Golfers and sports enthusiasts across Ireland have the perfect reason to enjoy an active 2016 at the five-star La Manga Club destination resort with the impending launch of a new flight route from Dublin to Murcia.

From March 27, Aer Lingus will operate four flights a week from the Republic of Ireland's capital into Murcia-San Javier airport, just a 20-minute drive away from the multi award-winning venue.

Figures released by the Region of Murcia's tourist board earlier this winter revealed that Irish visitor numbers rose by 10.1 per cent in the first ten months of 2015 compared to 2014, and the trend is set to continue with the new flights, with La Manga Club more accessible than ever.

Set in an area three times the size of Monaco, the resort's outstanding facilities include three 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole academy course, a Leadbetter Golf Academy – the only one of its kind in mainland Spain – a 28-court tennis centre and eight full-size football pitches.

La Manga Club offers a wide selection of sports academies for boys and girls of all ages including golf, tennis, football, cricket, rugby and athletics, while its array of other outstanding sports and leisure amenities, bars and restaurants have helped establish it as a firm favourite with active travellers.

Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey was among the thousands of golfers to enjoy a golf holiday at the resort last summer and the European Tour star gave a glowing endorsement of La Manga Club's facilities after his mid-season break.

He said: “On the trip I played the North and South courses again and they strike a really good balance between providing a challenge, but are also fair and therefore enjoyable for holiday golf which is really important.

“I can understand why the group I was with has been coming to La Manga Club for 10 years now. The golf, added to the choice of restaurants around the resort and bars, makes it an obvious choice.

“The climate is perfect, the facilities are top-class and it all makes for a great golfing experience for those who want to get away from the unpredictable British and Irish weather.”

Widely regarded as Spain's flagship resort, La Manga Club's recent accolades have included being named as Spain's leading golf complex at the 2015 World Golf Awards, being voted 'Best Golf Resort in Spain' by UK readers of Today's Golfer magazine for the last four years and its West Course being recently named as one of Europe's top 100 courses.

The resort's other facilities also include a High Performance Sports Centre and 2,000m² spa and fitness complex, a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and townhouses and more than 20 bars and restaurants.

For more details on La Manga Club, visit www.lamangaclub.com. 

ENDS

Information for journalists

Press release written and distributed on behalf of La Manga Club by the Azalea Group.

La Manga Club
La Manga Club – www.lamangaclub.com – is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.

Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a new Leadbetter Golf Academy – the only one in mainland Spain – a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m2 Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars.

As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain's flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has been voted 'Best Golf Hotel/Resort in Spain' by UK readers of Today's Golfer magazine for the last four years and was named 'Best Golf Hotel in Spain' at the 2014 and 2015 World Golf Awards. La Manga Club has long been a staunch supporter of women's golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women's Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women's amateur events and teams.

• High-resolution images of La Manga Club may be downloaded for editorial purposes from https://goo.gl/oi837y 

For more information on La Manga Club contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com