Los Alcázares beaches: Playa Los Narejos

Playa Los Narejos is home to good sailing facilities

This sandy urban sandy beach is by far the longest of the group of beaches that make up the coastline of Los Alcazares at 1,500 metres. It is also one of the narrowest, giving easy access to the sea from the promenade. The beach extends from Avenida Mariano Ballester to Calle Pintor Delacroix.

The mild year-long climate in this part of Spain, with an average of 18 degrees, the warm waters of the Mar Menor, the fact that the water is not tidal and has no currents, an afternoon thermal wind and shallow depth all combine to make this area a haven for all types of water sports and activities. The Mar Menor is Europe's largest salt water lagoon, with a surface area of nearly 170 square kilometres, with 70 kilometres of internal coastline, separated from the Mediterranean by a 22-kilometre-long strip of land (la Manga), yet is only 7 metres deep in the centre. It has shallow fringes and is safe for young families with children, due to the shallowness of the water and the lack of waves as it is not tidal, which is also why it is an excellent area for activities such as canoeing and kayaking.

There is an abundance of water sports and activities available in the sailing school located on the promenade, (see CAR Infanta Cristina) which is used by international professionals for winter training, including the British Olympic team,  and some of the activities very popular in the area include canoeing, kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing to name but a few. This corner of the Mar Menor is very popular for kitesurfing, having long stretches of beach and shallow waters, and the wind tends to blow at the correct angle as well.

The enclosed nature of the whole area makes it a safe and protected environment and the winds are also good for beginners and intermediates, with much stronger winds in the autumn and early spring.

This beach is very well catered for with a children’s play area, several beach bars and restaurants situated on the promenade. In the local streets behind the promenade in the area of Los Narejos there is parking available, with several disabled parking bays, just a short walk to the beach. Nearby there are small gardens with several footpaths and bicycle parking is also available.

The quality of the installations and cleanliness are impressive, including sunbed, hammock and sunshade hire, toilets, bins and recycling points, adapted toilets for those with disabilities, footwashes, changing rooms adapted for disabled use, bathing seats for disabled use, lifeguard and mediacal auxiliary service, assistance for disabled bathers, and wooden walkways onto the sand to facilitate access.

Behind the beach is a paved promenade which stretches all the way along the seven beaches of the municipality of Los Alcázares, a distance of 7 kilmetres, which is very popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists throughout the year.

This beach is particularly popular with windsurfers, so be careful if there are windsurfers on the water. If a board is travelling at speed it is difficult to see bathers if they are snorkelling beneath the surface, so be aware of where they are and don't enter areas defined as sailing areas.

Safety precautions at Mar Menor beaches

As this is a Mar Menor beach, it´s advisable to observe the following safety precautions when bathing.

Most of the Mar Menor beaches have very gently sloping shelves, meaning that bathers can walk a considerable distance from the shore and still only be waist high in the water. These shore fringes are also very warm, heating up more than the deeper water and the Mediterranean , particularly during the hot summer months.

Many beaches are also protected by netting to exclude jellyfish. This creates safe bathing areas for families but also leads to a situation which can be life threatening, as the safety of the beaches results in many elderly bathers bathing alone. This in itself is not dangerous, but every year there are unnecessary deaths when bathers suffer a heart attack, stroke, faint or have a dizzy spell of some sort whilst bathing alone, slipping into the water without anybody else being aware that this has happened.

The transition from hot beach to cold water can shock the body, causing dizziness or fainting, so it is advisable to splash the body with water to cool down before wading out into the Mar Menor or Mediterranean.

Even though there are lifeguards, accidents happen and every year there are unnecessary fatalities, the simple rule being if you have a medical condition, are taking medication, or are of advanced age, don't bathe alone, no matter how shallow and calm the water is.

Click for more information about the beaches of Los Alcázares, or for more local news, events and information in the Los Alcázares section of Murcia Today.