San Pedro del Pinatar salt flats
- Driving time
- About 20 minutes by car
- Area
- Mar Menor
- Sight
The Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar are a nature park with salt pans and dunes on the Mar Menor, and they are about a 20 minute drive from Lago Rosa Apartment.
On a narrow strip of land between the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean lies a regional park of 856 hectares, shared by San Pedro del Pinatar and San Javier. Salt pans, reed beds, dunes and channels alternate here. Salt is still harvested in the northern part. That already happened in Roman and Moorish times, and in 1266 King Alfonso X brought the pans under the Crown of Castile.
Birdwatchers come for the avocets, black-winged stilts, herons and flamingos. The plants are remarkable too, with species found only in this corner of Spain. The signposted route SL-MU 9, the Sendero de Coterillo, takes you through, and the Las Salinas visitor centre explains what you see. On the sea side are the undeveloped La Llana beaches.
Our tip: walk or cycle
The salt flats route starts at the mud area of Lo Pagán. On foot or by bike you are often quicker than by car, because summer parking is tricky.
Mud on the Mar Menor
Nearby, at Las Charcas and the Molino de Quintín windmill, people have long coated themselves in mud from the lagoon. It costs nothing. Test it first on a small patch of skin.
Add the beach
Playa de Villananitos in Lo Pagán is right behind here, with calm water for children.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see flamingos at San Pedro del Pinatar?
Regularly, especially on the salt pans. They are wild birds, so it depends on the moment.
What is the nicest walk?
The Sendero de Coterillo, route SL-MU 9, runs through the park and is signposted.
Is salt still produced there?
Yes, salt is still produced in the northern part of the park.
