Puerto Tomas Maestre, the largest marina in La Manga del Mar Menor

Over 1,700 mooring berths and a well-equipped Club Nautico in La Manga

The Puerto Deportivo Tomás Maestre lays claim to being the most prestigious of the marinas in La Manga del Mar Menor and indeed in the whole of the Mar Menor, and is named after the man who practically “invented” tourism in La Manga in the 1960s and 1970s.

It seems incredible now, but until approximately 60 years ago La Manga del Mar Menor was of interest almost exclusively to geographers, who knew it as the spit of land which protrudes from the headland of Cabo de Palos and encloses the Mar Menor, the saltwater lagoon which, with an area of around 160 square kilometres, is the largest inland area of salt water in Europe.

Even in 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, there was barely any evidence of human activity on La Manga apart from a couple of windmills and the archaeological remains, both on land and offshore, which provide evidence that humans have lived in the area for thousands of years.

It was back in the 1850s that the spit of land called La Manga del Mar Menor passed into private ownership, but the new owners soon sold the land on, mostly to the Maestre family, and by the 1950s the northern end of La Manga was entirely owned by Tomás Maestre Zapata, who was part of the family of industrial magnate Miguel Zapata Sáez, nicknamed “El Tío Lobo” (the Wolf Man). But it was his nephew, Tomás Maestre Aznar, who gave rise to La Manga as we know it today.

Maestre Aznar was born in Madrid in 1925, and after surviving the death of both his parents and the hardships of the Civil War he graduated in Law in 1948 and took over a family-owned agricultural property in San Javier. But it was not until 1956 that he persuaded his uncle to sell him his rights in the north of La Manga in order to work on a project of his own in the area, although first he also needed land in the southern half.

This he achieved, and in 1961 the first development project began, with the support of Manuel Fraga, the Minister for Tourism under General Franco. He it was who, having seen the beaches of La Manga, gave central government support to the promotion of La Manga as a centre for tourism, and these plans were approved between 1966 and 1968.

From this point on the landscape of La Manga del Mar Menor began to take on the appearance it has now, with numerous developments right next to the beach, as well as bungalows, shopping centres, restaurants and towers such as the "Torre Júpiter" and the "Torre Varadero".

The Puerto Deportivo Tomás Maestre was built during the 1970s, and is protected by a 600-metre wall which was built on the Mar Menor side of La Manga between the Punta del Estacio and a rock known locally as “Los Escolletes”. Entry is through a gap on this wall on the western side from the Mar Menor, or via the Canal del Estacio (and under the road bridge) from the Mediterranean.

At present the northern part of the enclosing jetty is 450 metres long, while the southern part measures 690 metres, and the entry to the marina is 60 metres wide.

Inside there are 1,721 mooring berths for craft of up to 30 metres in length. There is a minimum draft of only 3 metres at the entry to the marina, which occupies a total area of 50,000 square metres.

The services at Puerto Deportivo Tomás Maestre are comprehensive and include full water and electricity supplies to all mooring points, refuelling facilities, repairs, and even a gym and swimming pool for users. These latter are located in the Club Náutico, which organizes and holds various regattas throughout the year.

Coordinates: 37º 44´ 05´´ N - 00º 43´ 08´´ W

VHF: Canal 9

UTM coordinates: X: 699062 Y: 4180211.

Website: www.puertomaestre.com

Address: Puerto Tomás Maestre, 30880 La Manga del Mar Menor, San Javier, Región de Murcia

Telephone: 968 140816 (from 9.00 to 21.00). 660 993630 (from 21.00 to 9.00)

Fax: 968 337089

Email: puertomaestre@puertomaestre.com

Click for more information about the San Javier municipality

Further articles about La Manga del Mar Menor