San Pedro del Pinatar: overview and valuable information for daily life, vacation and buying property

San Pedro del Pinatar is one of the most popular resorts in the province of Murcia and southern Costa Blanca. It is an ancient Spanish town on the bend of the La Manga spit that has long attracted both Spaniards and tourists from other countries. It is recommended for life and a holiday to people who wish to improve their health through mud treatment and thalassotherapy.

A significant advantage of San Pedro del Pinatar is that it has access to both the beaches of the seaside and the Mar Menor Bay. There are opportunities for outdoor activities and yachting.

The town is located at the crossroads of major traffic flows - it is equally quick and convenient to get to the major cities of Murcia, Cartagena and Alicante.

San Pedro del Pinatar, a comarca municipality of the Mar Menor, is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Mar Menor Lagoon. It belongs to the province of Murcia and borders with the area of Alicante. There are three cities nearby: Cartagena is 37 km away, the city of Murcia is 58 away, and Torrevieja is 22 km away. San Pedro is adjacent to the municipalities of San Javier and Pilar de la Horadada.

To the north of San Pedro is the Salinas y Arenales Nature Park.
(Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar). As of 2018, San Pedro had 25,167 inhabitants. It is one of the smallest municipalities in the Region of Murcia - it covers an area of only 22 square kilometres. Currently, the population of San Pedro is evenly distributed throughout the municipality. Still, more inhabitants are concentrated in San Pedro del Pinatar itself and its surrounding areas: Lo Pagan, Los Sáez and El Mojón.

The town got its name in the 17th century; before that, it was known as El Pinatar - amidst a vast woodland with many pine trees.

As evidenced by Alfonso XI in the Just's Book of Hounds, there was a wild boar hunt during winter.

After the Franciscans erected a chapel in honour of St Peter the Apostle in the 17th century, as most of the inhabitants were fishermen, the locals began to call it San Pedro del Pinatar.Although the municipality is relatively small, its strategic location on the coast and its environmental and tourist attraction have led to rapid population growth and increased commercial and economic activity. Active residential development in the region has led to a reduction in land for agricultural activities. Nevertheless, fishing, both on the Mediterranean Sea and in the Mar Menor, and other related industries are relatively well developed here. Salt mining in Salinas de Coterillo has been the most traditional industry since Roman times and is still practised today.

The economy is dominated by tourism, banking and other service industries. San Pedro is an attractive tourist destination with an excellent climate and well-developed infrastructure for outdoor activities, several amazing beaches and marinas, thalassotherapy facilities and nature trails in protected areas.

Lo Pagán is one of the branches of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia).

San Pedro can be reached by taking the AP-7 Mediterranean Motorway (exit 775) or the N-332. The Dos Mares shopping centre with its Carrefour hypermarket is 2.5 km from the city centre towards San Javier.

The municipality has a small port (146,800 square metres) on the Mediterranean coast which activities mainly focused on fishing and salt transport. The port has two boat docks (Villa de San Pedro and Marina de Salinas). A third marina (Lo Pagan) is next to the fish market and the fisherman's wharf.

The new international airport of Corvera Murcia (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Región de Murcia), which is served by InterBus. Its final stop is San Pedro del Pinatar.

The fare is 10 euros and the journey time is 1.5 hours.

For bus timetables and ticketing, visit the InterBus website.

The airport of Alicante is 74 km away and can be reached by bus from Globalia Autocares. The journey time is about 2 hours. The ticket price is about 5 euros (check the company website, prices may change).

More convenient but less budget-friendly options are to take a taxi, rent a car or use a shuttle service.

San Pedro has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with around 2,500 hours of sunshine per year. It is characterised by mild winters and somewhat hot summers. The average annual temperature is 17 degrees, with maximum temperatures averaging 15 degrees in winter and 28 degrees in summer; minimums range from 6 to 19 degrees, respectively.

The average water temperature reaches 26.8 degrees in the hottest month, August, and 25.5 degrees in July and September. In June and October, the water gets as warm as 22-23 degrees.

In Palaeolithic times there was an Iberian settlement in what now San Pedro is, and in the Bronze Age, it was part of the Contestania region. Archaeological evidence suggests that Phoenician merchants travelled there from 2600 B.C. onwards.

It is thought that the area was one of the bases used by Scipio Africanus to conquer New Carthage (Cartagena) during the Punic Wars (circa 203 BC).

Under the Romans, El Pinatar became a salt mining site of great importance at the time. There is, therefore, a probability that the Augustan road passed through El Pinatar. This road linked Cartagena to Rome via the eastern cities and the south of modern France. Furthermore, the discovery of many wrecks shows that there was a lot of sea traffic in this area.

