Los Alcázares Blog

A Different Perspective High season starts officially this weekend and on Saturday night you will see tailbacks all along the motorway exit into Los Alcázares. If your looking to have a very different perspective of the Mar Menor then the "Ferry service" as it's known in these parts is available from the pier at San Antonio. The Ferry takes the route to the widest birth on the Mar Menor so the view point is very special as you will see the many scattered islands and of course the famous La Manga port. (Tomás Maestre) The service starts from the 15th of June, and runs Monday's, Wednesday's, Friday's and Sunday's. Departure times are 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 5pm and 7pm. A one way ticket will set you back €5 and you can buy ticket on board. The journey time is 45 minutes and this initiative has been endorsed by regional government so it must meet health and safety regulations. As our office is located behind Bar Alaska you can use the locat...

Golden Rules Don’t come here expecting to find a job "Don't give up" Some get lucky, some don’t but that’s the luck of the draw. Skill sets that once defined you and your career may not when you start a new life here. It’s a small town that over the years people claim is like a village in the U.K.   Whenever a position becomes available, often you will find that word of mouth is the preferred method of communication. Some planning is required before your move otherwise it can be the source of problems and unnecessary pressure. "Opening your own business" If you are pre retirement age it may be worth considering the option of opening your own business. There are loan options here from all the conventional means even government funded programs to assist small business. (ECO) Some business owners will allow you to finance directly with them, you will need official valuations and a good lawyer to manage the process. ...

I recieved alot of messages from this location all the way down to Malaga about our image filtering software and interactive 360º tours so I thought that this blog post will share just how these photos work. One of the properties we recently promoted is now off the market due to this technique. When you click on the link you will be taken to the start of the tour and this one was taken just before high season. Portals The photo to your left is called a Portal, it's used to move from one photo to another. Throughout this tour you will see several of these dotted arround. To move from one location to another simply move your mouse over the photo and click, if you are on a portable device just press the portal image with your finger. We can use this technology to produce a tour of your house or just a key photo such as a conservatory, a sea view or a patio. 360º technology has been around for ages but the skill of using image enhancing software along with in...

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The Port Of Cartagena If you are looking for a place to visit which offers a combination of Spanish architecture, local cuisine , history and culture then this place will tick all the boxes. Cruise ships continually change the dominating view of the Port and is testimony to the new and emerging economy that this town is experiencing. Once nothing more than a reference point in history, it now reminds me of Barcelona with an emerging economy, off plan developments and a growing tourism base that would leave most towns envious. It's not far from Los Alcázares in fact some 25 minutes drive time door to door. A taxi fare would be around 35 Euros each way but it's not too bad if you are travelling in numbers. As the road snakes round the Police station, you really are in shock and awe at Cartagena's beauty. There is a car park which is underground, very conveniently located next to the entrance and it's not expensive comparatively speaking. ...

Most tourists and residents overlook this part of town, compelled to tell you that all that it's a very magical place which has it's own charm and appeal. Well before the street behind the Mercadona took pole position as the hub for tourists it boasted an extremely high foot flow. The crisis was one factor that tried to seal it's fate and for many years it put up a very good fight in terms of commercial draw. Over the last few years three main commercial anchors have appeared. Elite Moda High street fashion which is affiliated to a chain in Spain and has a strong reputation for offering a good standard of service, competitive prices and of course quality. I have provided a link to their Facebook page which will give a better indication of the clothing range and accessories. Hotel Encarnacion You may have seen a few places on your trips around the world but nothing quiet like this. A listed and p...

Los Alcázares has four principle districts with many more that sit on the border. Each one has very different characteristics that need to be considered when choosing a place to live. Los Narejos This area offers some of the larger style properties as it dates back to the time where Los Alcázares gained independence from San Javier. I feel the need to mention at this point that no area is better than another in anyway, they are all just different, that said Los Narejos offers a small commercial district that is branded as; “The Boulevard” and offers a variety of restaurants, bars, shops and banks. Probably the most notable feature of this area is the school which is situated a stones throw from the commercial area. The school is the equivalent of a grammar school in the UK and as such there is a charge per child. It is eleven years old and has achieved its status with one of the highest pass rates in the region of Murcia. Las Claras is also one of the only recog...

Relax Sitting outdoors sipping coffee from a glass watching the world go by is something of a necessity for most who live in Los Alcázares . Over the years I have tried to move around a little so that this ritual doesn't feel like groundhog day. Nothing wrong with a little diversity now and again, that said many have their regular spots. There are some very special places that come to mind that maybe not so obvious to most. As always my articles are in no way designed to be one sided, the objective being that you may discover new and exciting places that may soon be on your radar. Municiple Golf There are two places that are not so obvious here, not more than a 3 minute drive from the military base on the edge of town are two places that should be marked as worth a look. La Serena Golf A beautiful restaurant and outside terrace allows for panoramic views albeit green in colour. Coffee on the terrace gives you a real sense of being somewhere diff...

Is The Grass Greener On The Other Side ? Now here is a topic that is often discussed both by the local community and those that are intending to move to the area. Schooling generally is of a high standard but some parents would agree that it's not the school, it's the student when it comes to assessing any degree of academic success. Having raised children from nursery age to nearly University age in Los Alcázares, I can only speak from my own personal experience. That said there are many who would openly say that nothing is better, just different. Children are like sponges An expression that I think every adult has heard at some point or other. For every age group I can safely say that this is true to an extent. Your being non committal I can hear you say, yes I am because parents have a significant part to play in the learning process if you want any degree of academic success. The older the child, the greater the need to learn Spanish but the more cha...