San Pedro del Pinatar is a small town and municipality in the autonomous community of Murcia, southeastern Spain. The municipality is situated at the northern end of Murcia’s Mediterranean coastline, and borders with the province of Alicante.
It’s a popular part of the Costa Cálida of the Mediterranean resorts of Spain.
Being on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor, it has great tourist and ecological attraction. To the north of the municipality is the natural park of Las Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar.
Its neighboring municipalities are: San Javier (in the Region of Murcia) and Pilar de la Horadada (in the province of Alicante). Within a radius of less than 55 km you can find three urban centers with more than 100 000 inhabitants: Torrevieja, Cartagena and Murcia.
Despite being a relatively small municipality, its strategic location on the coast and its environmental qualities have led to very rapid population growth and increased commercial and economic activity. At the same time, there has been a great urban pressure that has minimized the land dedicated to agricultural tasks. In this way, fishing and the exploitation of the salt flats have ceased to be their almost exclusive economic activities.
Traditional festivals take place in summer, which means that many people who spend the summer in the area can participate.
Main attractions
Church of San Pedro Apóstol (Plaza de la Constitución): former Franciscan hermitage in the 17th century.
Clock House or Quinta de San Sebastián (Avda. Artero Guirao s / n): an example of modernist architecture. The fourth and last president of the first Spanish Republic, D. Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, died there. Since the end of the 20th century it has been restored and converted into a restaurant.
Palace of the Barón de Benifayó or the Counts Villar de Felices or Casa de la Rusa (C / Víctor Pradera s / n): Neo-Mudejar style building built in the 19th century on behalf of the Baron de Benifayó.
Modern cinema theater (C / Barón de Benifayó). Work of the architect Pedro Cerdán.
Roman Villa of La Raya
Fish market in Lo Pagán (Esplanade of Lo Pagán): you can see the fish auction in the traditional style.
Ethnographic Archaeological Museum: Contains fossils, paleontological objects, etc. It has a section on underwater archeology and another of an ethnographic type dedicated mainly to the last centuries (from the 18th century). It is located in the palace of the Barón de Benifayó.
Museo del Mar (C / Ingeniero Lorenzo Morales, 2. Hogar del Pescador Building, 2º Dcha.): Collections of marine and sailor objects.
Visitor Center “Las Salinas” (Avda. De Las Salinas s / n): offers interesting exhibitions about the natural park and work in the salt flats.
Natural park of the Salinas and Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar.
Church of the Holy Trinity: built in 2003, it contains various works by Kiko Argüello.
Beaches
In the Mediterranean Sea:
- El Mojon Beach
- La Torre Deribada Beach
- Las Salinas Beach
- Punta de Algas Beach
- La Barraca Quemada Beach
In the Mar Menor:
- La Mota Beach
- Villananitos Beach
- La Puntica Beach
In May 2017 all beaches of the Mar Menor were stripped of their Blue Flag status as a result of the polluted condition of the Mar Menor in 2016.
Festivals
- Processional parades at Easter.
- At the end of June, on the occasion of Saint Peter the Apostle.
- On July 16, pilgrimage of the Virgen del Carmen and festivities in Lo Pagán.
- Parades in Carnivals and Kings.
How to get to?
By car:
From Murcia 38 min (52.6 km) via A-30 and RM-19
From Alicante 1 hr (86.8 km) via AP-7
From Madrid 4 hr 22 min (455 km) via A-30 and AP-36
Nearest international airports are in Murcia and Alicante.
Main information
Area: 22 sq. km
Population: 26 000
Languages: Spanish
Currency: euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
Coordinates: : 37°49′N 0°45′W
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