Cartagena has countless sandbanks, coves and nooks and crannies on its coast. From the endless and flat beach of Galúa , in La Manga , to the rocky coves of Cabo Tiñoso, it offers a good bath for all tastes and one of the most beautiful unspoiled and still unbuilt coastlines in the entire Region of Murcia . In this post I will tell you where those beaches are in Cartagena.
City Hall of Cartagena.
To Manga
The long sandy strip of La Manga is divided between the municipalities of San Javier and Cartagena . The first three kilometers belong to the latter. More than 3,000 meters of golden sand beach divided by the Marchamalo gola and ending at the Galúa beach , where there is a famous beach bar, one of the first hotels built in the area and a delicious bath.
Cabo de Palos and Levante beach
If one had to choose an icon of the Cartagena coast , it would undoubtedly be the Cabo de Palos lighthouse , whose silhouette illuminates like a Cyclops’ eye this geographical feature that has been key in cabotage navigation in the Mare Nostrum since 1865. At its feet there are several coves very pleasant and frequented by swimmers. And to the north opens the great Levante beach , an elegant summer area for decades, with very good services and another famous beach bar. 
Cala Reona
To the south of the Cabo Palos promontory begins a kilometric zone of cliffs, dotted with many coves and beaches. The first of all is Cala Reona , very easily accessible from the entrance roundabout to Cabo de Palos, and also with good services and a restaurant on the beach. Here begins a highly recommended coastal path that leads to Calblanque.
Calblanque
The jewel of the Cartagena coast is this regional park, created in 1985. Calblanque is a piece of coast miraculously saved from real estate speculation with arid mountains, fossil dunes, huge golden beaches and an intensely blue sea. One of the best coastal places in all of Murcia . It can be reached by car via a signposted detour at exits 9bis and 10 (signposted Calblanque) of the expressway MU-312 from Cartagena to La Manga / Cabo de Palos, past Los Belones. In summer you have to leave your car in a parking lot and continue with the shuttle buses. 
Cala Cortina
The closest beach to the city of Cartagena is Cala Cortina , which appears after surrounding the port and the Santa LucÃa neighborhood and going through a tunnel along the old N-343. It can even be reached on foot from the city center. It is a very quiet cove with 250 meters of coarse sand, very frequented by the people of Cartagena . There are several restaurants on the beach and all kinds of services. In summer, the occupation is very high due to its proximity to the city.
Azohia
Continuing west and once you have passed the imposing Cape Tiñoso with its old coastal batteries, you arrive at La AzohÃa , a charming and quiet village of fishermen and vacationers that seems to come from another time and where a tuna trap is still set up every year. . The highlight of La AzohÃa is the calm and leisurely atmosphere, nothing to do with large and crowded tourist places. In reality, there are several beaches and coves in a row that range from Cabo Tiñoso to Isla Plana , all of them with sand and fine gravel. Above the small fishing village, located at the end of the road, stands the tower of Santa Elena, an old defensive fort from the 16th century, one of the many that were built in the area to warn its inhabitants of the presence of Barbary pirates. La AzohÃa is accessed by leaving Cartagena in the direction of Canteras and the Puerto de Mazarrón . 
The Portús
A famous beach with a nudist area that can be reached from Cartagena via the RM-21, towards Canteras and El Portús. It is a pebbly cove on the steep coast, famous for the El Portús naturist campsite , one of the oldest in the Mediterranean. It has a small town center and a fine stone beach area just where the houses end. Then, walking to the left, you reach the nudist cove, separated from the previous one by a hill. A delicious and very natural site that seems taken from another time. 
The Lesser Sea
The municipality of Cartagena also encompasses a good portion of the Mar Menor , the most emblematic saltwater lagoon on the Mediterranean coast that unfortunately is suffering from an alarming process of eutrophication (excess organic matter). Here you will also find many beaches. The most recommended are Playa Honda , Playa ParaÃso , Puerto Bello or Isla del Ciervo (these last two are already in La Manga ), which, being in the western area of ​​the lagoon, far from the area of ​​influence of the Campo de Cartagena , have not suffered as much from the effects of this degenerative process.
