Bolnuevo
170.000 - 410.000 €Indicative guide pricesIts asking prices rose more slowly over the year than the municipality.
Beach
35.449
Population
37.1%
Foreign residents
€1,914
Avg €/m²
Updated 19 Sept 2026How we source our data →
Living in Mazarrón
Mazarrón is a coastal municipality of about thirty five thousand people between Cartagena and Águilas, taking in the inland town of Mazarrón itself, the seafront settlement of Puerto de Mazarrón and the beach district of Bolnuevo. The most important thing to know is that it is small but expensive: asking prices per square metre in July 2026 were higher than in Murcia or Cartagena, and rose faster over the year than in either city or in Águilas.
The 2024 annual census counted 13,289 foreign nationals among 35,373 residents, more than a third of the municipality. Europe is the largest continental group, and 2024 health zone figures show the United Kingdom as the largest single nationality by a wide margin. The 2021 census put the mean age of foreign residents at 47.3 years, six years above that of Spanish residents, so this is retirement migration, not labour migration. Inside Puerto de Mazarrón itself the pattern inverts: the port's own foreign population is mostly African, with the European community concentrated in urbanisations outside it.
The market is strong but thinly documented. Only Bolnuevo and Puerto de Mazarrón carry a published district price, and the port is rising fastest, up by nearly a quarter in a year. There is no hospital in the municipality, no railway station, and no weather station publishing climate normals. Buyers should weigh all three before committing.
The verdict
Honestly considered, both sides.
The upside is real. So is the downside. Both matter more than any brochure will admit.
The case for
A large and well established foreign community
The 2024 annual census counted 13,289 foreign nationals, more than a third of residents. Europe is the largest continental group, and health zone data shows the United Kingdom as the largest single nationality by a wide margin.
A toll free autovia link to the A-7
The regional gazette catalogues the RM-3 as an autovia, running from the A-7 at Totana towards the coast. Neither it nor any regional road appears on the ministry's list of tolled motorways.
Direct United Kingdom routes from the regional airport
Región de Murcia International at Corvera is the regional airport. Nine of the seventeen destinations on its published route list are in the United Kingdom, flown by Ryanair, Ryanair UK and easyJet.
Strong recent price growth across the municipality
Asking prices rose by about a fifth in the year to July 2026, faster than in Murcia, Cartagena or Águilas over the same period, a sign of sustained demand for the area.
A settled retirement profile confirmed by census data
The 2021 census recorded a mean age of 47.3 for foreign residents, six years older than Spanish residents. That is clear statistical evidence of retirement migration rather than labour migration, unusual in a region where farm work drives most arrivals.
The case against
No hospital anywhere in the municipality
Mazarrón sits in health area two, whose reference hospitals, Santa Lucia and Santa Maria del Rosell, are both in Cartagena. For a town whose foreign residents average 47.3 years of age, that distance is a daily practical concern.
No railway station on either Cercanías line
The region has two Cercanías lines, Murcia to Alicante and Murcia to Águilas, and Mazarrón is on neither. Without a car, reaching hospitals, airports or the regional capital depends on buses we could not source timetables for.
No published climate normals for the area
AEMET maintains only three stations with published normals in the whole region, at Murcia, Alcantarilla and San Javier, all far from Mazarrón. We print no climate table rather than borrow figures from a different microclimate.
Price data covers only two districts
Idealista publishes a district price for Bolnuevo and Puerto de Mazarrón only. Buyers looking at the inland town or the urbanisations have no published benchmark to test an asking price against, in a market moving quickly.
Prices have already risen very sharply
The municipality rose by about a fifth in the year to July 2026 and Puerto de Mazarrón by nearly a quarter. A buyer today pays far more than a year ago, and nothing in the published data guarantees the rise continues.
Editor's note
Where you might be better off elsewhere
Mazarrón suits a specific buyer: someone retiring, driving, and wanting an established British led community at a smaller scale than the Costa Blanca. If you will not drive, no town on this coast currently offers commuter rail. Águilas is the terminus of Cercanías line C2 on paper, but the whole Murcia to Lorca to Águilas route has been operated by bus since 1 October 2021 while high speed works proceed. Cartagena is the one coastal town in this area with working trains, long distance and regional, though no commuter line. Águilas still makes sense for a buyer who wants a far smaller foreign presence: it is cheaper per square metre than Mazarrón and rising more slowly. If proximity to a hospital matters, Cartagena has the region's Area II hospital complex inside the city, again at a lower price per square metre. If you want city amenities, Murcia offers three reference hospitals and everything a regional capital brings. And a caution from our other guides: do not choose Torrevieja expecting a British community; its largest foreign groups are Ukrainian and Colombian. Finally, Mazarrón's price record covers only two districts and no climate normals exist; larger municipalities are better documented.
Mazarrón on the map
Lifestyle data
Property market
€1,914
/m²
+20.1% year on year
Updated 30 Aug 2026
Access
REGIÓN AIRPORT
Región de Murcia International, Corvera · RMU
0+ direct routes
Top direct
BarcelonaGran CanariaTenerife NorteBirminghamBournemouthBristol
Community
37.1%
Foreign residents
INE Annual Population Census, nationality basis, 1 January 2025
Amenities
0
Int. schools
0
Hospitals
Mazarrón neighborhoods
Where to live and what to expect at each price point.
Puerto de Mazarrón
160.000 - 380.000 €Indicative guide pricesThe seafront settlement has a foreign national population, which is African led.
