Mar Azul Restaurant
What to order: the soupy rice with lechola, or the chopped tomato with capellán to start.
Playa Central, unit 9 · confirm hours by phone
geocalia
Day itinerary · 38.17° N · 0.48° W
Fifteen minutes by boat from Santa Pola, and the whole island to yourself.
Drive to the Santa Pola jetty, Tabarbus in 15 minutes, the island on foot with its wall and its museum, snorkelling with an instructor and caldero before heading back.
Leaving from
Part of Tabarca Island
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car1 h 15 each way
From Murciaa little under 1 h to Santa Pola (estimated)
Boatabout 15 min
DifficultyEasy
Best timeMay – October
With childrenYes
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Murcia 1 h 15 by car
motorway to Santa Pola and the quay; park with time to spare
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1
Boat to Tabarca from Santa Pola
Tabarbus · departures every 30 min · booking by phone
+34 687 916 450
Boat With TabarbusBook - 15 min by boat
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2
Walls and San Rafael Gate
Puerta de San Rafael and the walled village
- 5 min on foot
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3
Nueva Tabarca Museum
free, Wednesday to Sunday
- 5 min on foot
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4
Guided snorkelling in the Tabarca marine reserve
Tabarca Snorkel · 1 h 20 min · €21
+34 622 208 127
- 5 min on foot
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5
Mar Azul Restaurant
caldero on the central beach · book and confirm it is open
Playa Central, local 9, 03138 Tabarca · +34 965 960 101
Restaurant €€ - 10 min on foot
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6
Walk to the San José Tower and the lighthouse
1 h walk through the countryside
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Back home 15 min by boat
Tabarbus boats every hour; in Murcia around 19:30
Approximate cost
About €40–55 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Boat to Tabarca from Santa Pola
From Murcia or Elche, the short way to Tabarca goes through Santa Pola: you drive to the jetty and in a quarter of an hour you are on the island. Tabarbus leaves every half hour, so the day adjusts to your own pace.
The day, hour by hour
9:00 · Set off. From Murcia to Santa Pola, a little under an hour on the motorway. Park near the harbour with time to spare.
10:00 · Boat with Tabarbus. About a 15-minute crossing. Book and ask the price on 687 916 450.
10:30 · Walls. Enter by the Puerta de San Rafael into the 18th-century village.
11:30 · Nueva Tabarca Museum. Free, next to the harbour.
12:15 · Snorkelling with an instructor. Tabarca Snorkel: 1 h 20 min with equipment, insurance and photos for €21.
14:00 · Caldero at Mar Azul. On the central beach. Book and confirm the hours.
16:00 · San José tower and lighthouse. A flat one-hour walk.
17:30 · Head home. Tabarbus returns every hour until 21:00.
Time15 min
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Los Pescadores Restaurant
What to order: the caldero, which serves the rice first and then the fish with potato and alioli.
Playa Central, no number · book in season
La Almadraba Restaurant
What to order: caldero or a fish rice dish; ask about the fish of the day.
C/ Virgen del Carmen, 29 · confirm hours by phone
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Tabarca Island
From May to October for snorkelling and the beach. Out of season Santa Pola has more boats than Alicante.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Water shoes and a cap
The sand is coarse and outside the village there is no shade.
- 2Ask the price when you book
Tabarbus does not publish fares on its website.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Murcia to Tabarca?
A little under an hour to Santa Pola and 15 minutes by boat.
Are there boats outside summer?
Yes; out of season Santa Pola is the port with the most departures.
Is the snorkelling suitable for children?
The company does not publish a minimum age: ask when you book.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/tabarca-island/itineraries/sunday-from-murcia-via-santa-pola
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.