Мазаррон: История, Пляжи и Достопримечательности Испании

Mazarrón is a municipality in the autonomous community and province of Murcia, southeastern Spain. The municipality has an area of , and a population of 31,562 inhabitants in 2019. A military fort (named C1 or Castillitos small castles) which was built between 1930 and 1936 during the reign of Alfonso XIII of Spain and the Second Spanish Republic exists as a tourist attraction on the old road between Mazarrón and Cartagena, and although it is accessible from the Bay of Mazarrón it is not in the municipality itself. The Bay of Mazarrón is sheltered by the last foothills of the Sierra de la Almenara, a mining area since the Carthaginian era. Over 35 km of beaches, unspoiled coves and rocky sea beds. Due to the nature of the surrounding rocks, however, the beach at Bolnuevo is of coarse grit, as are most of the beaches along this part of the coast. The Torre de los Caballos on Los Caballos peak were built for the town's protection against pirates from the mid 16th to the early 18th centuries. The economic development of the early 20th century led to the construction of emblematic buildings in the style known as Murcian Modernism, including the Mazarrón Town Hall and the former Cultural Athenaeum. The guns in Cartagena were built to defend the vital port of Cartagena in the 20th century, these guns alongside the fort and other coastal defences, stand 56 feet long, weighing a total of 88 tons each and being able to fire at a range of some 20 miles.

Mazarrón is located in the South of Region of Murcia. This municipality borders Cartagena and Fuente Álamo at its east, Alhama de Murcia and Totana and its North and Lorca at its West. In addition, it adjoins the Mediterranean Sea at its south. In regards to waterbeds, there is not any river, but there are several arroyos (creeks) or ramblas and a remarkable one is Rambla de Las Moreras. There is also a group of three ponds named Lagunas de Las Moreras.

This municipality has 13 towns and villages. These are Mazarrón which is placed in the southern half and is inhabited by 12,478 people; Puerto de Mazarrón, that is located in the south and is home to 10,253 people; Saladillo, that is placed in the northern half and has a population of 3,086; Ifre Cañada de Gallego, that is located in the southeast and is occupied by 1,194 people; Balsicas, that is placed in the east and is home to 1,174 people; Moreras (where Bolnuevo is included), that is located in the south half and is inhabited by 1,034 people; Garrobo, that is placed in the northern half and has a population of 475; Leiva, that is located in the southwestern quarter and is home to 306 people; Majada, which placed in the east and is inhabited by 200 people; Ifre Pastrana, which is located in the southwest and is inhabited by 456 people; Gañuelas, which is placed in the northwest and has a population of 75; Rincones, that is located in the eastern half and is home to 27 people and Mingrano, which is placed in the east and is occupied by 23 residents.

The most ancient data which are known about the territory corresponding to the current municipality date from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. There are some archaeological sites such one which is placed in Permera Cave, other which is located in Los Tollos ravine, one which is named La Peñica and another one whose name is Las Palomas. The two last ones are placed in the hillock Cabezo del Faro. The remains of these spots consist of material related to manufactured tools such as flint spear tips, scrapers, racloirs and hammerstones. There were also another ones related to ritual burials. As glaciations ended, prehistory communities organizations were developing. There are also other sites related to these eras such as Ifre, La Ciñuela, one of which is placed in a hillock named Cabezo Negro and another one which is located in a beach whose name is Playas de Calnegre. These ones have argaric origins. In regards to Iron Age, the presence of Phoenicians in this territory was meaningful. Two Phoenician vessels were discovered in the beaches of Mazarrón. This fact led Mazarrón to be an appealing point related to underwater archaeology. When the Romans obtained territory in the Iberian Peninsula, they settled a town in this territory named Ficaria. The Romans built structures for producing a typical Roman sauce named garum. It consisted of fermented fish entrails (especially from mackerell). On 1 August 1572 the king Philip II of Spain conceded Mazarrón the status of villa (a status of localities in that era). Since that fact, an own towncouncil was avoidable for Mazarrón and its period as a municipality (which remains nowadays) started. Mining activities, as traditionally, was an economy activity in that period and as a consequence an economic rise took occurred. In that period, besides the economic rise, there was also insecurity in the territory due to pirate entrances and attacks. As a consequence, some towers were built in the municipality. As a result of those economic activities a need of building dwellings on the coast rose. However, there wasn't a weighty town in that area before the 19th century.