After the fall of the Roman Empire and the subsequent conquest of the territory by the Visigoths and Arabs, El Pinatar became a fishing village. The Arab artisanal fishing technique known as encañizadas survived and is still used only in San Pedro del Pinatar in Mar Menorah. Encañizadas is about forming circular mazes of rods and nets into which the fish swim but cannot escape.After the Christian conquest in 1243, King Alfonso X of Castile annexed this territory to the Crown of Castile by the Treaty of Alcaraz. The area subsequently became one of the disputed areas between the Crowns of Castile and Aragon. The Treaty of Torrellas of 1304 leaves El Pinatar on the border with the Aragonese Crown territories until the unification of the kingdoms into a single Spain by the Catholic Kings. During this period, the population increased due to the migration of Castilian families here.In the 16th and 17th centuries, the settlement continued to live off fishing, agriculture and salt-mining in Las Salinas. During this time, watchtowers and fortifications were erected along the coast to repel raids by Berber pirates who had infiltrated Murcia. The tower of El Pinatar was built in 1602 and later appeared on the shield of San Pedro del Pinatar, but it has not survived to this day. The Torre del Estacio is an example of the typical towers of the southern Mediterranean coast that formed a chain from Torre de la Horadada to Aguilas.In the 17th century, Franciscans founded the chapel of St Peter and the settlement was renamed San Pedro del Pinatar.

In the last quarter of the 18th century, the population of San Pedro doubled due to the relative prosperity of the municipality and greater security in the region, the migration of residents from devastated lands, and the breeding of new crops.

In 1836, San Pedro created its first city council, independent of the Murcia Council, and elected its first mayor, José Imbernon Ruiz.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the town was gradually gaining tourists' interest, especially during the summer months.

In the 20th century, the municipality experienced two major floods in 1919 and 1987. The latter prompted improvements in the sewage system.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, San Pedro's population grew significantly as a result of economic growth associated with the tourist boom.

San Pedro lies on a small peninsula bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on one side and by the Mar Menor Lagoon on the other. Between the two seas lie 14km of coastline with beautiful beaches: Playa de La Mota, Playa de Villananitos, Playa de La Puntica in the Mar Menor Lagoon.

Playa El Mojón, Playa de La Torre Derribada, Playa de Las Salinas, Playa Punta de Algas, Playa de La Barraca Quemada on the Mediterranean side.

The beaches of Las Salinas, Barraca Quemada and Punta de Algas are part of the 3km-long beachfront of La Llana with its namesake dunes, which is part of the "Las Salinas and Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar" protected nature park. At the beginning of La Llana, there is a port and several active salt marshes. In summer these beaches are pretty crowded.

Playa de Las Salinas is the closest to the port, so it is very popular due to its good accessibility and parking availability. Playa de La Barraca Quemada can be reached by crossing Las Salinas beach. This golden sand beach is easily recognisable by the group of picturesque palm trees. Playa Punta de Algas is the furthest from the port, and this is where the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the lagoon of Mar Menor meet. In 1976 there was discovered the sunken island of San Ferreol, inhabited in the 1st century. Here archaeologists found vessels, amphorae, pottery and other ancient remains and artefacts, which are now preserved in the city's archaeological and ethnographic museum.

On the other side of the port there are Playa de la Torre Derribada and Playa de El Mojón.

Playa de la Torre Derribada is one of the most modern beaches in San Pedro del Pinatar. This beach, which stretches for more than 2 kilometres, is covered in fine golden sand, which is very pleasant to walk on. Golden sandy Mohon, adjacent to this beach, has a promenade 500m long.

There are three beautifully equipped beaches on the coast of the Mar Menor Lagoon. Next to the salt lakes is the kilometre-long dark sand beach of La Mota with its picturesque "Quintín" and "Calcetera" salt mills. There are sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and canoeing events.On the other side of the lagoon, next to the yacht club, is the 700-metre beach of Villananitos with crystal clear waters and well-developed tourist infrastructure. There are beach bars, showers, walkways and restaurants. All kinds of water sports such as diving, sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, canoeing and kayaking are available.Near a small park, there is Playa de La Puntica, the oldest beach on the Mar Menor. Since the late 19th century, it has been used as a bathing spot and not just for anchoring fishing boats. Various water sports, including water polo, can also be practised here. In addition, the 500-metre beach with calm waters is home to open-air bars, showers and restaurants.

The main attraction is the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle (Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol). The Franciscans built it in the 17th century right in the city centre. It is a simple but distinctive white church with its main facade facing south.

