Before our recent trip to Murcia, we had never heard of Cabo de Palos! Yet, this unique village on the southeastern coast completely surprised us. Not only did we love the beaches and seafood restaurants, but Cape Palos ended up being the perfect homebase to explore more of Murcia from. Here’s everything to know about Cabo de Palos Spain with the best things to do, and some of our favorite day trips we took from town.
Planning a Trip to Cabo de Palos Spain
How to Get There: The closest airports to Cape Palos are Murcia-Corvera (45 minutes) and Alicante-Elche (1 hour 15 minutes). It’s easy to rent a car from either location and make the short drive south.
You will definitely want a rental car for your stay in Cabo de Palos to have more freedom to see the area. Compare rates and companies with DiscoverCars to find the best deals before your visit.
Where to Stay: Cabo de Palos is not huge, so there are a small number of hotels near the beach to choose from. Hotel Cetina Cabo de Palos Puerto and TORREMOCHA come highly recommended.
We really liked being in town, but you can also stay nearby at La Manga Menor in a Seaview studio like this. Many travelers looking to play golf (more on this later) will also enjoy the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa, which is only 20 minutes away by car.
Time of Year: The most popular time to visit Cabo de Palos Spain is during July and August. Even on our trip in early June, the town seemed sleepy, although it did get a little more lively on the weekend!
If you’re looking for a quiet and relaxing stay, we’d recommend going just before or after the peak summer months. Visiting in May, June, September, and October is a great way to miss the crowds while still getting amazing weather.
What to Pack: Aside from the amazing cuisine, Cabo de Palos is all about the beaches and outdoors! This means you’ll want to bring your bathing suits, proper footwear (both hiking and water shoes), and snorkeling equipment.
Our Visit to Cabo De Palos Spain
We spent four days and felt it was the perfect amount of time to see everything. With that said, we could’ve totally stayed much longer and not ran out of things to do in Cabo de Palos!
Our accommodation was through Home Exchange and was located in a residential area, just 15 minute walk to the main part of town. We had our own little private beach at Playa del Descargador for quick dips in the morning and evenings.
Best Things to do in Cabo de Palos
Spend the Day at Playa de Levante
This is the main beach in Cape Palos that sits just opposite of the fishing harbor. It’s a long sandy paradise that runs almost two kilometers all the way to La Manga. However, the main area of the beach is just to the left of the famous lighthouse.
Coming from the busy beach towns of Costa Blanca like Calpe and Javea, we felt like we had Playa de Levante relatively to ourselves. There was fun waves to play in and even a cute beach bar for drinks.
We also enjoyed walking the boardwalk right above the sand. Since most of the restaurants are nearby, it’s easy to grab lunch and head to the beach for the rest of the day.
Stroll to the Cabo de Palos Lighthouse
Faro Cabo de Palos is the town’s unquestioned landmark, standing majestically out on the rocks high above Playa de Levante. The reason for its position here is to help ships navigate through this rough stretch of the Mediterranean.
This part of the coast has caused many shipwrecks over the years due to the reefs and large rocks hiding beneath the water. It was built back in the 1860’s where an older watchtower from the 16th century once stood.
Believe it or not, the Cape Palos lighthouse is still in full operation today! The walking paths that go around it also make for amazing sunset viewpoints.
Also, be sure to check out the beautiful beaches around the corner from Faro Cabo de Palos. You’ll find Cala Roja, Cala Tunez, and Cala Fria all within walking distance. These small coves have crystal clear water for snorkeling and swimming.
Explore Calblanque Regional Park
Ready to get out into nature? One of the best things to do in Cabo de Palos is to visit Calblanque Regional Park.
This special area has dozens of hiking trails, undeveloped beaches, and scenic views of the coastline. The pine forests and salt flats attract diverse wildlife, especially for bird watching enthusiasts.
Playa de Calblanque is the largest and most popular beach, but there are over 13km of beautiful coastline to discover. Some of them you can drive to, while others will require intense hikes.
Playa Larga has easy access making it a fun choice for the summertime. Playa Negrete, Cala Arturo, and Playa de las Canas are also worth visiting on your trip.
Enjoy an Incredible Seafood Meal
While beaches and nature are certainly a highlight, our favorite part about Cabo de Palos Spain was the food. In fact, this area has some of the best seafood we’ve tried in Spain!
As you walk around the port, you’ll quickly feel the local fishing vibes of town. The area on the waterfront is full of great restaurants proudly serving the catch of the day. It’s hard to get much fresher than this!
There are all kinds of seafood to try such as whole fish, squid, octopus, clams, red prawns, and mussels. However, if there’s one dish you can’t miss out on, it’s Caldero del Mar Menor.
This is a rice dish cooked in a delicious fish broth with tomatoes, nora peppers, and other local spices. The name caldero comes from being served in a large cauldron-style pot.
We had it as part of a plato del dia at Restaurant CP8, but almost every restaurant in Cape Palos serves their own version of it. Check out El Mosqui, La Tana, and PuertoFino for lunch or dinner. On the other side of the harbor, Yemanjá and Pickles bar are fun spots for tapas!
Drive La Manga del Manor
Murcia is full of so much unique nature, and one of the wildest places we’ve ever seen is La Manga de Manor.
Just a few minutes away from Cabo de Palos is the start of a 21km slender sand peninsula. On one side you have the Mediterranean Sea, while on the other is Mar Menor lagoon.
This is actually one of the largest salt water lagoons in all of Europe! It’s popular for bird watching and water sports like windsurfing.
Renting a car is a great idea, as you can drive out onto La Manga del Manor and beach hop your way down the coast. We loved counting the signs for each kilometer while we were cruising to the end. The peninsula is so skinny that you can even walk across the road from the sea to the lagoon.
Take a Day Trip to Cartagena
Cartagena was one of the biggest surprises of our recent trip to Murcia. It’s honestly hard to believe that a city with so much history lies just 20 minutes from the fishing village of Cabo de Palos!
We loved seeing the 2,000 year old Roman theatre, the old Punic walls, and getting views over the harbor from Castillo de la Concepción. There are several amazing museums here detailing the city’s impressive maritime history.
You can take a catamaran tour with swimming stops or a walking tapas & history tour with a local a guide. Also, don’t miss out on trying the Asiático, Cartagena’s famous coffee with Licor 43.
The great thing about this city is it’s small enough see almost everything in one afternoon. Still, there are enough things to do in Cartagena that you could spend two or three days and not get bored.
Play Golf at La Manga Club
Golf is another outdoor activity that brings travelers from all over the world to this part of Spain. La Manga Club has three different championship courses and is just a 15-20 minute drive from Cabo de Palos.
It’s actually connected to the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa, so you can combine golf and pool time with a luxurious stay. Serena Golf and Mar Menor Golf are two more courses within a short distance of Cabo de Palos Spain.
Is Cabo de Palos Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! We fell in love with this small fishing village after just a few short days.
Aside from the amazing seafood and beaches, there are so many fun things to see and do nearby. This makes Cabo de Palos the perfect place to relax or use as your home base to experience this part of Murcia.
Have any questions on this article or want to share more of the best things to do in Cabo de Palos Spain? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
