Playa de Veneziola

Veneziola Golf
A nine-hole pitch and putt course (although it seems a little more than pitch and putt!) and a driving range - Km 17.

For more information, visit www.veneziola-golf.com.

Sailing
Club Vela Internacional is the closest sailing school to the apartment and has a range of products to suit the novice sailor, the improver, the intermediate, the advanced, the expert or the spectator. Their products include:

• Sailing, windsurfing and catamaran courses for beginners, intermediates and advanced.
• Private tuition for all levels of ability.
• Equipment hire for those with prior sailing experience.
• Fun rides in dinghies and catamarans for those with no prior sailing experience.
• Equipment storage for those who own equipment.
• Beach sunloungers for hire.
• Restaurant and bar

For more information visit www.club-vela.com.

For more information on sailing, kite surfing, wind surfing, visit www.lamangawind.com.

Tomas Maestre Marina

Take a Boat Trip
You can take a short boat trip from the Tomas Maestre Marina. There are a number of choices of round trips. You can take a trip on the Mediterranean around the Isla Grosa and back. This takes about 1 hour. Or you can take the boat across the Mar Menor to Santiago de la Ribera. This is particularly good on a Wednesday which is Market day at Santiago de la Ribera.

The prices are reasonable and there are trips available at all times of the day to suit you.

Restaurants and Bars
La Manga offers a wealth of different styles of cuisine although it is fair to say that typically Mediterranean style of cooking is available in all good restaurants. This includes paella, fresh fish, freshly grilled meats and succulent salads, normally using locally grown produce. One of the local delicacies is a whole fish (usually locally caught mujol or dorada) cooked in a jacket of salt, which although when served is quite often considered to lack a little in terms of presentation, is a very delicate and filling dish. Lobster is also available, as are oysters when in season, and a great variety of shell fish brought in each day by the fishermen from Cabo de Palos.

There is a traditional Irish public house called The Old Tavern in the Las Gondolas complex to the north at Km 16. It has entertainment every night and on certain evenings Karaoke/music, live bands and Sky TV.

• Chihuahua (Mexican restaurant)
• Sunset Inn Tavern
• Apan Daun (bar)
• La Bruschetta (restaurant/snack)
• El Mosquito (restaurant/bar)
• Meson La Bellot

• The Parrots (ice cream/pub)
• Pizza Mila
• Sugar & Spice (creperie/restaurant)
• Heladeria Caferteria Avante
• Cafe Bar Falua
• Restaurante Pizzeria Di Mare. Not only pizza but excellent pasta dishes and grilled pork too.

At the entrance to the marina in the Centro Commercial is a new Burger King restaurant - for those times when the children need a fast food fix!

At Km 12.5 (to the south of the marina) is the Restaurante Paquebote. Good food, reasonable price. Paella, fish, grilled fresh vegetables, excellent pizzas.

At some time during their stay in La Manga everyone, young or old visits El Zoco Alcazaba (Km 4 just north of the "hill") with it's collection of bars and restaurants which serve inexpensive bar meals, a good pint of beer, on certain evenings Karaoke/music, and for families with children there is an area with video games. Things really come alive in the early hours of the morning and offer an incredible selection of bars and music for those with stamina and no need to be up early the next day.

There is an excellent Chinese restaurant at Km 0. It is in a side street just past the Mercadona supermarket.

Others include:

• Area Playa - Half way down the strip and over looking the Mar Menor
• Gregorys - Monte Blanco, Argentine, more expensive, outside barbeque in the summer.
• La Manga Villas - 2Km mark, 4 star hotel with nice food and service.
• Sea front at Cabo de Palos, there are several restaurants here in the port, fantastic paellas and other fish dishes.

There must be several more fantastic restaurants within the La Manga area. You will have a lot of fun discovering them. Please let us know if you find any that are particularly nice.

Places to Visit

Calblanque - volcanic cliffs over isolated sand beaches - the other nature reserve south La Manga, between La Manga club and Cabo de Palos.

Cartegena and Murcia are worth visiting for a day. The EL Corte Ingles store in Cartegena that is heavily advertised is really a big John Lewis/Debenhams-style store. Car rental or your own car is vital for La Manga. You can also rent a bike, scooter or bicycle in local La Manga rental places. There is a bus service in La Manga and Cabo de Palos but services are less often in the winter.

Markets
There is a nightly hawkers market in Plaza Bohemia (Km 3 which is just on the right at the approach to the hill on heading up the strip).
Visit the Mercadillo de Cabo de Palos (market) when you are in La Manga on Sunday mornings. It takes place in an open space located in Cabo de Palos, next to the old road Cabo de Palos-La Manga-Cartagena. It has thousands of visitors, so it is easy to find! In the Mercadillo you have fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers from the famous Mercia and Cartagena plantations and also clothing, footwear and gifts, etc. Prices are much better than the ones you find in the regular shops or supermarkets.

Other Mercadillos take place during the week in the surrounding villages:

• Mon - San Pedro del Pinatar
• Tue - La Union, Los Alcazares and Los Belones
• Wed - Santiago de la Ribera
• Thu - San Javier
• Fri - El Algar
• Sat - Los Narejos and Torrepacheco