There is a cross above the triangular gable of the church facade. The tower is divided by mouldings into four levels, with a bell tower at the top and a clock underneath.The church consists of a central nave and two lower side chapels, three on the right and four on the left. The central nave and the cross are crowned by semi-circular vaults with arches supported by square pylonsOnce completed, the church's interior was decorated with the Nicolás de Villacis school paintings, typical for the Murcia region in the 17th century. The remains of paintings imitating the Renaissance style were also found.

The church was adorned with sculptures by Francisco Salsillo, one of the finest iconographers of the Baroque period, the most outstanding of which was the image of St Peter the Apostle. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. Three other less important works by Salsillo, depicting the Virgin of the Rosary, St Francis of Assisi and St Anthony of Padua, were also lost.

One of the notable urban monuments in the northern part of the city is the Casa del reloj or Villa San Sebastián, a modernist building built between 1888 and 1895. The house takes its name from the clock on the main facade. There is also a "San Sebastián" inscription above the large balcony in honour of the chapel dedicated to this saint. The building is also known as the residence where the president of the first Spanish republic, Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, died in 1899.The Murcia architect Pedro Cerdán has designed a house that combines several different styles. The upper part of the building can be considered pseudo-alpine because of the steep roof slope with dormer windows. Gothic references can be seen in the inner part of the gable decorated with wrought iron and wooden rafters. The brickwork in the corners and the ceramic frieze under the eaves are typical of the Mudejar style. The house has a palm and eucalyptus garden.

The stairs inside the building are supported by two wooden columns under a coffered ceiling. One of the rooms is a billiard room is done out in green and decorated with motifs of the game. The other is a small chapel of St Sebastian, depicting a martyr.

The house was declared an Object of Cultural Interest of the Region of Murcia in 1995. The Casa del Clock is used as a restaurant following a restoration carried out at the end of the 20th century.

The second San Pedro building of particular cultural value is called El palacio del Barón de Benifayó. It is also known as the palace of the Counts Villar de Felices or Casa de la Russa. This neo-mudejar brick palace with two crenellated towers, commissioned by the Barón de Benifayó, was completed in 1892. At the same time, he built another similar palace on the Big Island in the Mar Menor Lagoon, with only one tower.The Baron lived in the house until he died in 1899. Later, a Russian woman lived here for several years, hence casa de la Rusa ("House of the Russians"). The last owners of the palace were the Counts Villars de Felices.The palace was designed by architect Lorenzo Alvarez Capra in 1878 as a replica of his Spanish pavilion at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873. Two jagged square towers are connected by a long room. The brick walls of this castle-like palace are decorated with patterns and geometric ornaments made from the same bricks.The building is now the headquarters of the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum of San Pedro del Pinatar, which tells the historical and cultural evolution of the municipality and the region. In addition to ancient fossils and palaeontological objects, the museum contains exhibits concerning different civilisations - Roman, Phoenician, Carthaginian and Arab. Many of the artefacts have been recovered from the depths of the sea, and there is a whole section dedicated to it.

In the museum, you can also learn about the history of the palace itself, with one of the central rooms recreated and restored.The ethnographic section of the museum contains various objects from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries that illustrate the daily life of the inhabitants of San Pedro del Pinatar: ration cards from the Civil War, letters, photographs and much more.

The Museum of the Sea (Museo del Mar), created by the Fishermen's Association, is dedicated to the gifts of the sea and the traditional maritime activities of this region. The museum's collection includes numerous marvellous seashells, tusks of large fish, clamshells, miniatures of fishing gear typical of the Mar Menor (e.g. "encañizadas"), types of sea knots, cartographic maps and other exhibits.

In addition to a variety of water activities, San Pedro has the unique opportunity to explore the protected area of the Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar Natural Park, located on the coast. It is a sandy wetland spread over an area of almost 900 hectares. In 1985, Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar became a protected nature reserve.

In 1992, it became a Regional Park, and since 1998 it has been a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA). Flora and fauna of the reserve are of particular value. The park combines different ecosystems: salt ponds, pine forests, reedbeds, salt marshes, dunes and encañizadas (old Moorish fishing systems).

