Calblanque

Calblanque is the piece of the Murcian coast that was never built on. It lies at the eastern end of the region between the Mar Menor and the open Mediterranean, protected as a regional park, and consists of a run of small sandy bays backed by dunes, low scrub and abandoned salt pans. The tracks in are unpaved and dusty, and through July and August private cars are barred in favour of a shuttle bus, which keeps numbers down. There are no bars, no loungers and no showers on the sand. The contrast with the tower blocks of La Manga, visible along the coast, is the whole point.

The landscape

• The dune beaches - Playa Larga and its neighbours, backed by sand rather than buildings.
• The old salt pans - shallow evaporation flats behind the shore.
• The coastal path - walking links between the bays over low headlands.
• The summer shuttle - the bus that replaces cars and caps numbers in peak weeks.

When to go

May, June, September and October give warm water without the summer access restrictions. In July and August you park at the entrance and take the shuttle, which runs to a timetable and stops in the evening. Mornings are calmest; the afternoon sea breeze picks up and drives sand across the exposed bays.

Practical notes

There is no shade, no drinking water and no food, so everything comes in with you and out again. The access tracks are rough on a low car and thick with dust. The summer shuttle means fixed hours and a wait at both ends. Currents can be strong and most of the beaches have no lifeguard at any time of year.

Nearby

Cartagena's Roman theatre and harbour lie west; the Mar Menor lagoon is just north.

Key facts