San Pedro del Pinatar: Walks along the Sea, Mud Baths & Mar Menor

If you feel like going to the beach but you get tired of it after two hours, I advice you to go to San Pedro del Pinatar. It's 50 minutes from Murcia by bus. San Pedro presents many advantages:

• The beaches (Both Mar Menor and Mediterranean Sea)
• The port
• The bars & cheap restaurants
• The hikes around the salt mines
• The beautiful views (the "manga" - final part of the Mar Menor)
• The flamingos

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How to get there

The easiest way to get there is by bus. The bus company is called Latbus. Bus number 70.

Even on Sundays there are many buses (about every two hours). You can get off the bus on the last stop of San Pedro, next to the port.

You can walk to the end of the Mar Menor. Over there you can walk on San Pedro's seawall. It almost joins with the Manga. Walking to the end and back takes approximatively 1 hour and half.

It is a very nice spot to swim, as the water is hotter than in the Sea. There is also a small part of it where people go to cover themselves with some sort of black mud. They say it is good for rheumatism! You will find in the mud bath a lot of old people chatting. Just beware of the smell, it doesn't smell very good (well... like mud really).

If you want go on salvajes or naturals beaches, you have to go over the mill and follow the road until a traffic circle. Then, you go to the left and follow the road. Later, you will see on the left some paths with long grass. I think there are some signs. Sometimes there might be some nudists there.

Enjoy!

If you fancy going to the beach but you (eventually) get fed up of lying on your back, I advise you go to San Pedro del Pinatar, just 50 minutes from Murcia by bus (Latbus, number 70). San Pedro has many great perks including the Mar Menor beach, cheap bars and restaurants, a port, going for a long walk through the Regional Park of Las Salinas y Arenales, a stunning unobstructed view of La Manga, untouched beaches and you can even spot flamingos!

It couldn't be easier to get there, you just need to take the seventh Latbus bus, they even come every two hours on a Sunday. You get off at the last stop, which is near the port, then you walk towards the left along the sea until you get to the end of Mar Menor. Here, you can walk along the seawall that goes in front of that of the Manga, where they almost join. There is just a narrow passage between La Manga and the San Pedro seawall. It takes around an hour and a half to walk it and to walk back at a leisurely pace.

You can also swim next to the seawall where the water is actually hotter there than in the sea. People go there to swim and cover themselves in black clay-like mud that they let dry by walking around. It's supposed to be good for any rheumatic pain; a lot of older citizens go there to meet up and chat in the water. I warn you though, watch out for the smells!

If you want to go to the wild beaches you need to continue past the seawall to the left towards the first windmill.

If you follow the fairly long road on the right, you'll get to a roundabout, turn left, (if I remember correctly, there are signs up) and continue walking down that road. Within the tall grass, you'll see paths which steer to the left towards the beach. Some nudists venture there sometimes!

Enjoy the walk!

For those interested, I've written an article about Murcia's closest beaches (in French). Just click here to read it.