In the flooded areas, sea plants such as succulents and sarcocornia occur, sea mustard and sea eryngo can be found near the beach, while in the dune area, sand lily, trefoil and sea daffodil can be found. In addition, there is esparto, ligeum, mastic tree, buckthorn, Aleppo pine, reed, and a few feet of shore juniper in the more resistant dunes.The reserve has many endemic species, rockrose, frankenia and Buck's horn groundsel. The latter is rare in Western Europe. Especially unique endemic is Mar-Menor asparagus.The main representative of the marine flora of the reserve is Neptune Grass (Posidonia oceanica), which forms entire meadows on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.Among the birds that inhabit the park, such rare and important species are worth highlighting, pied avocet, Kentish plover, gull-billed tern, greenshank, great cormorant, grey heron, Mediterranean gull, black-crowned night heron, ruff and flamingo.Flamingo in Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar reserve

Among reptiles and mammals of particular interest are skinks, chameleons, various shrews, weasels and several species of bats.Inside the protected area, there is a port and several salt lakes. The park's beaches are pretty crowded in the summer. Mud treatments are traditionally sought-after (a mud pond is located next to La Mota beach). There are six beaches with sports and entertainment facilities, a seven km-long rolling dune, and several restaurants in and around the park.

San Pedro del Pinatar is home to one of Europe's largest open-air mud bathing sites.
Research carried out by the University of Murcia in 1995 shows that in these sediments, the percentage of cations, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fluoride, as well as anions, chlorides and sulphates in levels is much higher than that of waters of the same salinity level.

It means that the mud baths and applications are very effective and positively affect the treatment of rheumatism, joint diseases, and skin problems.

It's not just people with health problems who bathe in the mud; just 2-3 days of this completely cost-free treatment will leave skin supple and elastic. However, the only disadvantage is its smell, which is quite intense due to its mineral content.There are several mud-bathing spots, some of the most popular being the beaches at Lo Pagan, Playa de La Mota and Las Charcas by the lake in the nature park.

All are easily accessible, with wooden bridges to get to the water and mud scoops for scooping up the mud.

For the best effect, medics advise applying a thick layer of mud and soaking it in the sun for 15-25 minutes, then rinsing it off immediately with saltwater. It is not recommended to keep the "mud compress" any longer, as the sun dries the mud pretty quickly, and it has no effect when dry.

A couple of tips from experienced mud spa visitors:
take comfortable, not slippery flip-flops that you don't regret getting dirty with mud. Also, make sure you have head and eyes protection from the sun. It's better to wash it all afterwards than be exposed to the sun all day. Finally, drink plenty of water so that the salt baths will be more effective.

If you don't want to lie in mud on a public beach, there's a huge selection of specialized spas and thalassotherapy salons where you'll be gently wrapped in mud by the caring hands of the staff.

It would be a crime to arrive in San Pedro del Pinatar without being wrapped up in the famous therapeutic mud! You can also buy cosmetics containing the mud as presents in thalassotherapy centres or souvenir shops.

All of Spain's major traditional festivals are celebrated in San Pedro del Pinatar with great gusto. Carnival, Holy Week celebrations and other important Spanish festivals are particularly popular. But there are also special events related to the history and culture of the city.

For instance, the Feast of Our Lady of Carmen, not only the protector of fishermen and sailors, but also the patroness of San Pedro. It is celebrated every year on 16 July.


This holiday consists of a land-based pilgrimage and travelling around the Mar Menor Lagoon. The pilgrimage begins at the church of St Peter the Apostle and proceeds to the Lo Pagan area, where the image of the Virgin Mary is located and where the sea route begins. After disembarking, an open-air Mass is celebrated, and then the image of the Virgin is transferred to the local church, where it remains for the day.

After Mass, festivities begin, including the preparation of the traditional meal 'Mar Menor Cauldron', consisting of rice and fish.

Around midnight, after the fireworks, the return procession starts and arrives at St Peter's Church at dawn, where the Salve Marinera, the official anthem of the Spanish navy, is sung.

The Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos is celebrated on 5 January in San Pedro as elsewhere in Spain. Adults and children take part in a costumed procession through the streets to commemorate the pilgrimage of the three biblical Magi.

The cuisine of San Pedro del Pinatar, a former fishing village, is undoubtedly based on fish and seafood. They are fried, stewed, baked, added to a variety of dishes, salted and marinated.

The most typical dish is the "Caldero" (cauldron).

This is a traditional fishermen's dish made from rice and fish (dorado or mullet), with the addition of the local sweet pepper ñora and paprika peppers.

Also very popular are salted dorado (los pescados preparados a la sal) or "dorado on the back", spread over the backbone and baked (pescado a la espalda), langoustines, lobster, Atlantic shrew (magre) and small fried fish (chirrete).

As appetizers or as ingredients in tapas, pickles of all kinds are widely eaten in San Pedro. Sea pike and mullet caviar, traditional mojama (salt-dried tuna) cut into thin slices and served with fried almonds, tapas with salads, olives, nuts, mackerel, sardines, smoked herring and tomatoes, canapés with cod or shark and green beans, and much more are a must.

