La Manga Club has maintained its position as the number one sports resort in Spain for over 30 years. This sports lovers’ paradise covers an area of 1,400 acres and offers an unrivalled selection of activities.
For the golfer, La Manga Club has three 18-hole championship courses, a par 47 pitch & putt course and floodlit driving range. Newcomers to the sport, or old hands looking to improve their game, can sign up for academy courses and private lessons.
For the tennis player, La Manga Club provides 28 courts with a variety of surfaces. The quality of the facilities on offer has earned the centre the honour of being the winter training base for the LTA and the BTV. Beginners and improvers are also catered for, with academies, private coaching and regular competitions for all levels.
La Manga Club has established itself as the number one destination for top club and international football teams. It boasts no less than eight international-standard pitches with a grandstand for spectators. More recently, the club has opened facilities for cricket and Gaelic football.
Other sports are also available, both within the La Manga Club resort and nearby. The Mar Menor and Mediterranean offer excellent watersports, while the nearby national park is a great place for mountain bikers.
La Manga, or La Manga del Mar Menor (The Sleeve of the Minor Sea) to give the area its full title, is a stunning natural phenomenon.
La Manga is actually a narrow strip of land, no more than around 300 metres wide and 21 kms in length that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. It encloses a huge salt water lagoon known as the Mar Menor (Small Sea), a protected piece of water that is shallow and warm, making it perfect for watersports. These conditions provide a safe place for beginners including relatively young children to learn the basics.
‘The strip’, as it’s known colloquially, has long since disappeared under high-rise flats and other buildings. While the view from the La Manga Club is breathtaking, it’s not worth a closer look.
The one exception is the small fishing village of Cabot De Palos. Despite small scale local development, the village at the southernmost tip of La Manga has retained its local identity. It is primarily a working port where fishing boats regularly unload the daily catch. The ‘catch’ is available in one of around a dozen restaurants. For those who prefer to self cater, take a look at the local fishmongers, the variety and quality of sea food on offer is simply amazing!
Rentals in La Manga Club vary according to the season. Highest La Manga Club rentals are during the school summer holidays. I have listed the 2008 costs of renting our villa in La Manga Club below.
January: £550
1 - 17 February: £650
18 - 29 February: £450
1 - 15 March: £650
16 March - 14 April: £850
15 April - 24 May: £650
25 - 31 May: £850
June - 14July: £650
15 - 31 July: £850
1 August - 8 September: £950
9 September - 15 October: £550
16 - 31 October: £850
Other peak periods coincide with school holidays, although this varies according to the time of year. La Manga Club is a year round resort, so bargain hunters should look at off peak Winter rates. Generally Winters in this part of Spain are mild and the best time for golf and tennis. The Mar Menor stays relatively warm all year round, we have paddled and snorkelled in it right though October and into early November.
Rentals in La Manga Club generally run from Saturday to Saturday – however most owners seem to quite flexible particularly during the off-peak periods. With regular daily flights, mid-week fares can be extremely low, making a short Winter break very good value indeed.
The simplest way to arrange La Manga Club accommodation is via the Hyatt Group. This company not only manages the luxurious 5 star hotel in the heart of the resort, but also offers a range of self catering accommodation. The marketing and sales are handled directly and through a number of holiday companies. While simple to find and book, it’s not necessarily the cheapest or the best. If you are looking for a home-from-home seek out the privately owned villas on the La Manga Club resort.
 The variety of property on offer from private owners is vast, from huge villas on generous plots, to small one-bed apartments. Owners market their properties directly through the internet, or advertising in papers and magazines. Our private villa is suited to families with children – in particular very young children. We offer the basics any parent would expect, cot, high chair, stairgates, bedguards etc. The Las Brisas pool is also perfect for the very young, with a large shallow area tucked well away from the main area. Access to the pools and gardens is only through the villas the surround it – making it a safe area to let children play.
