Costa Cálida - Mazarrón

The existence of Mazarrón in Costa Cálida, Spain is closely linked to the exploitation of its salt-mines, well known from the Carthaginian and Roman times. Mazarrón also grew up around the lead, zinc, silver, iron, red ochre, and alum deposits main mines in Spain. Its ancient name Almazarrón, its Arabic name, meaning red ochre, the colour the area represents. The present name of Mazarrón is actually the shortened form of Villa de las Casas de los Alumbres de Mazarrón. The town was for centuries an important strategic enclave in the defense of the neighbouring hinterland of Lorca and Cartagena, also Costa Cálida. The Saracen attacks from Northern Africa were contained from the castle built by order of the Marquis of los Velez, and from several other defensive towers in Mazarrón.

Once the mines were outworked, Mazarrón managed to develop an important agricultural industry, based mainly on the tomato crop, while at the same time it strengthen its old fishing and seafaring traditions, until Mazarrón became an important coastal settlement of remarkable tourist interest and holiday.

The gastronomy from the surroundings of Mazarrón is renowned for the union between two fundamental ingredients from around Costa Cálida: fish and tomatoes. A deeply rooted cuisine surprises one with dishes such as monkfish or grouper done the Mazarrón way, hake fish balls ajotomate (a dip made from garlic and tomatoes), Milt grilled on its back, and the sauces, talvina and ajocolorao (made from garlic and paprika) There are rices like seafood paella and rice with lobster. The popular "moragas" of Mazarrón with sardines and fish stewed in olive oil and vinegar and herbs must not be forgotten.

In Mazarrón, tourists can take diving and underwater pot-holing courses designed for all levels, featuring the renting of materials and planned outings in both summer and winter into the marvelous and fascinating rocky depths of the underwater communities that thrive along the coast. Furthermore, the bay of Mazarrón is a veritable sailing paradise, where visitors can enjoy regattas, coastal navigation in sailing boats, rowing, and sea paragliding, water-skiing and motor-boating. They can also enjoy walking, find out about beautiful bicycle and horse-riding routes in Mazarrón, take a sunbath at one of the countless unspoiled coves along the Costa Cálida, and make visits to the old salt-mines.

From El Mirador, you can discover the ancient art of tuna net fishing, which takes place between March and July, when these migratory species arrive.

The streets of Mazarrón display some interesting monuments; among them, the Town Hall, in a modernist style, a clear signal of the early years of splendor at the beginning of this century. The Town Hall boasts a fine assembly room and next to this building, the distinctive Antiguo Ateneo Cultural (Old Cultural Centre), built around the same time. You will find the church of San Andrés (16th century) behind the Town Hall of Mazarrón, with a beautiful Mudéjar panelling. Very close is the convent of la Purísima, the patron saint of the town. And you won´t miss the ruins of the castle of los Vélez in Mazarrón.

The seaboard around Mazarrón provides an optimum environment during your holiday, for swimming, or maybe for long strolls along the shore. With the advantage of the climate and its 300 days of sunshine a year, and a weather of average temperature 20°C (check current weather and forecast report) Mazarrón boasts of beautiful spots along its 35 km of coastline. Beaches like Reya, Bahia, Nares, or el Castellar, are ideal for the practice of all kinds of water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, and there are unspoilt coves like cala Amarilla (Yellow cove), playa de la Grua (Crane beach), Parazuelos, Covaticas, Ballenato, Percheles, or Pumas de Calnegre. The rocky seabed with its peculiar underwater colonies makes Mazarrón a place of particular interest for diving and marine potholing. Mazarrón is altogether an important tourist and holiday resort, well endowed with hotels, sports facilities, and other services.

Driving along Costa Cálida from Cartagena towards Mazarrón, you will see spectacular cliffs and rocky formations such as the area of Cabo Tiñoso. From this point onwards, which belongs to the City of Cartagena, we enter the bay itself, with its centre taken up by the town of Mazarrón. The coast here is rather rough, and full of interesting underwater reefs on a rocky seabed. There is an impressive panoramic view of all the coast from Cabo Tiñoso, and specially of the unspoiled beaches of Cala Abierta (open cove) and Cala Cerrada (closed cove).

You may reach the Azohía, an area of seaboard where expert fishermen practice the ancient art of the pesca con almadraba (tunna decoy-trap fishing). Basically tunna, bonito and milt are the produce of work these men carry out from February until well into July. The almadraba is a remarkable fishing technique based on drawing the fish into what is known as a "cuadro" or pen where they are enclosed and then gaffed and finally lifted into boats where the fish are loaded.

Fiestas

From the 12th to the 20th of March is in Mazarrón the festival of San José is celebrated. A huge bonfire is built on the beach and torch races are held on the maritime walk. Then in the summer, the traditional procession of the Virgen del Carmen (16 July in Playa de Mazarrón). From the 13th to the 20th November in Bolnuevo: La Romería del Milagro de la Purísima (The pilgrimage of the Miracle of the Purest virgin), the most rooted of the fiestas in the area are held at Bolnuevo, where the routing of the Moors is re-enacted accompanied by typical gastronomically delicacies of Mazarrón on the Costa Cálida beach.

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