Why move to Los Alcazares
Los Alcazares is a land dedicated to leisure. From spas to golf, to drinking and dining, there’s a lively scene year round as well as a boom in the summer.
This once small fishing town has attracted people seeking rest and relaxation since the first Roman settlers built thermal bath houses there. Named from the Arabic word ‘Al Kazar’, meaning ‘palace’ or ‘house of nobles’, Los Alcazares continues to triple its population over the summer.
Historically, people come for the springs and spas, including the Hotel-Spa La Encarnación, famous for its ‘novenaries’ — a series of nine baths — on offer since the hotel was built in 1902. But more recently the area has developed into a major golf destination with over 30 golf courses within 1 hour’s driving distance.
Then there’s the Mar Menor, a calm, swimming pool-like sweep of sea, where many of the beaches are blue flag standard. Here, the temperate water is no deeper than 7 meters due to the bank of sand called La Manga which protectively cordons off the bay from the Mediterranean.
Los Alcázares residents celebrate year round. With the ‘Semana de la Huerta’ (Countryside Week) in August and the ‘Incursiones Berberiscas’ (reenactment of the Berber Pirate raids), a Medieval market and a series of theatrical performances at Easter. As well as the usual fiestas, there’s a week-long celebration of independence in October with live music and events, windsurfing tournament and fireworks. The Promenade is a road bustling with shops, restaurants and bars that cater for both the influx of summer guests and year-round residents.
Property
Due to its facilities, Los Alcazares is more expensive than many of the surrounding resorts. The town has 3 neighbourhoods: Los Narejos, with duplex and low-rise apartments, townhouses and villas, where permanent residents tend to live, the Town Centre which is mostly apartments (often rented out to holidaymakers in season), and the Old Town which is traditional Spanish rather than modern in style. There are resorts — like the Ronda Golf resort — with estates surrounding the town offering high spec apartments and villas.
Transport
The town is incredibly close to the Murcia San-Javier Airport — great if you fly frequently but not if you want quiet skies. However, this is due to be closed and replaced in 2019 (although there have been several delays) by the Región de Murcia International Airport, some 30 minutes drive away. Motorways connect all the major coastal towns and inland cities; buses connect nearby towns like Torrevieja and Cartagena. There is also regular bus service circulating the town.
Employment
Local work consists of tourism services. However, both Murcia and Cartagena are a commutable distance away. The region is known as the market garden of Spain so agriculture and food processing industries reign.
Health
The town has excellent public healthcare centre, along with a number of general practitioners and dentists. There’s also a university hospital within a 15-minute drive.
Schools
There is a public school in the town and three international schools within a 20-minute drive radius. The nearby city of Cartagena offers a wider variety of choice of private or state-funded schools that can be reached in under thirty minutes.
Living expenses
As this is a land of plenty, food and drink are comparably cheap to buy. However, the costs of goods (clothes, household items etc) and services are on par with the rest of Europe. Murcia property is, on the whole, less expensive than more Northerly coasts nearby Alicante or Malaga.