Introduction to San Javier beaches

San Javier boasts both Mar Menor and Mediterranean beaches

San Javier has two distinct sections of beaches, one being in Santiago de la Ribera, close to the main centre of San Javier town, all of which are Mar Menor beaches, and the other on the opposite side of the Mar Menor on the spit of land called La Manga de Mar Menor (or "the strip", as it is often referred to by holidaymakers), where there are both Mar Menor and Mediterranean beaches.

Mar Menor beaches are enclosed within the protective circle of Europe's largest saltwater lagoon, which is fed by the Mediterranean. The Mar Menor is totally unique, its geographical peculiarities creating some of the best conditions in Spain for those learning watersports, particularly windsurfing and sailing.

Murcia is the warmest mainland region in Spain, and has an average temperature of 18 degrees, which makes it perfect for year-round watersports activity, and bathers can enjoy the waters of the Mar Menor for most of the year. The water is not tidal and has only very insiginficant currents and waves, so it's perfect for family bathing or watersport beginners.

It has shallow fringes which slope gently, and is only 7 metres deep in the centre, so the water temperature is warmer than that of the Mediterranean, particularly around the edges where it is possible to wade out 50 metres from the shore and still only be waist deep.

The Mar Menor beaches are all around the lagoon, which covers a surface area of nearly 170 square kilometres, with 70 kilometres of internal coastline, separated from the Mediterranean by the 22 kilometres of La Manga. Channels known as "golas" cut across La Manga, enabling water to flow bewteen the two seas as well as making it possible for boats to sail between the two.

The coastline of the Mar Menor lies withing several municipalities, and La Manga strip is divided into two parts in this sense: the northern end belongs to San Javier and southern half to Cartagena.

It is important when choosing a beach to understand that the Mar Menor beaches offer shallow and calm bathing conditions, whereas the Mediterranean beaches are wider, longer, windier, and are susceptible to wave conditions and currents.

The location of La Manga del Mar Menor beaches is generally defined by kilometre reference. Kilometre 0 is the tourist information point at Cabo de Palos and km 18 is the far end of La Manga by the Esculls de la Llana y Encañizadas, which is where dry land runs out! The northernmost end of the strip is marshy and largely inaccessible, before it finally just fails to join up with the salt flats of San Pedro del Pinatar.

Santiago de la Ribera beaches

Playa La Hita: A natural beach with no facilities next to the environmentally protected area of Islas del Mar Menor and the Camping Mar Menor park. 

 Playa de Barnuevo: the first of the main urban beaches in Santiago de la Ribera, this is 400 metres long and an average of 30 metres wide, with fine, soft sand. Playa de Barnuevo has high occupancy due to its proximity to bars and restaurants, the ferry service across to La Manga and it beign a focal point for most of the activities taking part in the centre of Santiago de la Ribera.

Playa de El Pescador: 280 metres long, with fine soft sand.

 Playa de Colón: a glorious kilometre-long beach, 30 metres wide, with fine sand, an important locations for watersports enthusiasts with a windsurfing and sailing school.

Playa El Castillico: 450 metres long, with an average width of 40 metres, very popular in summer.

Playa del Atalayon (sailing moorings only, no beach)

La Manga beaches

Almost the entire length of La Manga del Mar Menor is lined with holiday apartments, hotels and summer properties, although it does also have a significant year-round residential population.

There are beaches the entire length of La Manga, with the Mediterranean on one side and the Mar Menor on the other. For this reason the density of occupation is a lot lower than might be expected due to the sheer metreage of sand, although the beaches nearest to the Cabo de Palos end of La Manga tend to have higher occupancy as the land is wider, there is a higher concentration of apartments and they are nearer to the "mainland" road access.

Towards the northern end, in San Javier, the land narrows, and the concentration of properties is lower, so the beaches are emptier. The Mar Menor beaches have good facilities, good sand and safe bathing conditions, and those who prefer wider, more open beaches, with rolling waves, simply have to cross the road to the Mediterranean side, or take a short bus ride further along the Gran Via, which runs the entire length of the strip, to another beach.