In regards to primary sector, the main activities that are performed in the municipality are agriculture and fishing. 21.9% of the territory is used for crops purposes. The most grown products are tomatoes and cucumbers. Greenhouses are quite frequent. The main sea species that are obtained are sardines and prawns. Due to the tourism in Mazarrón, the service sector has a high weight in the territory. In 2013, 44.97% of the agreements corresponded to agricultural sector and 52.39% of the workers had jobs as labourers. In regards to the service area, 51.05% of the agreements were present, and 15.18% were corresponding to waiter job.

A road, which name is N 332 and connects Valencia and Vera, traverses the south of the municipality. A public highway named A7 and a private motorway named AP 7 stretch the municipality and can be seen near the main town. There are bus services for movements to Murcia, Cartagena, Alhama de Murcia and Totana from Mazarrón and Puerto de Mazarrón.

Mazarrón is included in the Health area II, which main place is Cartagena. In this area there are two subareas related to the municipality: Mazarrón and Puerto de Mazarrón. There is a consultorio (primary care health centre with fewer functions and less specialised than the centros de salud) in Camposol and another in La Majada. A centro de salud (primary care health centre) can be found in Mazarrón and another in Puerto de Mazarrón.

Probably, the most remarkable element in regards to sport in the municipality is the football team Mazarrón Fútbol Club (Mazarrón F. C.) which is in Tercera División (the fourth level of the Spanish football league system). Other sport teams such as C. D. Mazarrón Basket, the futsal team C. D. Mazarrón Futbol Sala and the ping pong team C. D. Mazarrón tenis de mesa. The sport facilities of the territory consist in the Sport Municipality Pavilion, the La Cañadica Municipality Pavilion, Mazarrón Municipality Sports Centre, the paddle courts and soccer pitch in Ginés García school and Pedro Méndez Méndez Stadium in Mazarrón, and Manuela Romero Pavilion, Playasol de Puerto de Mazarrón Stadium in Puerto de Mazarrón.

This festivity is held from 4 to 8 December. It is a patron saint festivity, which is consecrated to the Virgin Mary in regards to her Immaculate Conception. This tradition has its origins in the 18th century. During these days there are groups of people who get together specifically throughout the festivities and do activities related to the celebration (the Spanish concept of 'peña'). They prepare the events that will take place during these festive days and issues related to that such as the floats of the parades. Besides the parade, there are other activities such as the election of the queen (a tradition in Spanish traditional festivities is choosing a female child or a young girl who will have the symbolic role of queen during the festivities), popular games, performances from locals, graffiti exhibitions, and some popular contests such as boules contest, pet contests, tennis competitions, soccer competitions, regattas, athletics contests, etc. Cañada de lo Gallego Festivity: Its festive days are consecrated to Saint Anthony of Padua. During this festivity there is a special mass and a religious parade in which people carry the patron saint statue. La Atalaya Festivity: These festive days are consecrated to Corpus Christi. Some activities of this festivity are a mass related to the Virgin of El Rocío, soccer competitions, contests, giant paella tasting acts, etc. Cañadas del Romero Festivity: This festivity is held on 24 June and it is consecrated to John the Apostole. During this festivity there are some activities such as religious parades in which people carry the patron saint statue, a special mass, verbenas, contests, etc. Leiva Festivity: This festivity takes place on 16 July. During the festive days there are displays and exhibitions which are arranged by the locals. Pastrana Festivity: This festive day takes place on 25 July and it is consecrated to James, son of Zebedee. There are some activities that are carried out by the locals during this spell such as one named 'carrera de cinta a caballo'(horse drove and sash wearing races) which consists (as the name indicates) in a horse drove race in which the horsemen wear a sash and the winner gets a kiss from some lasses who play the role of ladies. People also do calva competitions, soccer matches, etc. Some performances of several kinds also take place during this day. Gañuelas Festivity: Its festive day takes place on 24 August and it is consecrated to the hamlet patron saint Bartholomew the Apostole. Some activities during the festivities are verbenas, customary dance performances, fireworks performances, etc. Majadas Festivity Despite this celebration is consecrated to Virgin Mary in her catholic facet as immaculate, the date of the festivity takes place on the first week on September instead of its standard corresponding day on 8 December. Some activities which are carried out during these days are boules matches, soccer matches, contests of a typical Spanish dish named migas, etc. There are also music performances that also are interpreted at nights. Las Balsicas Festivity The celebration takes place on 28 December. This festivity is named among the local 'Los Rebuznos'. The reason for this name is that the main tradition during this day consists in people making a role and their name is 'rebuznadores'. In that role these people dress up in a specific way and emit the typical sound of donkeys the bray, whose translation in Spanish is 'rebuzno'. Hence the role 'rebuznador' which can be translated as 'people who bray', 'bray people' or 'brayers'.