ROMAN ARTESAN MARKET IN LO PAGAN

Roman Artesan Market in Lo Pagan, San Pedro de Pinatar. 3rd december 2010 - 8th December 2010

11:00 to 14:00
17:00 to 22:00
Location:

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MOTORBIKE CONGREGATION

On Sunday 29th of August there will be a congregation of Motorbikes down in Lo Pagan on the beachfront.



This Starts at 9.30am and will have Gogo´s, sandwiches, beer, music,draws and that machine that you show your strength on (can not for the life of me remember the name of this machine)

A little livlier way to spend a sunday?

WALKING THE PLANK

Today is the day of Santiago Apostol. And lots going on down in Santiago de la Ribera well into the early hours of tommorrow
See earlier post to see what´s on tonight http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-of-santiago-apostol.html

We went down to see the "Cucaña" where there have a greasy pole directioned out to sea and the local lads try to walk to the end to grab the flag and then they win a leg of ham.

The start of the festivities was a huge BANG of a firework.

The pole was coming off the end of the ferry and the spectators were bobbing around in the sea!

And then the boys started trying to walk the greasy pole....

They would inevitably lose their balance and...

fall with a splosh into the sea and have to do the walk of shame back through the bobbing spectators

Some did manage to hang on .... literally ;)

and occasionally some got soooooooooo close that the bobbing people cheered and oohed and arghh just like when a golfer misses the hole by a milimetre!

Finally one lucky lad did manage to make a flying leap whilst falling and took the most sought after prize!

For more local festivities around the beach click here http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/los-alcazares-santiago-de-la-ribera-and.html
The afternoon was finished beautifully by a "Menu del Dia" at Meson del Molinero down in Lo Pagan with views across the sea

You can see more info of this restaurant in my Restaurant Guide here
http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/restaurants-in-region.html

BEACHES AND COVES

There is a great choice of beaches and coves around the region of Murcia, the closest to the resorts are those on the Mar Menor saltwater lake, but there are also some great coves and beaches on the mediterranean sea.

MEDITERRANEAN COVES AND BEACHES

CALA CORTINA
This little cove is a couple of minutes drive from Cartagena, and used by the locals, who you will see cycling up or walking up to spend the day or the afternoon.
Ideal if you spen the morning in Cartagena, followed by a 4 course "menu del dia" and then nip round here for a siesta on the beach and a dip. Below are some pictures of Cala Cortina I took on Thursday 29th July 2010.

The Cove has protection nets at its entrance.

It has disabled access, toilets, shaded areas and a great seafood bar/restaurant.

Great place for a spot of snorkelling with the kids too.



To see location, click here http://maps.google.es/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=es&geocode=&q=cala+cortina,+cartagena&sll=40.396764,-3.713379&sspn=8.480844,19.665527&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cala+Cortina,+30202+Cartagena,+Murcia,+Regi%C3%B3n+de+Murcia&ll=37.591927,-0.975037&spn=0.034481,0.076818&z=14


CALBLANQUE



A protected beach, which offers various coves with a stunning mountain back drop, The Regional Park of Calblanque is unspoilt, so there are no bars or retaurants, and limited lifeguard facilities, just virgen beach. This beach is one of the few you are allowed to take dogs down to, keep to the lower end, where you arrive or you may see the odd naked person, as further up is a nudist area!

Below is a picture of my dog on Calblanque so happy he is levatating.

Directions: Head towards Cartagena, then take the MU-312 to La Manga, after you have passed 2 red petrol stations either side of the road, and passed the turn off to Los Belones and La Manga Golf Resort, keep your eye out for a sign saying "Via de servicio Calblanque" take this turning and keep going, you will hit a fork on the road and the easiest for your first time is take the right hand fork, which will take you down to a parking area, for the more adventurous, take the left! the road is a little bumpy but worth it.

Great place for bird watching too!



THE MAR MENOR BEACHES

The Mar Menor, which means "Little Sea"is a salt water lagoon, which is approx 170 square km´s and offers a very safe place to bathe with 70km´s of beach, the waters are warmer and clearer than the med as they do not exceed 7 metres in depth and close to the beach are shallow. Separated from the mediterranean by the La Manga strip (not to be confused with La Manga Golf) this makes the water calm. The salinity content is quite high (so good for floating!) and is a great place to learn water sports



Throughout the summer, there are inflatable fun areas on the sea along the Mar Menor, it varies year from year, great fun for kids (there are inflatable rock climbing walls on the sea) and bumpy castles.

The Mar Menor is known for its curative properties and up at Lo Pagan there are the Mudbaths. Where you can have a treatment for free and then chill out on the beach, the mud is beneficial for skin complaints, arthritis,reumatism,softening and making skin feel silky and also incredibly funny and laughing and smiling is the best tonic!

The mudbaths are located in Lo Pagan, where the mar menor touches the Saltflats. Take the AP7 direction alicante, then follow the signs to Lo Pagan.

See here for a street map view, it is interactive so you can turn and navigate your way along the beach front!

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Basically you walk up the pier next to the windmill, and the mudbaths are on your left, there are littl piers, you need to take a container, as you walk down the stairs off the little piers into the water and the mud is on the ground, you can feel it with your feet when you find a patch, scoop some up, then take the container full of mud back to the pier and apply all over.

