Just south of where we live in Dehesa de Campoamor the name of the coast changes from Costa Blanca to Costa Calida. One of the most famous phenomena of the Costa Calida is the Mar Menor, a huge salt water lagoon, separated from the Mediterranean by the La Manga strip of land.
The most northerly resort on the Mar Menor is Lo Pagan. Here the water of the Mar Menor is so shallow that people congregate in the deeper channels in the water so as to be able to immerse themselves deeper than their knees.
The resort has built an arrow-straight road, over 1km long, on the causeway which borders the northern end of the Mar Menor and juts out into the Mediterranean, almost meeting the northerly end of the La Manga strip. It is from this causeway road that one may view the pastime of mud bathing in the salt flats which lie on the other side of the causeway from the Mar Menor. These mud baths are called in Spanish Los Banos del Lodo.
The mud at Lo Pagan is confined to a part of the salt lake known as ‘La Puntica’, and it has formed due to the climatic conditions of the area, long hours of sunlight and an extremely high salt content in the water. The sediment that has formed contains high levels of important minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, fluorine, sulphur and chlorine and it has been discovered that applying it to the skin and allowing it to dry in the sun results in beneficial effects for many ailments.
The mud is recommended for many types of skin complaint such as acne, ulcers, abscesses and inflammations, it is also recommended for arthritis, rheumatism and gout. Due to a small amount of grit in the mud it also an exfoliating effect on the skin, similar to that used in beauty treatments, mud face packs etc. It leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and fresh (if you can get rid of the smell!)
Over the past couple of years a number of wooden platforms have been constructed leading out to the best areas of mud and there are steps leading down to the water to make the experience easier to enjoy. You will find the mud to be about six inches deep and very warm, you simply apply the mud to affected areas (or as most people do all over!) and allow it to dry in the sun.
When the mud is dry you can then wash it off in the same lake, it is not allowed to wash it off on the main beach as this spoils the prime bathing areas.
There are also areas (rather like moats) of excessively salty water where people bathe to relieve the effects of arthritis, tendonitis and rheumatism, the warm salty water reputedly increases blood circulation and eliminates toxins giving relief to stiff and painful joints.
Much of the fun of the activity is in the application ......... 
The walking about covered in mud.......... 
And of course the washing-off........
Only to have to begin again..........
I will report again after I have tried it myself.
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