document.write('Mar Menor means Small Sea. Mar Menor is a unique area located on the east coast of Spain in the region of Murcia not far from the city of Cartagena. Mar Menor benefits from both a saltwater lake and a Mediterranean beach. Mar Menor is the largest salt water lake in Europe. Mar Menor is part of the Costa Calida. The area dates back to prehistoric times but most remains found date from the Roman and Arabic periods. The Romans valued the area highly and developed a valuable salt industry. It was about 1000 years ago that the lake took on the appearance it has today.<p>The average annual temperature in Mar Menor region  is 17C and the average during the summer is above 21C. The winter is very mild rarely falling below 10¼C. Rain is also rare in Mar Menor. With over 3000 hours of sunshine a year and the mild climate, the water here can reach 30C in August.<p>The coast of the Mar Menor is contains many small towns, homes to fishermen and tourist resorts. San Pedro del Pinatar in the north has 15,200 inhabitants. This can swell to 60,000 in the summer months. San Javier has over 20,000 residents. The Mar Menor offers several golf courses, municipal parks and the famous resort of La Manga. La Manga has more than 40km of beaches. Mar Menor is a haven for watersports including sailing, diving, windsurfing and jetskiing.');