La Manga stretches along the coast from Cabo de Palos to the Punta del Mojon. The natural salt water lake known as the Mar Menor was originally open to the Mediterranean, but volcanic reefs gradually held back the sand and sediment that was dragged along by the sea currents to form a sandy column of dunes and rock vegetation. La Manga is a narrow piece of land which is cut off by natural channels that keep the two seas in contact with each other. It has been developed as a tourist resort since the 1960’s with various urbanizations and other areas such as shopping and recreational centres being constructed. It is an ideal area for water sports and because of the mild climate it is ideal for holidays (both leisure and golf) and various sports teams practice at La Manga during the winter months.