San Pedro del Pinatar beaches: Playa de la Puntica

Playas de San Pedro del Pinatar, Playa de la Puntica

San Pedro del Pinatar offers a mixture of both Mar Menor beaches and Mediterranean coastal beaches, some with a full range of serviced facilities and others with little more than the wind, sand, waves and tang of the sea, both high and low occupancy.

Some of the beaches are inside the area defined by the Mar Menor, and the remainder lie on the outside of  the Mar Menor on the Mediterranean coastline, offering a wide choice of different conditions for bathers.

The first of the beaches which lie within the confines of the Mar Menor and borders with the neighbouring San Javier municipality is the Playa de la Puntica which is within the pedanía of Lo Pagán.

Lo Pagán is the main coastal area of the San Pedro del Pinatar municipality and accounts for the bulk of holiday properties and tourist apartments, which pack along the coastline.These are well serviced by a good range of shops and restaurants, as well as a busy schedule of entertainment during the summer months.

There is a large open area in front of the fishing port with plenty of daytime parking and an attractive paseo runs behind the main beaches.

La Puntica beach is a busy and popular summer beach, with deep sand, 520 metres long and with an average width of 40 metres.

As it´s opposite the holiday apartments and villas which fringe this stretch of coastline, it has high occupancy in the summer, although this means it has all the facilities an urban beach normally offers.

There are a range of facilities available, which are relflecte by the awarding of a Blue Flag in recognition of the quality of its services. These include hire of recreational sporting items, such as kayaks, hire of sunshades and loungers, toilets which are adapted for disabled use, footwashes, ramps, and shaded gardens as well as chiringuitos (beach bars) and other restauramt facilities.

There is a wooden walkway giving access to the water during summer months, parking areas for disabled bathers, disabled toilets and bathing seats are available for disabled bathers during peak months.Volunteers from Cruz Roja are also available to assist disabled bathers between 11am and 8pm during peak weeks.

There are also lifeguards and medical personnel on the beach during peak occupancy, which is from the beginning of July to the end of September, but please check with the tourist office on 968 182 301 if this is important to you when selecting a beach.

There is no dedicated parking for the beach, although there is plenty of parking in the nearby urban streets. However, please bear in mind that during the summer months, the residential apartments near the beach are occupied and parking can be an issue.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the beach, as well as other shopping facilities.

Safety precautions at Mar Menor beaches

As this is a Mar Menor beach, it´s advisable to observe the following safety precautions when bathing.

Most of the Mar Menor beaches have very gently sloping shelves, meaning that bathers can walk a considerable distance from the shore and still only be waist high in the water. These shore fringes are also very warm, heating up more than the deeper water and the Mediterranean , particularly during the hot summer months.

Many beaches are also protected by netting to exclude jellyfish. This creates safe bathing areas for families but also leads to a situation which can be life threatening, as the safety of the beaches results in many elderly bathers bathing alone. This in itself is not dangerous, but every year there are unnecessary deaths when bathers suffer a heart attack, stroke, faint or have a dizzy spell of some sort whilst bathing alone, slipping into the water without anybody else being aware that this has happened.

The transition from hot beach to cold water can shock the body, causing dizziness or fainting, so it is advisable to splash the body with water to cool down before wading out into the Mar Menor or Mediterranean.

Even though there are lifeguards, accidents happen and every year there are unnecessary fatalities, the simple rule being if you have a medical condition, are taking medication, or are of advanced age, don't bathe alone, no matter how shallow and calm the water is.

Click for more information about the beaches of San Pedro del Pinatar, or for more local news, events and information in the San Pedro del Pinatar section of Murcia Today.