the Neilson experience to the next level, taking care of those small details that make a real difference to your holiday. In short, prepare to be spoilt by things like breakfast in bed and inclusive childcare six nights a week. Whether you feel like sailing on the lagoon, cycling into the hills or lounging by the beach bar, this sunshine playground lets you relax as hard as you like.

Venture outside of our little beachclub oasis and you’ll find a region packed with culture and beauty. Stroll along the waterfront promenade to the picturesque village of Los Urrutias. Soak up some history in nearby Cartagena, with its ancient Roman theatre and opulent palace. Or head to Cabo de Palos at the southern end of the lagoon for sweeping views out across the Mediterranean Sea. 

The sunny Mar Menor has its own, unique microclimate. And we love it. The perfect spot for water sports, the warm lagoon is sheltered from the tides of the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow strip of land, yet still enjoys steady thermal winds. With that in mind, we’ll be running our own kitesurf school and offering a wide choice of dinghy sailing experiences to take advantage of the Mar Menor’s unbeatable conditions.

If water sports aren’t your bag, Mar Menor is a great choice for cyclists. Boasting smooth roads that wind through the hills and valleys surrounding the lagoon, you’re never too far from some superb riding locations.

And we can’t talk about Mar Menor’s highlights without talking about the beachclub itself. Designed to our custom specifications, it’s a stunning contemporary hotel with lots of lovely extras – suffice to say we’re pretty proud of it! Our modern rooms and suites have been finished to our highest standard, and offer little comforts from Nespresso coffee machines to fluffy bathrobes and beach towels. 

While most Neilson Beachclubs offer four nights of inclusive evening dining a week, at Mar Menor you’ll enjoy five. That’s five nights of fresh local ingredients, authentic Spanish flavours and crowd-pleasing favourites, all served in our beautiful restaurant complete with scenic al fresco dining. Whether you’ve worked up a healthy appetite or fancy something light, you’ll find no end of delicious options on our colourful Mediterranean buffet menus.  

On the nights you choose not to dine with us, you’ll find plenty of eateries in nearby La Manga and Cartagena – from waterfront seafood restaurants with sunset views to rustic tapas joints tucked away in pretty plazas. 

Local specialities include arroz de caldero (delicious cauldron-cooked seafood rice), bacalao fresco con tomate (succulent salted cod with a tomato and olive oil sauce) and pulpo a la Murciana (soft, slow-cooked octopus). This is a region that indulges its sweet tooth, so look out for tempting treats such as cuerno (sweet pastry cones filled with meringue) and paparajotes (fried lemon leaves with ice cream.) 

While the Mar Menor lagoon is a dream for wind sports, you’ll find a whole host of activities to choose from, both on and off the water.

Head down to our water sports beach and try your hand at our inclusive water sports such as dinghy sailing, windsurfing, stand up paddle boarding and kayaking. For a small extra charge, you could also join our beginner kitesurfing courses or treat yourself to some private tuition. If you’re an experienced dinghy sailor, you could also have a go at dinghy foiling, with half-day taster sessions and a two-day intro course available. 

Inclusive activities on dry land could see you cycling, playing tennis or joining one of our many fitness classes from yoga to HIIT. While the area is known for its road cycling, mountain bikers will love the varied off-road trails of Calblanque National Park. 

How does a round of golf sound? You’ve got six great courses within 10km of Mar Menor Beachclub.  Or perhaps you simply want to lie beside the palm-fringed swimming pool to enjoy that warm Spanish sunshine and a good book? Sounds like bliss to us.  

The golden beaches and calm waters of the Mar Menor are ideal for families who want to play beside the sea. Our water sports beach has fine, gently-sloping sands and warm waters that stretch along the lagoon well beyond the beachclub. 

The popular beach at Los Urrutias – an easy 15-minute stroll away – is another family favourite with a fun play park, a selection of beachfront cafes and bars, and lifeguards on hand during the summer months. A little further afield, La Manga has a number of lovely sandy beaches. Our favourite has to be Cala del Pino, a small, quiet cove backed by pine groves.

This beautiful part of Spain is famous for its sunsets. As evening falls, you can’t beat a sundowner cocktail or two on our rooftop bar as you watch the skies come alight with colour.   

Head to Lo Pagan on the northern shores of the lagoon to wallow in the free mud baths there. The mineral-rich mud is said to have many therapeutic benefits. 

Cyclists should keep an eye out for our upcoming road bike training camps we’ll be hosting at Mar Menor Beachclub. They’re ideal for developing your riding technique and fitness.