Santiago de la Ribera
Santiago de la Ribera is a lovely town that sits on the shores of the Mar Menor. It started life as a simple fishing village, then grew into the prime holiday destination for wealthy Murcians. Today Santiago is popular with the Spanish for their vacations but also attracts tourists from all over Europe and although it has a modern air, it has still maintained its ‘fishing village’ atmosphere.
Santiago has a very beautiful promenade, which is flanked by attractive palm trees. From here you can take a trip out across the calm waters of the Mar Menor to the La Manga Strip on the opposite side.
Places of interest & ideas of things to do in Santiago de la Ribera
- Beach: beautiful fine sandy beaches.
- Promenade: long palm tree lined beach front.
- Town Centre: small and very Spanish with narrow streets.
- Boat Trip: B&F Ferries across to the La Manga Strip or out to the Mediterranean Sea and around the Isla Grosa.
Ideas of places to twin Santiago de la Ribera with day or night
- Take the 40 minute boat ride across the Mar Menor to the La Manga strip for some lunch in the Tomas Maestre Marina, then head back to Santiago to enjoy an evening stroll along the promenade.
- Combine a trip to Santiago with a stop at some of the other towns and villages that line its shores. Punta Brava is an excellent choice as it has a great viewpoint from where you get amazing vistas across the lagoon towards the La Manga strip and to the mountains of the Sierra Mineras behind.
- Santiago makes a good stop during any sort of flight delay at Murcia San Javier Airport as it is just 10 minutes drive away!
Places of Interest
Santiago de la Ribera Beach
N37°47.760 W0°48.207Parking: is on the roads anywhere you can find a space and is free, it gets busy here, so you might like to use the free car park 1 some streets away.
From here: the beach is in front of you, if you are in the free car park 1 walk towards the large white building at one end of the car park, you'll see a roundabout ahead, walk past this and straight on down to the beach.
Santiago de la Ribera Boat Trip
N37°47.757 W0°48.201Parking: is on the roads anywhere you can find a space and is free, it gets busy here, so you might like to use the free car park 1 some streets away.
From here: if you are in the free car park 1 walk towards the large white building at one end of the car park, you'll see a roundabout ahead, walk past this and straight on down to the beach, then walk along the promenade to the Escuela Piragüismo (Kayaking school) large white building on the shores of the Mar Menor, opposite the Hotel Ribera. The wooden pier behind the kayaking school is where the B&F Ferry departs.
Top tip: (info correct for 2010) A single ticket costs 4€ and a return is 8€ per person, it is free for all under fours! You can put a bicycle on the ferry for an additional 1€ each way. The ferry departs Santiago every 2 hours starting at 11.30 and finishing at 21.30. It departs La Manga every 2 hours starting at 10.30 and finishing at 20.30. In the summer (March-November) it goes every day of the week, but during the winter it does not operate on a Sunday. In the height of summer the operating hours are extended for another 4 hours at the end of the day, making the last ferry depart Santiago at 01.00! For more information please call (0034) 649 201 610, there is usually someone who speaks a little English to answer your questions.
Santiago de la Ribera Free Car Park 1
N37°47.824 W0°48.436Can be used with: • beach • promenade • boat trip
Santiago de la Ribera Promenade
N37°47.818 W0°48.231Parking: is on the roads anywhere you can find a space and is free, it gets busy here, so you might like to use the free car park 1 some streets away.
From here: the promenade is in front of you, as you look out to the sea turn left and enjoy! If you are in the free car park 1 walk towards the large white building at one end of the car park, you'll see a roundabout ahead, walk past this and straight on down to the promenade.
Santiago de la Ribera Town Centre
N37°48.203 W0°48.271Parking: is on the roads anywhere you can find a space and is free, it gets busy here, so you might like to use the free car park 1 some streets away.
From here: explore the narrow streets of this small town to discover the shops and restaurants.
