Cheers to San Miguel!
There’s more to ‘San Miguel’ than famous beer! If you’ve never been to this area of Spain before then it’s worth a visit, particularly if you’re planning a family or couple’s holiday. There’s plenty to do in the area and the climate is fantastic, reaching 30°C and more in the summer months and with very little rain usually.
In San Miguel itself there is a large market open most days and busting to the seams with stalls selling all sorts. Locals visit to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as meat, cheese, olives and bread. The fruit and veg is pretty impressive; just check out the mammoth peppers – must be all that Spanish sun!
You can easily get lost among the tourist tat (Nirvana t-shirts, plastic phone covers, that kind of thing) but there are some fantastic bargains to be had to, including stalls heaving with costume jewellery where you can pay less than a Euro for a pair of fabulous earrings that would cost you closer to a fiver back in the UK.
An hour or two can easily be whiled away at the market, but once you’ve tired of it you can visit one of San Miguel’s bars for a refreshing beer or fresh orange juice. You could of course order a San Miguel, but despite sharing the name the beer’s not actually brewed here (the company was founded in Madrid in 1890).
Flights to Murcia are regular from UK airports and are inexpensive if booked in advance. Murcia is probably the nearest airport to fly to if you want to stay near San Miguel, although Alicante is not too much further away and is much bigger and better in terms of amenities, shops, restaurants and so on, so worth considering if you’re going to be hanging around for a while waiting for the flight back home.
Places to visit near San Miguel include the gorgeous beaches and marinas, as well as lovely tapas bars and restaurants, which dot the coastlines of the small towns and villages in this part of Spain.
Most of the beaches are great for taking a dip in the sea, and in some parts you can feed colourful large fish, so take some old bread with you! There are plenty of sun loungers available in summer months and if you want a quiet spot it usually only means a five minute stroll to the next bit of beach, so you don’t need to settle for a bustling bit of the beach if you don’t want to.
The marinas are also lovely for taking a quiet stroll along and stopping off for snack of Spanish Omelette at one of the cafes along the way.
Photo Credit: Jac Dupree
Category: Travel