Mar Menor beaches on La Manga within San Javier

Playa Esculls de La Llana y Encañizadas: length 350 metres, average width 25 metres, a medium occupancy beach with fine, golden sand. Access to the beach is between kilometres 17 and 18.5, and from the Veneziola residential area.

Playa Veneziola: Length 1,500 metres, average width 10 metres, a medium occupancy, semi-urban  beach, between kilometres 16.4 and 18.6, bordered by the Veneziola development.

Playa Chica: 1800 metres long, with an average width of 10 metres, medium occupation, semi urban beach, which runs between kilometres 14.6 and 16.4 of the Gran Via of La Manga. 

Playa Mistral: 250 metres long, average width 10 metres, high occupancy, semi urban beach and accessed via kilometres 12.8 and 12.2 of the Gran Vía. 

Playa Matasgordas: 3,300 metres long, average width 10 metres. Due to its vast scale it is a low occupancy beach, with thicker, heavier sand, running from kilometre 8.9 to 12.2.

Playa Las Antillas: Relatively low occupancy beach with natural heavy sand and pebbles, 450 metres long, average width 10 metres, located between kilometres 8.5 and 8.9. 

Playa El Pedruchillo: Playa Pedruchillo is located between kilometres 8 and 8.5 and is 500 metres long, with an average width of 10 metres and natural sand.

Playa de Poniente: This is located between kilometres 7.2 and 8.1 and is 900 metres in length, with an average width of 10 metres A high occupancy beach due to the concentration of apartments in this area.

Playa El Galán: Located between kilometres 6.5 and 7.2, alongside the residential area of the same name, a medium occupancy beach, 700 meters long and 10 metres wide, with fine, golden sand. 

Playa Lebeche: This beach runs between kilometres 5 and 6.5 and is 1,700 metres long, with an average width of 10 metres. A high occupancy beach due to the number of apartments nearby, with natural soft grey sand.

Playa Aliseos: This beach runs from kilometres 4.2 to 5 on the strip and is an 800 metre long beach with natural, heavy sand and an average width of around 10 metres.

Playa La Isla: A small, high occupancy beach, 500 metres long and 10 metres wide. Located between kilometres 3.7 and 4.2 of the Gran Vía, so is in an area of high urban density. 

Mediterranean coastal beaches on La Manga within the San Javier municipality:

Playa El Pudrimel: Length 1,500 metres, average width 18 metres, low occupancy, a semi-urban beach with fine, grey sand, accessed between kilometres 16.3 and 17.2 alongside the Aldeas de Taray residential area. 

Playa Ensenada del Esparto: Length 2,600 metres, average width 20 metres, a semi-urban beach with fine, grey sand between kilometres 13.9 and 16.3 of the Gran Vía. Blue Flag.

Playa Estacio: A 2,600-metre-long semi-urban beach with an average width of 20 metres and fine, golden sand, typical of the vast beaches along the Mediterranean coastline of La Manga del Mar Menor.

The beach is right next to the Tomás Maestre sporting port, from which a ferry service operates across the Mar Menor to Santiago de la Ribera. Playa Estacio is also alongside the Puente del Estacio, which is the bridge running over the main channel linking the Mar Menor with the Mediterranean.The beach runs between kilometres 10 and 12.5 and serves the Pueblo Cálido residential area.

Playa El Arenal: 1,850 metres long, average width 20 metres, with fine, golden sand and good facilities, high occupancy, stretching between kilomteres 8 and 10.

Playa El Pedrucho: A long beach stretching from kilometre 4.9 to km 7.9, a distance of some 3,000 metres. It has an average width of 18 metres, with fine, golden sand. Behind it are the residential areas of Castillo de Mar and Hawaii V, giving it a high occupancy level. 

Playa Banco del Tabal: The southernmost of the La Manga beaches in San Javier, beginning at kilometre 3.5 and running for 1,400 metres up to kilometre 4.9. Average width of 15 metres, with fine golden sand. As it backs onto the Las Gaviotas residential area, it has high occupancy.