Somewhere in Europe #1: San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain

To be honest, I don't even know what made me decide to go to San Pedro del Pinatar. It might have been the price in combination with a desperate need of some vitamin sea! But I am pretty happy that I ended up here and I might just come back one day!

When you think Spain, you think the large cities: Barcelona, Madrid... and the cities famous for beach holidays like Malaga. I wanted some peace and quiet and went for San Pedro del Pinatar. And yes, I got my quiet :)

You can find San Pedro del Pinatar near the city of Murcia in the South-East of Spain. It has a unique location, sitting between the Mediterranian Sea and the largest coastal seawater lagoon in Europe. They have numerous salt ponds in the area and they claim they can offer healing mud baths (which I didn't try).

The recently renovated windmill Molino de Quintín

Before I arrived, I thought it was going to be amazing to cycle all the way around the lagoon. The La Manga Strip, between the lagoon and the sea, is a very popular touristic hotspot, as you can imagine. But unless you are able to swim with a bike, this is not possible, unfortunately.

The most gorgeous part of San Pedro del Pinatar is the area with the salt flats and Playa de la Llana. And as soon as I found myself a bike, I was here almost every day.

Source

The windmill is a very good starting point. From there a path will bring you to the beach. You will pass people trying out the healing powers of the mud (aka mud-monsters) and the further you go, the quieter it becomes. Unless you are just as lucky as I was and end up with a bike with a sound that will make all the wildlife in the area run for their lives.

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Playa de la Llana was empty! This is partly due to the timing that I was there (San Pedro was empty too), but it is also a 50-minute walk away from the town, so many people will just stick with the beaches near town. Also, Playa de la Llana is an all natural beach, which means that you won't find any bars or facilities here. And don't be too surprised to see some nude sunbathers here!

Nobody on the Playa de la Llana

The first time I was on this beach, I had my bike and I came from the port (puerto). That meant that I tried cycling on the beach, which was a mistake. I ended up walking most of it with the bike in my hands. Behind the dunes, there is a much firmer ground that is perfectly fine to cycle on.... little did I know.

Did I mention natural beach?

Playa de la Llana offers many amazing views. I didn't want to check out the sunset from here because I was afraid to be there all alone in the dark. But every direction, something is going on. Near Punta de Algas (the tip) you can see the expensive holiday homes of La Manga on the other side.

People enjoying the view on Punta de Algas

The natural park is amazing and diverse. Near Punta de Algas the dunes are filled with heather. And the heather grows everywhere near the salt lakes. When you cycle around that area, you occasionally run into an abandoned boat or bike.

Firmer ground behind the dunes

Abandoned boat (there was a bike next to it)

Building in the distance where the official path to the town starts

When you decide to cycle back from the port to town in the evening instead, you might be in for a treat. Although I thought it was pretty scary alone in the dark far from the town, the view of night sky reflecting in the salt lake was amazing.

Pink salt pond

So yeah, you might get why I didn't stay in town. Don't get me wrong, that was also a lot of fun. But it was busier and one day even full with kites! The promenade of San Pedro is fun, though. And there is a lot of good food to be found.

Town beach

If you like to explore the area south of San Pedro del Pinatar, you can walk to Santiago de la Ribera in about 1 hour. This is all on the same promenade that just doesn't seem to end. All the way at the end, there is a fence though. This is where the airport starts and your spot to do some plane spotting ;)

Many boats near Santiago de la Ribera

I haven't done much the days that I was in San Pedro del Pinatar, but walk or cycle around, chill and eat. I took a bus to the historical city Cartagena which was gorgeous, but food for another story. And it is also a good idea to visit Murcia.

Also, because this is mainly an area that is a resort for Spanish vacationers, in the off-season it will be hard to find an English speaking waiter in the restaurant. So bring your google translate and enjoy!