Mazarrón and Águilas

Tourists can visit the Castle of Los Vélez, the Town Hall built in Modernist style, reflecting the town's mining wealth, the Church of San Antonio de Padua (18th century), the Church of San Andrés with its Mudejar coffered ceilings (16th century), the Convent of La Purísima (18th century), the remains of the Roman Road and the Defence Tower of El Molinete (15th century). Five kilometres away, on the coast, we find El Puerto de Mazarrón, with its Harbour Lookout Tower, also known as the Tower of Santa Isabel, a fishing harbour and fish market and the Archaeological Museum located opposite the remains of a Roman salted-fish factory. Visitors might also enjoy a pleasant stroll along the promenade. Between Mazarrón and Águilas we come across Bolnuevo, where we can visit the Tower of Los Caballos (16th century), the remains of the fortified Neolithic settlement of El Cabezo de Plomo and, alongside the extensive beach, one of the most unusual landscapes in the entire region, where the wind and the sea have carved a number of whimsical shapes out of the rock in order to form what are known as the "Bolnuevo Erosions". Then we can move on to the Regional Park of Puntas de Calnegre, one of the least-visited areas along the coast, featuring clean sands and clear waters, where we can also try a number of delicious rice dishes.

The entire Mazarrón and Águilas coastline offers the visitor an endless range of alternatives, such as long walks, bathing, water-sports, trekking or scuba diving down to the rocky beds that run along the coast. This setting, made up of steep cliffs, long beaches of fine sands and clear waters and unspoiled coves, offers visitors the chance to enjoy the delights of nude bathing, especially in view of the ideal climate in this area, featuring an average annual temperature of 26 degrees. Another interesting option is to visit the fish auctions at the markets which are located in both towns. 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 marvellous 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, sea paragliding, water-skiing and motor-boating. They can also enjoy walking, bicycle and horse-riding routes, as well as visits to old mines. From El Mirador, we can discover the ancient art of tunny net fishing, which takes place between March and July, when these migratory species arrive. Why not enjoy some nude sunbathing at one of the countless, unspoiled coves that are duly sign-posted along the coast?

Exquisite tomatoes, salted fish products: Hueva (roe), mojama (salted tuna) tunnyfish and bonito. The local cuisine combines the two essential ingredients available in this area: fish and tomato. Mazarrón-style angler fish or grouper, ajotomate (tomato with garlic) hake fishballs and open-air sardine fry-ups.

Enjoy a visit to the Town Hall (19th century) with its Neo-Mudejar façade, the Parish Church of San José (19th century), the Casino (19th century), the Mineral Landing Stage of El Hornillo (19th century), the magnificent Train Station, the Railway Monument and, crowning the old quarter, the Castle-Fortress of San Juan de las Águilas (18th century), which separates the beaches to the east and the west. On the outskirts of the town, we find the Tower of El Cope (16th century) and the Fortress of Tébar y Chuecos, a lookout tower located in a very mountainous area. The Maritime Visitors Centre, the Roman Baths Museum and the Railway Museum, Carnival Museum and Archaeological Museum are all worth a visit. The José Matrán Museum is located in the Francisco Rabal Cultural Centre.

The entire Mazarrón and Águilas coastline offers the visitor an endless range of alternatives, such as long walks, bathing, water-sports, trekking or scuba diving down to the rocky beds that run along the coast. This setting, made up of steep cliffs, long beaches of fine sands and clear waters and unspoiled coves, offers visitors the chance to enjoy the delights of nude bathing, especially in view of the ideal climate in this area, featuring an average annual temperature of 26 degrees. Another interesting option is to visit the fish auctions at the markets which are located in both towns. Diving clubs, beginner's and more advanced courses in light sailing, rowing and canoeing, material rental, qualified monitors, and the practice of fishing "a chambel" or from breakwaters, are just some of the activities that have been designed to enable visitors to make the very most of their stay. Visitors can make their first dives or participate in specialized dives to sunken ships or into underwater caves (diving/pot-holing) in places such as Cabo Cope, Isla del Fraile and La Catedral. Three perfectly sign-posted walking trails exist for visitors to see archaeological remains, the local animal and plant life and some highly impressive scenery. Visit the Protected Landscape of Las Cuatro Calas, featuring the steep rocky cliffs of the Beach of La Carolina.

Handicrafts made of esparto, kegs and ships, also in miniature format. From the land we have exquisite tomatoes and capers, and from the sea, delicious Águilas prawns and red mullet. This ancestral cuisine features some considerable contrasts in terms of tastes, as well as being strongly rooted in the maritime tradition: fish stew, octopus salad, ajo colorao, ensaladica cocida, arroz a banda (rice and fish) and fish in brine. Along the entire coast we can enjoy a variety of different appetizers or "tapas", or a drink by the sea in one of the innumerable terrace cafés that line the promenades of its towns.