Mazarrón vs Águilas: Which Coastal Town Wins for August?

My father-in-law is a stubborn man. Give him a decision to make and he'll turn it into a debate that lasts the length of a full round of golf. So when he announced last week that he wanted "a proper day out somewhere new" before he flew back to Manchester, and couldn't choose between Mazarrón and Águilas, we ended up doing both. One town on Saturday, the other on Sunday. Call it research.

Everyone at the clubhouse bar seems to have a firm opinion on this one. The Águilas crowd talk about it like it's a different country, all coves and quiet. The Mazarrón lot swear by the beaches and the seafood. Having now done the full comparison with a grumpy sixty-eight-year-old as my judge, I've got a verdict. It's not the one I expected either.

Mazarrón: easy, close, and full of families

We left Roda Golf just after nine, and Mazarrón is close enough that we were parking up within fifty minutes. That's the first mark in its favour if you're staying near the resort and don't fancy a long drive in August heat with a hot, cranky back seat passenger (in our case, the father-in-law, not the kids).

We headed straight for Bolnuevo, the bit of coastline just outside town with the strange sandstone formations locals call the Ciudad Encantada, the Enchanted City. Wind and rain have carved these towers and arches out of soft rock over thousands of years and it genuinely looks like something from another planet. It's free, there's a car park right by it, and it takes twenty minutes to wander round. Perfect if you've got kids who need a break from sitting still.

From there it's a short hop to Playa de la Isla or Playa Grande, both wide, sandy, and calm because Mazarrón's bay is sheltered. Shallow water, gentle shelf, no surprises. We had lunch at a chiringuito right on the sand, grilled sardines and a jug of tinto de verano, and nobody was in a rush to leave. My mother-in-law fell asleep under the parasol within about forty minutes, which tells you everything about how relaxed the place is.

Where Mazarrón falls short

It's busier than it used to be. August brings crowds, and parking near the best beaches gets tight by eleven. It's also fairly built up along the front, lots of apartment blocks, so if you're after that wild, empty coastline feeling, this isn't quite it.

Águilas: further, wilder, and worth the extra hour

Sunday meant an earlier start. Águilas is a proper hour and a half from Roda Golf if the AP-7 is behaving itself, closer to an hour forty-five if it isn't. Longer drive, more moaning from the back seat, but honestly, it's the better day out.

Águilas has a completely different character to Mazarrón. It's a working fishing town first, tourist spot second, with a castle (Castillo de San Juan de las Águilas) sat up on the headland giving you views right along the coast. We climbed up there before it got properly hot and had the place almost to ourselves.

The real draw though is the coves south of town toward Calabardina and the Cocedores stretch. Cala Cocedores and the smaller unnamed coves nearby have that clear, almost Caribbean-looking water you get when there's less sediment stirred up than in the Mar Menor. They're not sheltered like Mazarrón's beaches, so the sea's a bit livelier, but for swimming and snorkelling it's a different league. We found a cove with maybe fifteen people in it on a Sunday in August, which felt like cheating.

Lunch was grilled octopus and a plate of gambas at a family-run place just back from the port, cheaper than anywhere we've eaten near La Manga, and the fish couldn't have been fresher given the boats were still unloading a few hundred metres away.

So which one wins?

If I'm honest, it depends what sort of day you want. Mazarrón wins on convenience: shorter drive, easier parking if you go early, calmer water for smaller children, and Bolnuevo alone makes it worth the trip. Águilas wins on atmosphere and scenery: it feels less developed, the coves are properly special, and the town itself has more character with the castle and the old fishing port.

My father-in-law's verdict, after two full days of deliberation? Águilas, "but only because the octopus was better than any octopus he'd had in Spain," which is quite a claim from a man who's been coming here for fifteen years.

A few practical bits if you're planning either trip from around the resort. Go early, before ten if you can, because both towns fill up fast once the day trippers arrive from Murcia city and Cartagena. Bring proper shoes for the Águilas coves as the paths down can be rocky. And if you're staying in one of the holiday rentals near Roda Golf, both towns work fine as a full day out and back, no need to book anywhere overnight.

If you want to make a real day of it, squeeze in an early tee time at Roda Golf and Beach Resort before you leave, since sunrise rounds beat the worst of the August heat, then head out once you've showered off. For more on getting around this stretch of the Costa Cálida, our guide to the area around Roda Golf covers driving times to most of the spots worth seeing. And if you fancy more day trip ideas like this one, there's a growing list over on our sightseeing blog.

Can't decide which one to try first? Get in touch through our contact page and we'll happily talk you through both, we've had this argument enough times to know exactly what to recommend depending on who's coming with you.