Archive for the ‘Beaches in Spain’ Category

Spains Blue Flag Beaches

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

Blue Flag Beaches in Spain

520 Blue Flags have been awarded this year (2010) to Spains beaches, which is a total of 28 new beaches from the previous year (2009)  This means Spain has the highest number of blue flag beaches in the world.

The Balearic and Canary Islands,, Asturias,Galicia, and Valencia have all improved their number of beaches awarded the presigious Blue Flag, with only Andalucia and Catalonia having  a slight decrease for this year. The Blue Flag is a voluntary award given to over 3450 beaches and marinas in 41 countries across Europe and around the world. It is owned and run by the independent non-profit organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development at beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services. The Blue Flag Programme includes environmental education and information for the public, decision makers and tourism operators. A few of the award winners are listed below.

 

Malaga

Nerja - Torrecilla. Burriana. Maro. Playazo. Velez Málaga –  Benajarafe. Fuengirola –  Los Boliches- Las Gaviotas. Torreblanca. Carvajal. Santa Amalia. El Castillo. Fuengirola. San Francisco. Benalmádena - Carvajal. Mijas – La Cala. Marbella – Artola (Cabo Pino.) Venus- Bajadilla. Casablanca. Guadalmina- San Pedro, Estepona - La Rada. El Cristo. Manilva Sabinillas.

Almeria

Mojácar –  Marina de la Torre. Las Ventillas-Venta del Bancal. Piedra Villazar. Descargador. Roquetas –  Aguadulce. Romanilla. Urbanización Roquetas. El Ejido – Levante- Almerimar. Poniente- Almerimar. Guardias Viejas. Adra – San Nicolás.

Cala Cortina

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Volcano causes travel disruptions to Spain

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

 

324 flights were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday and by Friday 453 had been cancelled.    Eurocontrol which controls European airspace has said that some flights are taking place but will amount to only some 35-40% of a normal day's traffic.  The chaotic situation is forecast to continue for at least another 24 – 48 hours with the situation being monitored closely.  It is thought that hte dust cloud although swirling around Europe it will possibly not reach Spain.

This affects all travel to all the Costas including Costa Blanca, Costa Calida, Costa da Sol and all parts of Spain popular with golfers and tourists at this time of year.    Airports at Valencia, Malaga, Alicante and San Javier as well as in the Canary Islands and Northern Spain are all affected. 

 

 

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Lo Pagan Mud Baths

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

The Mud at Lo Pagan is contained in part of the salt lake known as ‘La Puntica’, it has formed due to the climatic conditions of the area, long hours of sunlight and an extremely high salt content in the water. The sediment that has formed contains high levels of important minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, fluorine, sulphur and chlorine and it has been discovered that applying it to the skin and allowing it to dry in the sun results in beneficial effects for many ailments.

The beneficial effects of certain mud's and clays have been known from man’s early history and the Chinese in particular used mud for making poultices to heal wounds and inflammations.

Lo Pagan Mud Baths

The mud is recommended for many types of skin complaint such as acne, ulcers, abscesses and inflammations, it is also recommended for arthritis, rheumatism and gout. Due to a small amount of grit in the mud it also an exfoliating effect on the skin, similar to that used in beauty treatments, mud face packs etc. It leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and fresh – but it does smell a bit!.

In recent years wooden jetties have been constructed leading out to the best areas of mud with steps leading down to the water to make the experience easier to enjoy. The mud is about six inches deep and very warm, you just apply the mud to affected areas – that's all over! and allow it to dry in the sun. When the mud is dry you can then wash it off in the same lake, it is not allowed to wash it off on the main beach as this spoils the prime bathing areas on the Mar Menor side.

Our properties at La Zenia and Punta Prima are situated near the Mar Menor.

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The Mar Menor

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

 

Located on the Costa Calida coastline within the region of Murcia, the Mar Menor (little sea or small sea) is Europe's largest salt water lake, having an area of 170km2 its 22km in length and with a variable width from 100 to 1200m and a depth no greater than 7 meters. It belongs to four municipalities: Cartagena, Los Alcazars, San Javier and San Pedro del Piñata. At the northern end there are salt-flats which include a wetland of international importance with a rich and varied wildlife.

The Mar Menor is formed by a narrow strip of land known as "La Manga" (The Strip) and in recent years this strip of land has seen massive development and is now covered with high-rise apartment blocks and hotels, with the famous sports resort of La Manga Club situated nearby with its many popular golf courses.

The Mar Menor is renowned for having a water temperature some 5º warmer than the surrounding Mediterranean Sea.mar menor

The Mar Menor was known to the ancients and was in fact settled during the Palaeolithic Era. The Phoenicians and Greeks knew of the Mar Menor and would have no doubt stopped off there whilst trading along this part of the coast. The Romans established settlements along the coast and were the first to understand the importance of the huge salt deposits to be found in this part of Spain, they began the salt extraction industry which still remains important to this day. The Romans called it Belich and used the Mar Menor as a harbour (it is believed to have been deeper at that time) and built Spas to make use of the healing powers of the salt water.

There were further settlements during the Arab occupation of Spain (8th to 13th Centuries) and the Moors were well aware of the healing properties of the salt water and founded some resorts (for instance Los Alcazares) as places of relaxation and recuperation, the Moors also put in place some excellent irrigation systems which enabled the hinterland of the Mar Menor to become an important area for agriculture. The Arabs also introduced some unique fishing methods which resulted in the Mar Menor having a successful fishing industry.

San Pedro del Pinatar was home to the HQ of the first 'Brotherhood of Fishermen' for the Mar Menor and the first fishing co-operative was founded there in 1918.

Our properties at La Zenia and Punta Prima are situated near the Mar Menor.

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