Then you wait for it to dry, you can walk the pier as this goes right out to the end and there is a cafe, but I think that is a 5km walk, or you can just walk to the next windmill which is 2.5kms there and back. Or you could just sit it out!

Then once dry, you need to wash it off in the water, the water is so full of saline that you float.

On the opposite side of the pier is the Mar Menor, so you can spend the afternoon on the beach, and have lunch at "Restaurante Los Molinos" which is just across the road, and one of my reccomended places to eat. See here http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/restaurants-in-region.html
For more cove and beach ideas click here

http://www.cartagenaturismo.es/publicas/conoce_cartagena/playas/listado_playas/_ukxHPvHicxNPZY-MGXDieA

I will continue to add more beaches and coves

LOS ALCAZARES, SANTIAGO DE LA RIBERA AND LO PAGAN

San Pedro de Pinatar - Lo Pagan

Holds a nightime "Artesan Market" on the 18th of July and 15th of August at Parque de España from 8pm to late.
The Rest of the year this is held at lo pagan on the seafront, every third sunday of each month from 10am till 2pm.
Location of Parque de España can be seen below.
http://maps.google.es/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=es&geocode=&q=Parque+del+Mar-Reyes+de+Espa%C3%B1a&sll=37.744861,-0.847492&sspn=0.017205,0.038409&g=Calle+del+Espejo,+Los+Alc%C3%A1zares&ie=UTF8&hq=Parque+del+Mar-Reyes&hnear=Espa%C3%B1a&ll=37.825108,-0.785351&spn=0.065356,0.153637&z=13&iwloc=A


Santiago de la Ribera

Throughout most of the summer there seems to be something on at this gorgeous beachside town.
Most of the activities take place at the "Explanada Barnuevo" Which is basically the seafront.Coming from San Javier Just continue down straight until you hit the Sea.

With the festivities of the Virgen Carmen coming to a close tommorrow, at 9.30 am there is a maritime procession where they take the virgen out to sea!
On the evening there is Gran Fiesta with a mobile disco on the seafront at 10.30pm

From the 19th to the 23rd of July from 7pm to 9pm it is "the week of beach fitness" down on the seafront!

Thursdsay the 22nd the band "Parrandboleros"will be playing at the seafront from 11pm


And on Saturday the 24th of July there will be a party at the seafront with the group BUDU
Starting at 10.30pm

On Sunday the 25th of July celebrating the Santiago Apostol.There will be a procession at 9pm finishing with a verbena at the seafront with SHOWBAND ORQUESTA playing

Lots more happening here on 25th July, click here to see
http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-of-santiago-apostol.html

On the 31st of July it is "childrens day" and down at the seafront there will traditional games with prizes, starts at 8pm

On the 3rd August the 40 principales radio station will be holding a free gig down at the explanada barnuevo for more details click here:
http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/free-pop-concert-40-principales.html

And on the 8th of August there will be a gathering of Classic Motorbikes

Los Alcázares is just a short drive away, and a great place to go for dinner or to chill out on the beach. The word Alcázares is very difficult for people to say when they first come over, and people often resort to calling Alcatraz or Alka Seltza. But actually means Palace in Arabic! The easiest way to learn how to say it correctly is by stressing the sylable "ca" = al CA zares.

Throughout the year there are some great fiestas and things going on.




In My Restaurant guide I have added various restaurants in this town.
http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/07/restaurants-in-region.html

The Restaurant Encarnacion (description of how to get there on link above) is an old Spa hotel and is beautiful old building, well worth going down just to have a coffee and look. On the 29th of July and 5th of August they will be having Jazz Musicians in the inner patio from 8pm onwards.
Entry free until full.

Circus Quiro in Los Alcazares 29th-9th August

for more info click the picture below


On the 8th of August there will be processions with bands playing, at Punta Calera in Los Narejos (los alcazares) at 6pm in honour of "The Patron Saint of Angeles", at 7pm there will be a mass with a procession, a firework display will finish off the festivities. (As far as I can see, Punta Calera is around where the Hotel los Narejos is and running down to the beach)

CHILDRENS GAMES AND ACTIVITIES IN THE SQUARES- AUGUST

There will be a variety of childrens games and activities, including varios workshops making summer ornaments, painted salt, facepainting, recycling, costumes, clay, traditional games, ballon crafting....
From 6pm to 8pm

Plaza del Espejo: 2nd to 6th of August.
Plaza del Espejo: 9th to 13th of August
Plaza del Ayuntamiento: 16th to 20th of August
Plaza del Ayuntamiento: 23rd to 30th of August
As a finale there will be a fiesta in the plaza del Ayuntamiento in los Alcázares, on the 31st of August from 6.30pm to 8.30pm

The plaza del espejo is located here
http://maps.google.es/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=es&geocode=&q=Calle+del+Espejo,+Los+Alc%C3%A1zares&sll=37.760978,-0.832558&sspn=0.017201,0.038409&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Calle+del+Espejo,+30710+Los+Alc%C3%A1zares,+Murcia,+Regi%C3%B3n+de+Murcia&ll=37.744861,-0.847492&spn=0.017205,0.038409&z=15

and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the square next to the townhall.

"Semana Internacional de la huerta y el mar" 13th August to 21st August in los Alcazares, performances, procession, handicrafts and tapas!

http://polarisworldandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/08/fiesta-la-semana-de-la-huerta-y-el-mar.html