La Manga & The Mar MenorLa Manga (in English "The Sleeve") is a strip of land which separates the Mar Menor (Small Sea) from the Mediterranean. The Mar Menor is approx 18 km long and 10 km wide and it's waters range in temperature from 12 degrees in the winter to over 30 in the summer. The waters are non-tidal and shallow which is why it becomes so warm in the Summer.
The Mar Menor is the perfect location for all types of watersports, whether it be Dinghy Sailing, Windsurfing or Kayaking. Dinghy Sailors can enjoy a huge sailing area which is surprisingly under-utilised; windsurfers can learn in shallow waters until they gain their confidence and kayakers can explore areas which are inaccessible to other craft.For further information on the Mar Menor please see information from Murcia Turistica
Our session normally run from 10-12am, 1-3pm and 4-6pm.
We normally run kayak safaris from 9am or 10am in the morning as the wind tends to be lightest and it is coolest at that time. This is also a good time for beginner sailors and windsurfers and is especially good for younger children who don't have as much strength to pull sails against stronger winds.
The session from 1-3pm is good for sailors and windsurfers as they start to get their balance and want a bit more speed, it is also ideal for adult learners. Some people worry about the heat at this time but it actually feels hotter at 4pm than it does at 1pm due to the land heating up. In reality the coolest place to be during the summer months is out on the water!
The 4-6pm session is where we would choose to schedule our more advanced students and any rentals. The winds tend to be stronger at this time of the day. This is the most likely session to be cancelled due to too much wind, we very rarely have to cancel sessions earlier in the day.
Having said all this, weather is weather, it is unpredictable and doesn't always act in the the same way. We have run plenty of very successful courses for children from 4-6pm and have taught adults to windsurf at 10am. Just let us know what fits with your schedule. If you are attending a course with us during your holiday, please don't schedule every hour with other activities, to get the best wind conditions for you to learn we may need to shift the time of one or two lessons.
Temperatures are coolest in the morning gradually rising throughout the day as the land heats up. For this reason it feels much hotter at 4pm than it does at 1pm.
| Average High Temps | ||
| Months | Air Temp | Mar Menor Temp |
| January | 15 | 12 |
| February | 17 | 12 |
| March | 20 | 15 |
| April | 22 | 19 |
| May | 25 | 24 |
| June | 28 | 26 |
| July | 30 | 28 |
| August | 31 | 31 |
| Sept | 28 | 27 |
| October | 23 | 24 |
| November | 21 | 19 |
| December | 18 | 15 |
The predominant winds in the area are the Levante (ENE) and the Lebeche (SW).
We have approximately 4/5 days of Levante and 2/3 days Lebeche each week.
Levante Winds tend to be fairly constant all day.
They normally start at a F3 in the morning rising a few knots to a low F4 in the afternoon. These winds come off the Mediterranean Sea are generally stable and non gusty.Lebeche Winds can increase from nothing to F6 within the day. They rise over the hills of the Calblanque and come rushing down over the waters of the Mar Menor. These winds can be hot, shifty and gusty, they must be treated with respect!
A normal Lebeche wind will start with F2 or less, it will gradually rise to F3/4 in the middle of the day and by 4pm it will usually be F5. Some Lebeche winds are gentle and never reach more than F4, others go crazy and reach F6 or more. We can usually predict from to the forecast and what happens earlier in the day, how high it will go. We will not let anyone out on the water if we do not think it is safe.
