Activities in Balsicas, Murcia

Blue Flag Beaches: Started in 1987, the Blue Flag Campaign annually recognises those beaches with excellent environmental conditions and services. The distinction is bestowed by the European Federation of Environmental Education.

Mobility: Almost a dozen of the beaches around Balsicas offer safe wheelchair access to the beach and sea. Facilities include special walkways to the seashore, amphibian chairs, rest areas with sunshades and special furnishings, and showers with bathing.

Balsicas is one of those rare places that is away from it all, yet in the middle of it all at the same time. A short drive from your quiet abode will have you: resting on Blue Flag beaches, having a joyous time hitting a small, dimpled ball as far away from you as humanly possible (over and over and over again) on one of the many surrounding golf courses; hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and rock climbing in a dramatic mountain park; or swimming and windsurfing on a luscious lagoon.

If you want to stick very close to home, there's plenty of walking to do. El Cabezo Gordo, which translates to 'The Fat Ridge', is a great place for walking and offers great views down to the region's sandy shores.

Beaches

Poised between the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida means you're spoiled for choices when it comes to beaches. The massive Mar Menor, a sublime saltwater lagoon separated by a sliver of sand from the Mediterranean, hosts 44km worth of beaches alone - all this just 12km away. Five of its nearby beaches have acclaimed Blue Flag status: San Javier's Castillico, San Pedro del Pintar's El Mojón and La Llana-Las Salinas (Levante) and Los Alcázares' Los Narejos and Manzanares. The beauty of the lagoon is that its never more than 7m deep, meaning its water is much warmer than the Mediterranean - December dip anyone?

Just north of Mar Menor, along Orihuela's 16km of Costa Blanca, are seven beaches that also fly the Blue Flag, due to their cleanliness, fine environment and lengthy list of services: Barranco Rubio, Cabo Roig Beach (Caleta Beach), Campoamor Beach (Aguamarina), Campoamor Beach (La Glea), Capitán Cove, Flamenca Beach (Estaca Cove) and Flamenca Beach (Mosca Cove).

Immediately south of Mar Menor, Costa Cálida hosts some of the region's most underrated beaches. The municipality of Cartagena has no less than four Blue Flag beaches on offer: Cala Cortina, Cala de Pino, Galua and Levante Cabo de Palos.

If you're not interested in beaches with easy access and lots of services, there are some real remote gems along the Costa Cálida between La Manga and Cartagena. The Calblanque Nature Reserve antes up some surprisingly untamed stretches of splendid sands. The 3km-long Playa Larga has three glorious kilometres of golden sand, though be warned... clothing is optional!

Mar Menor

This 170-sq-km stunning saltwater lagoon (the largest in Europe) is more than just a place to lounge on the beach and take a decidedly delightful dip. Mar Menor is a haven for sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving and snorkelling.

The water's high salt and iodine concentrations are also reputed to have medicinal properties - feel free to cover yourself in the therapeutic mud of the Mota de la Calcetera near Lo Pagan beach (it's supposed to work wonders!).

Sections of the Mar Menor are an important ecological reserve and with numerous feathered friends, bird watching is a justifiably popular activity here. In September, you'll have the chance to witness the extraordinary migration of flamingos (they rest at Mar Menor en route to Africa).

Golfing

Wage war with your irons and delight your desires with your drivers on some of the area's grand golf courses. The stunning, newly minted 27-hole Mosa Trajectum course is less than 10km away in Sucina, as is Peraleja, a new course set to open in late 2006. It is designed by Seve Bellasteros and it may just be the best course in the entire region. There are even plans to build a championship 18-hole course just outside Balsicas - enjoy!

Parc Natural de Sierra Espuña

Less than an hour from Sucina is this amazing park, with its limestone peaks, hiking trails, carrasco pine forests and remote mountain villages. Besides hiking, the park and surrounds offer mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing and kayaking. In the winter, you'll see its mountain precipices gleaming white with fresh snow.