Hot meals in Murcia include zarangollo (scrambled eggs with courgette, onions and sometimes potatoes), tortilla with beans, michirones (stew of beans, bacon, ham, sausages and paprika), broth with meatballs (caldo con pelotas).

Traditional zarangollo omelette with courgette and onions

San Pedro also loves all kinds of sausages, including morcones (a variation of chorizo) and morcillas (blood sausage).

When it comes to sweets, the most popular are the almond biscuits (cordiales de almendra), el tocino de cielo (egg yolk-based dessert), pan de calatrava (pudding made from leftover bread, milk, eggs and sugar), and rollos de jerez (ring-shaped biscuits with sherry).

It is no exaggeration to say that there are no disappointing restaurants or bars in San Pedro; all are highly rated and receive rave reviews. Perhaps the most popular restaurants are the local, traditional Mediterranean cuisine.

The "MardeSal" restaurant by the city port offers fine food and wines, including many fish and seafood gastronomic masterpieces.

Nearby, in the port, there is the "Porto Chico" restaurant, with excellent service and excellent food at reasonable prices. In addition, the small, Michelin-recommended "Juan Mari" restaurant is very popular with locals and tourists alike.

The authentic restaurants "Hogar del Pescador El Parras" and "El Castillo" offer a wide selection of excellent dishes and snacks.

The Venezuela restaurant by the yacht club offers beautifully served fish dishes and a flamboyant tapas menu. Nearby is the "Triskel Bar", with a wide choice of drinks, both alcoholic and soft, a pleasant atmosphere; a favourite hangout for locals as well.

Other international cuisines include the Italian "El Rincon Italiano", the Portuguese "Domingos El Portugués" and the Indian restaurants" Red Rose Indian Restaurant" and "Max Beach Indian Restaurant", with outstanding service, delicious authentic food and large portions.

San Pedro's popularity as a resort town explains a large number of comfortable hotels, apartments and villas. There are 2, 3 and 4-star hotels which offer comfortable modern accommodation and excellent service. Due to San Pedro's small size, almost all the hotels are close to the centre and beach.

The 4-star hotels "Thalasia Costa de Murcia" and "Lodomar Spa & Talasoterapia" have wellness spas with saunas and massages, thalassotherapy, mud therapy and phytotherapy. Double room rates at these hotels range from €50-67 per night to €105 per night in the high season.

Double rooms at the 4-star hotel "Traíza" cost between €55 and €105 per night, depending on the season.Located 500 metres from the beach, the 3-star Hotel Aparthotel Bahía offers rooms for €55. During high season, double room's price reaches €85 per night.

The 2-star guesthouse "La Puntica" is located practically by the Villanitos beach and offers double rooms with breakfast at prices ranging from 36 euros to 60 euros, depending on the season.

For more private and respectable holidaymakers and larger groups, villas are available for rent in San Pedro. Villa Sky, for example, has 3 bedrooms, a terrace, garden and swimming pool and can accommodate up to 6 people. Prices range from 100 euros to 170 euros depending on the season.

San Pedro is first and foremost a resort town, so property values depend a lot on this factor. In general, property here costs more than the average in the entire province of Murcia - just over 1,700 euros per square metre. The highest demand is for housing in close proximity to the sea and the Mar Menor Bay.

In San Pedro and the surrounding areas, you can find a lot of real estate built up from the 60s of the 20th century and newer. Small studios from the secondary stock will cost from 60,000 euros, one-bedroom flats from 70,000 euros, two-bedroom from 80,000 euros. Duplexes and townhouses can be found from 120,000 euros.

There is a lot of new housing development going on in San Pedro. These are mostly detached villas or townhouses. The average cost of a new villa is from €300,00, duplexes and townhouses from €170,000 and apartments from €130,000.

The average profitability of the rental business is 5% per annum.

Examples of the cost of housing of different types in San Pedro del Pinatar:

As you can see, San Pedro del Pinatar is suitable both for those who have an active lifestyle, like yachting, cycling or hiking.

And for those who like to just lie on the vast and clean beaches.

For families with children, there are shallow coves and urban entertainment.

The town is also suitable for retirement; taking mud baths on the lakeshores will not only keep you healthy but also rejuvenate you.

Useful Links:

Official website of San Pedro del Pinatar City Hall

Murcia Corvera Airport RMU

San Pedro del Pinatar property catalogue

Homes and flats in San Pedro del Pinatar

New buildings in San Pedro del Pinatar

Secondary Real Estate in San Pedro del Pinatar

Townhouses in San Pedro del Pinatar