Costa Cálida, Murcia
Costa Cálida is the tourist name of the approximately 250 km Mediterranean coast of the Murcia region, Spain. This region has a microclimate characterized by an average annual temperature of 18 degrees and a relative degree of aridity, with average rainfall of less than 340 mm and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year.
The Costa Cálida extends from the hamlet of El Mojón in the north, near the province of Alicante, to the municipality of Aguilas in the south, which borders the province of Almería (Andalusia).
In a few kilometers there are cliffs, coves and sands. It is, in general, an arid and rugged coast. The natural richness of its waters is remarkable in the Cape of Palos, where there is an important marine reserve. It also offers several protected natural areas such as the Salinas and Arenales of San Pedro del Pinatar, Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Aguila, Sierra de la Muela, Cabo Tiñoso y Roldán, the Natural Park of Cabo Cope and Puntas de Calnegre or the protected landscape of the Four Coves.
The northern end of this coast includes the Mar Menor, a coastal saltwater lagoon that, at about 170 km2, is the largest in Europe. The Mar Menor is separated from the Mediterranean by a 22 km strip of sand called La Manga, on which most of the tourist development of the region has been built.
Cartagena y Aguilas are the two largest and most important coastal cities in the region.
