Cabo de Palos

Cabo de Palos is the most southerly place on the Mar Menor. It is a large village with a quaint marina which has moorings for about 100 small boats, and some excellent restaurants which are renowned for serving a great selection of fresh fish. The rocky coastline is ideal for exploring, and a walk out to the light house is a must! There is also a sandy beach, which joins into the beaches of the La Manga Strip to enjoy.

The Sunday morning market is a busy one with over 100 stalls selling fruit, vegetables, clothes, shoes, bags and home wares as well as several cafes which serve both breakfasts and lunches.

Cape Palos (Spanish: Cabo de Palos) is a cape in the Spanish municipality of Cartagena, in the region of Murcia. It is part of a small range of volcanic mounts that form a small peninsula. The Mediterranean islands of Grosa and the group known as the Hormigas Islands are part of this range, as well as the islands in the Mar Menor (“Little Sea”). The name "Palos" is derived from the Latin word palus, meaning lagoon, a reference to the Mar Menor.

According to Pliny the Elder and Rufus Festus Avienus, there was once a temple dedicated to Baal Hammon on the promontory of the cape, which later became associated with the cult of Saturn. During the reign of Philip II of Spain, a watchtower was built on the promontory as a defense measure against the Barbary Pirates. A battle off the cape took place on June 19, 1815 between US naval forces and the Barbary Pirates. During the Spanish Civil War, the Battle of Cape Palos took place near the cape in 1938.

Its lighthouse began operating on January 31, 1865. The cape is part of a marine reserve, the Reserva Marina de Cabo de Palos e Islas Hormigas.

Places of interest & ideas of things to do in Cabo de Palos

• Marina: suitable for small boats only, great selection of fish restaurants.
• Rocky Coastline: excellent for exploring.
• Lighthouse: on rocky cliffs, good for walking around.
• Beach: small and sandy.
• Market: large Sunday morning.

Ideas of places to twin Cabo de Palos with day or night

• Spend a Sunday morning at the lively street market beside the marina in Cabo Palos, enjoy a leisurely lunch at any of the well renowned fish restaurants and then walk along the cliffs to the lighthouse.
• Explore Cabo de Palos as a stop on our Day Out Mar Menor. Combine it with a visit to Los Alcazares and Punta Brava to get a real taste of all the area has to offer.
• Spend the day relaxing on the rural beaches of the Calblanque Regional Park and then head to Cabo de Palos for a late leisurely lunch.