SeafrontMarina
Mazarrón FAQ
Honest answers to the questions buyers actually ask.
How many foreign residents does Mazarrón have?+
At the 2024 annual census, 13,289 of the municipality's 35,373 residents held foreign nationality, more than a third. Europe was the largest continental group with 6,745 people, ahead of Africa with 4,965. Both figures come from the same census table at the same date, so the share is internally consistent. The separate padron count put the total population at 35,449 on 1 January 2025.
Is Mazarrón a British town?+
The best available evidence says the European community is British led. Country level figures are published by health zone, not municipality, and Mazarrón spans two zones. In zone 38, which is the municipality outside Puerto de Mazarrón, 3,571 residents were United Kingdom nationals in 2024, the largest foreign nationality by a wide margin, ahead of 2,104 Moroccan nationals. That is not a municipal figure, but it establishes the pattern from data rather than reputation, and it places the British community exactly where the page says the European population lives: outside the port.
Why does Puerto de Mazarrón look different from the municipal figures?+
Two things are true at once. Across the municipality, Europe is the largest foreign continental group. Inside Puerto de Mazarrón itself, the 2024 census counted 2,657 African residents against 1,276 Europeans, so the port's own foreign population is African led. The European community lives mainly outside the port, in inland urbanisations. A buyer who reads only the municipal figure will be surprised by the port, and vice versa. Visit both before deciding which suits you.
What is the climate like in Mazarrón?+
We do not print climate figures for Mazarrón, because none exist for it. AEMET publishes long term normals for exactly three stations in the whole region, at Murcia, Alcantarilla and San Javier, two of them inland and the third on the Mar Menor, none of them describing Mazarrón's shoreline. Quoting them for a coastal town they do not describe would be misleading, so the honest answer is that no official climate record for Mazarrón is published.
Can I live in Mazarrón without a car?+
It would be difficult. Mazarrón has no railway station and is on neither of the region's two Cercanías lines, which run Murcia to Alicante and Murcia to Águilas. Mazarrón's reference hospitals are in Cartagena. By road the town is well served: the RM-3, catalogued as an autovia, links it to the A-7 at Totana, and no regional road is tolled. We could not source bus network details, so plan on driving.
Where is the nearest hospital to Mazarrón?+
There is no hospital in the municipality. Mazarrón belongs to health area two, whose reference facilities are Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucia and Hospital General Universitario Santa Maria del Rosell, both in Cartagena. We have not measured which hospital is physically closest, and Lorca's Rafael Méndez may be nearer to the inland town, but Cartagena is where Mazarrón's patients are referred. Either way the journey is by road. For an older population, and Mazarrón's foreign residents average 47.3 years of age, proximity to emergency care is worth weighing seriously before buying here.
Are property prices in Mazarrón rising?+
Yes, quickly. In the July 2026 report the municipality's asking price per square metre stood above Murcia's and Cartagena's, and rose by about a fifth over the year, faster than Murcia, Cartagena or Águilas. Within the municipality, Puerto de Mazarrón rose by nearly a quarter, while Bolnuevo, the dearer of the two published districts, rose far more slowly. Only those two districts carry a published price, so treat any other local figure with care.
Are there international schools in Mazarrón?+
We cannot say from an acceptable source. The official list of British Council bilingual schools for the region and the regional open data portal listing school locations could not be consulted, and municipal education statistics for Mazarrón are not published in any table we could obtain. Rather than repeat unverified directory listings, we leave the question open. Ask any school directly for its registration details if schooling matters to your decision.
What are the costs of buying property in Mazarrón?+
When buying property in Mazarrón, budget for property transfer tax (ITP) of 8%, plus roughly 3-4% in notary, land registry and legal fees. Agency commission is usually paid by the seller. On the mainland and the Balearics, new builds pay VAT (IVA) of 10% plus AJD stamp duty instead of ITP. Transfer tax is set by Murcia rather than nationally, and reduced rates can apply for main homes and younger buyers.
What are the ongoing costs of owning property in Mazarrón?+
Annual property ownership costs in Mazarrón include IBI (property tax) of 0.4-1.1% of cadastral value, community fees (for apartments), rubbish collection tax (basura), utility bills, and property insurance. Budget approximately 2-4% of property value per year for all running costs. IBI is set by the town hall of Mazarrón within a national band, so it is municipal rather than regional.
What taxes do I pay when selling property in Mazarrón?+
When selling property in Mazarrón, you pay capital gains tax (plusvalía) on the profit at rates of 19-26% depending on the gain amount. Non-residents have 3% of the sale price withheld at completion. You may also pay municipal capital gains tax. Main residence exemptions may apply for residents over 65. Capital gains tax is national, so it is the same in Murcia as anywhere in Spain. Plusvalia municipal is set by the town hall of Mazarrón and has had two calculation methods since the 2021 reform, so ask your lawyer which one is cheaper for you.
Can I still get a Golden Visa by buying property in Spain?+
No. Spain withdrew the Golden Visa property investment route in April 2025, so buying in Mazarrón no longer leads to residency. Non-EU buyers who want to live in Spain apply for a separate permit instead, most often the non-lucrative visa (proof of income and private health insurance) or the digital nomad visa (remote work for non-Spanish clients). Ask an immigration lawyer which route fits your situation before you buy.
Transfer tax rates as of August 2026. Rates are set per autonomous community and do change. Confirm the current figures with a Spanish lawyer or tax adviser before you budget.
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