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General

The Mar Menor (little sea) in the Spanish region of Murcia, is a huge salt water lagoon. Subsequently, it is Europe's largest, inland, saline water mass. The Mar Menor is separated from the Mediterranean by a vast sand bank, known as “La Manga”. La Manga is approximately 24 kilometres long and varies in width between 100m to 1.2km.

The length of the internal coast is 73 km and on average, the water depth is approximately 2 metres. However, in limited areas, the water can be up to seven metres in depth. Tests carried out in 1995, show that the mud deposits contain high percentages of calcium, magnesium, potassium, chloride and sulphate and their levels are far above that expected of saline water. As a result, the sludge is known to have a therapeutic effect.

Flora & Fauna of Mar Menor

Due to the special conditions within the Mar Menor, there are flora and fauna, which differ significantly from the open Mediterranean. As a result, it is home to:

• bream
• squid
• flamingos

In 1982, the United Nations declared the lagoon for "Specially Protected Area Mediterranean" and today it is managed by the UNEP SPAMI list.

Sport in Mar Menor

Due to the particularly exposed wind location and low water depth, the Mar Menor experiences low waves, which for many types of water sports, is excellent. Each year, Mar Menor is home to the “Copa Española” which is the Spanish kayak championship.