The Mar Menor

Hi! I would be interested in your opinions. I was recently talking to a friend who said she would never swim in the Mar Menor as the sea did not move and change enough. This had never crossed my mind. What do other people think?

The plus side shallow, very warm, safe for the children and netted for jelly fish in some areas plus afround Mardi Cristal are mainly used by the Spanish

The dowside, if yo enjoy splashing about in the waves or colder deeper water not good so you can have a mix of the 2 types of bathing 

So go to El Mojon North if you want the waves, Lo Pagan South for the calm waters

Hi Mooma.  

We have a holiday home in El Mojon which has the first beaches on the mediterranean sea just to the north of the Mar Menor and use both the med and the mar menor.  We have spanish friends in the area and one of them works in one of the marinas along the mar menor. 

Yes, the water is shallow compared to the med (lovely and warm) and it is semi-enclosed but it is a very important area for leaisure and recreation locally.  I'm told that any problems with the water quality (for example overloaded drainage systems in high summer and output from local farms and land that flow into it)  are quickly dealt with.  Also much care is taken to keep it safe for the thousands of people that use it each year, such as keeping the jellyfish population down and water quality up. 

It may not always be up to water quality of some of the many local blue flag beaches but I can only say what I've been told that it is does have problems sometimes but is well looked after and safe to use.  Enjoy it - we do.  Hope that helps! 

Hi,

For as long as I can remember I've been hearing scare stories about the Mar Menor - planes dump excess fuel in there (highly unlikely given the price of aviation fuel), raw sewage is pumped in, etc, etc.  All I can say is that I've been swimming in to for 20 years and have yet to see any ill effects.  In fact the area is renowned amongst the Spanish for its health benefits and many go to Lo Pagan for the mud baths and to bathe in the Mar Menor.

Jill

Added to which you don´t get Blue Flags and the Q standard easily and a few of the beaches have them

Like you I swim in the waters regularly, no problems

The results of the study of the waters of the Mar Menor were recently released.  There is no contamination found in the Mar Menor and surrounding areas, with the exception of the mining areas around Cartagena and La Unión.

There is an article in the Costa Calida Reporter, website is http://www.reporternewspaperonline.com/.

My family and I have had no problems swimming in the water.  During the summer the water is like a bath and really tranquil.  The salts and minerals are apparently very theraputic.  Also most of the beaches have blue flag and/or Q status.

mar menor is excellent for families, especially kids as its shallow and warm.