The Murcia region and areas surrounding Murcia Airport

The Murcia-San Javier airport sits on the border of two autonomous communities - Murcia and Alicante and is a short distance from the beautiful beaches of both the Costa Blanca and the Costa Cálida. It nestles within the Mar Menor, a vast lagoon with crystal clear, warm waters, gentle breezes and an abundance of wildlife.

The Mar Menor region is famed as one of the best places in Europe to practice and learn all types of water sports due to its advantageous climatic and environmental conditions. The lagoon expands over an area of 170km² and is never deeper than 7m at any given point. For this reason, it is a hub of water activity and there are a great number of sailing, jet-skiing and water-skiing schools in the vicinity.

Further down the coast, Cabo de Palos is considered one of the best locations in the whole of Spain for diving, and several excellent wreck sites are hidden below the surface, a little way out from the shore. Additionally, part of this area is now a protected marine reserve and therefore is home to a fantastic amount of colourful fish, marine plants and fauna.

Golf is also very popular in this region with several prestigious golf resorts and clubs spread out over the area including La Roda, La Corvera and the very exclusive La Manga Club, which contains three championship courses, almost 30 tennis courts plus the lavish and extravagant 5-star Hyatt Regency Hotel within its 1,500 acre plot.

Slightly north of the airport is Lo Pagan, home to the largest area of natural open-air mud baths in Spain. On one side of the scenic promenade is a large, warm, saltwater lake, full of black mud that bathers cover themselves in, allow to dry and then wash off, whilst on the other side is the Mar Menor sea and beach, perfect for swimming and sunbathing. Many visitors are attracted to the mud baths at Lo Pagan, as they say that it has curative properties, due to the high mineral content of the mud, and can heal an array of ailments including arthritis, rheumatism and other aches and pains.

Between the two airports of Alicante and Murcia-San Javier is the city of Torrevieja. With over 100,000 residents and more than half of them foreign, this area is a melting pot of many cultures, languages and traditions.

Torrevieja is well known for its rich cultural life including the many musical and theatrical events it hosts, art exhibitions plus the popular local and national fiestas that always attract huge crowds of all nationalities.

The Torrevieja region and nearby Orihuela Costa are massively popular holiday destinations for thousands of British and Irish tourists that visit all throughout the year.

Moving inland is the cosmopolitan city of Murcia, a city steeped in history, culture and art, evident in its many old buildings, monuments, museums, churches and art galleries.

Founded around the River Segura, Murcia is a bustling city with plenty of life, although does not cater to the typical tourist, as it maintains its own traditional identity.

The shops are fantastic and are woven in between the hundreds of offices, banks, bars and restaurants within the commercial centre of the town.

Of tourist interest is the magnificent Santa María baroque cathedral, the 19th century Casino, the Salzillo Museum and the Teatro Romea.

In more recent years, Murcia has become one of the major cities, alongside Madrid and Barcelona, to hold some of the biggest and best music concerts and festivals in the country. The amazing SOS4.8 festival, a two-day music and art extravaganza first hosted in 2008, has welcomed some of the biggest names in the international music industry including the Chemical Brothers, Kaiser Chiefs, Underworld, Duffy and Babyshambles, as well as some of the top deejays in Europe.

Not only is this south-eastern part of Spain awash with history, culture and fantastic sights to see and visit, it is also a place of gastronomical delight, with an abundance of locally caught fresh fish and seafood, home grown olives, nuts, fruit and vegetables, tasty "tapas" and first-class wines. You may not know what to do with yourself with such a choice of activities, but you certainly won't go hungry or thirsty.