Las Charcas, the mud baths of Lo Pagán, are one of the stranger and more enjoyable experiences on the Costa Cálida. A shallow channel runs between the Mar Menor and the salt ponds to the north, and in this transitional zone the lagoon bottom is covered in dark, mineral-rich mud. Visitors wade in, coat themselves from head to foot, stand in the sun until the mud dries and cracks, then wash off in the lagoon.
The experience is free, unpretentious, and genuinely popular with Spanish families and older visitors who swear by its effects on skin and joints. You will need to bring old swimwear or wear something you are happy to sacrifice. The mud baths are at the northern end of Lo Pagán's beach, where the Playa La Mota meets the nature reserve.