DRIVE GUIDE FOR TRANSFERS FROM AIRPORT TO RESORT

ALICANTE AIRPORT TO 43 PARQUE RESIDENTIAL, just off Avenida Mediterraneo , MOJACAR PLAYA



Driving Guide with accompanying Photographs

You may wish to use this together with Road Atlas and/or Sat Nav. Before the Route description, you may wish to read this short note about Signage Conventions.


A few words about Motorway signage to help avoid confusion

The Road Signage Conventions differ from here in the UK as regards Motorways etc. Whereas the approach to a Motorway in the UK might state M1 South or M6 North, in Spain it is different. If, for example, the motorway goes both north and south of where you are, it will state the next major cities along this route north and south of where you are. So you know you need to pick up the A7 E15 from Alicante looking for signs for 'South' or for 'Almeria'. What you actually get is E15/A7 Valencia/Murcia. Valencia is north of where you are, but you may not have known that. Murcia may mean nothing to you but this is the correct route because it is first major city south of you heading to Almeria.So at the roundabout or fork in the road you must know to take the option A7/E15 Murcia. It could even say at the turn off A7/E15 Murcia Granada. Your approximate point of reference is the city in between but it is missed out (see next point) The opposite of this is true also, in that if it is a major, major fork in the road in this huge country, the signage may say A7 E15 Granada/Madrid. You are on the right road heading south to Granada but it doesn't mention Almeria because Granada is the more significant city and Almeria, while the next city en route, is insufficiently significant to appear on the sign


The general analogy is that you are driving from Coventry to pick up the M1 to go to London. As you get to the intersection, the signage says M1 Milton Keynes/Leeds and it confuses you. At the roundabout you need to take the exit M1 Milton Keynes in the knowledge that London is further south and the M1 is the motorway you need and that Leeds is in the north.


The final point to make is that once you are on the motorway, you may need to take an actual exit to stay on the same motorway (and not just a gradual dividing or branching into two motorways when you are usually on red alert. This actually happens when you get to Murcia on the A7 E15 shortly after driving past the big red football stadium. If you go straight on, you will leave the motorway and end up in the city. You need to actually turn off the A7 E15 to stay on it and adjust your focus to cities south of Murcia, namely Almeria and Granada.


Alicante to Mojacar Playa

  1. Leave Airport Car Park, bearing left to drive alongside Car Park. Turn sharp right to double back on yourself, rather than straight on and go up a ramp. Remember you are heading for the A7 E15.

  2. Merge right to join Roundabout (RAB). (You are briefly on the N388). Take the second exit for A7 Murcia E 15 Valencia.
  1. After 4km KEEP LEFT at the fork in the road following signs for Murcia AP-7Torreviaja Cartagena (you ignore routing for Valencia which would take you North)
  1. You are now on the A7 E15 Motorway/Dual Carriageway with motorway characteristics and heading south towards Murcia.
  1. There is only one more hurdle to navigate. After another 65km or so, look out for the football stadium as you approach the City of Murcia. Shortly afterwards, at Exit 138 you have to branch off/turn off to the right in order to stay on the A7 E-15 and bypass Murcia. Follow sign for ALMERIA and Granada and ignore signs now for MURCIA and Cartagena. Simple, ha ha !
  1. Now you can continue sedately on for another 130km or so until you leave the motorway. The exit numbering, which is chaotic up to now, settles down and you can count down to Exit 525 which is where you leave the A7 E15 following signs for Mojacar and Garrucha N340a and A-370 (You cross over the motorway and turn sharp right)
  1. After several km more, you turn right, across the main road, again following signs for Mojacar N340a. You are now on the A370
  1. After a few more km, you branch off the A370 to Garrucha to the right, following signs for Mojacar. You are now on the A1203.
  1. At the next Roundabout IGNORE the first exit which states Al 6111 Mojacar. (This is the Avenida del Palacio that will take you up the hill to the Old Town) Instead go round the Roundabout and take the second exit (after the Petrol Station) signposted 'AL 6111 Carboneras'.

  2. This takes you down the hill towards the sea. There is a shopping centre called Montemar on your LHS, then another large white building on the same side of the road with a white tower. This is Parque Comercial and the Parque Residential complex is situated right next to it on the other side.
  1. If you need to collect your keys from Mojacar Estatesoffice or from the combination Drop Box by their front door, you need to take the first exit at the next Roundabout i.e turning right. ( Their address is Apdo de Correos 779 04638 Mojacar, Almeria, Spain) Drive down the Avenida del Mediterraneo for about 3km. The office (see picture) is on the last run of businesses on the BEACH SIDE of the road, before the promenade runs right round to the end of the resort where you can see the big white Hotel Indalo set back from the road.
  1. Collect your keys, turn the car around and drive back to the first Roundabout at the Junction with Parque Comercial. Go straight on following sign 'ALP 118 Garrucha'. After 100m or so, turn first left into Calle Lucerne. You will have Parque Comercial on your LHS. Parque Residential is on the RHS. Number 43 is the first apartment on the right as you go up the hill, facing across to the plaza in front of the shopping centre. The entrance key is for the double door halfway up the road.

  2. If you cannot get parked, drop your bags at the entrance and drive further up behind the complex, which is a one way system. It is only usually busy during business hours.