Looking to go on an activity-based holiday this year? Think about Murcia

 

Tucked away in between Alicante and Malaga, Murcia is a region of Spain that doesn’t actually attract hordes of travelling Brits. Though Murcia has everything anyone would want for an idyllic, relaxing holiday—beautiful beaches, calm seas, pretty countryside and small historic towns—there hasn’t been much work done towards catering for tourists. This, of course, makes it all the more unspoiled.

 

Also, many don’t realise that Murcia’s coastline, specifically the narrow lip of land that forms the outer part of Mar Menor, Europe’s largest salt lagoon, is a haven for water sports enthusiasts, and great for swimming all the year round. There are over 20 sailing schools that cluster along the coastline, offering the experienced and learners alike tuition in windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, jet or water skiing and some of the Mediterranean’s best scuba diving, thanks to the marine reserve near Cabo de Palos.

 

As well as the ample opportunity to try out water sporting, Murcia is famous for its vast open golf courses (such as on the Polaris World resorts of course), often framed by orange and lemon groves and further out, by quite dramatic craggy mountains.

Choosing one of Murcia’s resorts would be a good idea if you like golfing; these resorts will have everything you’re likely to be looking for: peace, lovely scenery and easy access to local restaurants, bars and beaches.

 

But Murcia’s not only a good holiday location for action. There are some great historical and cultural centres not far from Murcia, further inland in the regioun known as New Castile. It’s dotted with really pretty historic towns. There are some fun festivals, too, if you go at the right time of year—Bando de la Huerta, just after Easter week when people dress up as peasants, drink sherry and generally make merry, and the Burial of the Sardine, which features Brazilian dancing and live music.

 

For many, the idea of an activity based holiday, especially one involving golfing, seems like an impossibility. Such holidays tend to be expensive and not top on the list of possibilities in these financially testing times.

But there are ways to find the kind of holiday you want on the cheap, especially if you spend a while looking for the right travel agent through which to book. Thomas Cook, for example are currently offering lots of great deals on holidays this summer, 2010. From all inclusive, to family, to last minute holidays to a variety of destinations and with much possibility for sports centred trips, Thomas Cook is a sensible place to start planning ahead. Check their website for package holidays.