The area
Las Salinas: flamingos and the Lo Pagán mud baths
A nature park of salt pans, dunes and beaches between two seas, about twenty minutes by bike from the penthouse. And at the end: the famous mud baths.
A nature park between two seas
The Parque Regional Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar covers 856 hectares between the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean, with six kilometres of coast. Most of it is salt pans, where sea salt is still produced: the harvest usually takes place from September to November.
The park is a protected wetland of international importance. At the channels between the two seas you can see the Encañizadas, an age-old way of fishing with reed traps.
Birds
Flamingos in the salt pans
The best-known residents of the park are the pink flamingos. You can see them all year, with the largest numbers in summer. They mainly feed in the shallow ‘heating ponds’ used for salt production.
Bird hides line the paths. Bring binoculars and go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light is soft.
Mud baths
The Lo Pagán mud baths
By the white Molino de Quintín, one of two windmills built in 1905 to pump water between the salt pans, there is a shallow pond next to La Mota beach. Here visitors coat themselves in the black mud from the bottom, let it dry in the sun and rinse it off again.
The park’s rule: rinse the mud off in the same pond where you applied it. It is free, and local tradition says you should then walk back and forth to the second windmill a few times.
Walking and cycling
Routes through the park
The paths are flat. Bring water and a hat: there is little shade.
Senda de los Tarays
1.3 km from the park entrance to El Mojón beach. Suitable for bikes.
GR-92: El Mojón – Molino de Quintín
3 km along the coast to the mud baths. Also recommended for bikes.
Sendero de las Encañizadas
A circular walk of 11.9 km (about 3 hours) past the salt pans to the fish traps.
Practical
Visitor centre and parking
The Las Salinas visitor centre is at the Los Flamencos roundabout on the edge of San Pedro del Pinatar. Entry is free, and inside you learn more about salt production and the Mar Menor. The centre is closed on Mondays and has different opening hours in summer and winter, so check the Turismo Región de Murcia website first.
Park at the park entrance or at El Coterillo and stay on the marked paths. Dogs are welcome on a lead, but not on the beaches.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit Las Salinas?
When can you see the most flamingos?
How do the mud baths work?
Can you cycle there from the penthouse?
Your base on the Costa Blanca
After a day out, the roof terrace is waiting. See when the penthouse is available.