Murcia is located on the south east corner of the Iberian Peninsula, approximately 65 kilometres south of Alicante on the Costa Blanca. The city is strategically situated between the regions of Valencia, Andalusia and Castile La Mancha. Though it is normally called Murcia Airport, the airport is actually based in a town called San Javier which is approximately 20 kilometres south of the Murcia.

Over the last few years, Murcia Airport has become busier, thanks to the arrival of several low-cost airlines. According to the Spanish airport authorities, Aena, passenger numbers have jumped from less than 100,000 in 1995 to a staggering 1,6 million passengers in 2006. Flying to Murcia - San Javier from the UK gives one the choice of several different airlines offering regular, scheduled flights from 16 different UK airports with low cost carriers such as EasyJet, Ryanair or Monarch Airlines.

Although the airport is on the Costa Calida, it also lends itself well to people travelling to the southern tip of the Costa Blanca, particularly resort towns such as Torrevieja or La Manga del Mar Menor. It is also conveniently situated for people travelling to several of the provinces of Andalusia like Almeria or Granada. This may be on of the main reasons for the popularity of the Murcia airport.

The province of Murcia is characterized by its rich Phoenician and Arab history of commerce and agriculture. Murcia is irrigated by the Rivers Segura, Murdo and Sangonera which create ideal farming conditions for the many citrus orchards. In contrast the area also has expanses of dry, arid land where olives and vines thrive. Excellent wineries have developed near the towns of Yecla, Bullas and Jumilla.

The Mediterranean coastline of Murcia runs from the beach of El Mojon in the north to the beach of La Carolina in the town of Aguilas to the south. The beaches are complimented by a wide choice of hotels, restaurants, golf courses and everything a holiday-maker could wish for. All along the coast, there are peaceful resorts and charming traditional fishing villages, with the only truly major towns being Torrevieja and the historical port of Cartagena.

If you're travelling to Murcia then you will find that you can get around much better if you hire a car. It's very reasonable to hire a car in Murcia, when you compare this to the cost of public transport.

If you choose to use a car hire, you can arrange for these services at the airport. It is a good idea, though, to make the reservation before you leave home to ensure a car is available and get the best price. Although there are a lot of car rental companies offering their services at San Javier airport if you want the most convenient rental service make sure to check if the car hire company offers an on airport collection, because only a restricted number of companies can be found in the main terminal building. Sometimes their services may be a little bit more expensive due to the airport taxes they include in there rates, but occasionally you may be able to get a cheap rental car at Murcia airport.

but of course you can contact them ahead of time and make your reservation. If you intend to travel a lot in the Murcia region, a car hire company may be the best option to choose.

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