Where the Mar Menor ends in the north, between the lagoon and the Mediterranean, lies the Regional Park of the Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar: about 850 hectares of salt pans that are still worked commercially, reed beds, dunes and pine woods. It is the best birdwatching site near Cabo de Palos and the easiest place in the region to see flamingos, which feed in the pans all year.
Next to the park is the resort district of Lo Pagán, known for its open-air mud baths. It is across the lagoon from La Manga but, because La Manga is a dead end, you have to drive right round: allow about 45 minutes from Cabo de Palos.
Top things to do: San Pedro del Pinatar Salt Flats & Mud Baths
Watch the flamingos
Greater flamingos are present in every month, most numerous from late summer to winter. The pans alongside the access road to the port and along the La Mota walkway give close views; bring binoculars for avocets, stilts, shelduck and terns.
Take a mud bath at Lo Pagán
At Las Charcas, a sheltered corner of the lagoon beside the salt pans, bathers scoop dark mud from the bottom, smear it on, let it dry in the sun and rinse off in the lagoon. Walkways and steps give access; it is free and informal. The mud is traditionally credited with benefits for skin and joints — take that as local custom rather than medical advice. It stains light swimwear and smells of sulphur.
Walk La Mota to the windmills
A straight, flat walkway of several kilometres runs between the lagoon and the salt pans, from the Molino de Quintín to the Molino de la Calcetera, two old windmills that once pumped water into the pans. Popular at sunset; no shade.
Find an empty beach
On the Mediterranean side of the park, Playa de la Torre Derribada and Playa de la Llana are long, undeveloped sandy beaches backed by dunes, reached by boardwalks.
Get out to Isla Grosa
Boat and snorkelling trips leave from the San Pedro area for the protected waters around Isla Grosa.
How to get to San Pedro del Pinatar Salt Flats & Mud Baths
- By car from Cabo de Palos: RM-12 towards Cartagena, then the AP-7 north towards Alicante, leaving at San Pedro del Pinatar; about 45 minutes. Follow signs for Lo Pagán or “Salinas”.
- The park has a visitor centre near the entrance with maps and bird information. Parking near the mud baths is scarce in summer; walk in along the seafront from Lo Pagán.
Insider tips
- Go early or late: the light is better for the birds and the salt pans, and the walkway has no shade.
- Bring an old swimsuit for the mud and fresh water to rinse.
- Keep to marked paths in the dunes; they are protected nesting habitat.
- Combine it with lunch in Lo Pagán or Santiago de la Ribera, or with a stop in Los Alcázares on the way back.
Best tours: San Pedro del Pinatar Salt Flats & Mud Baths
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see San Pedro del Pinatar Salt Flats & Mud Baths:
Boat & snorkel tour from €40 Snorkelling Trip in the Isla Grosa Reserve
A boat excursion from the northern Mar Menor out into the Mediterranean for a guided snorkelling session in the protected waters around Isla Grosa, led by an oceanologist who explains what you are looking at.
- Boat from the Mar Menor to the Mediterranean
- Guided snorkelling led by an oceanologist
- Protected waters around Isla Grosa
Boat tour from €22 Mar Menor: Boat Tour of the 5 Volcanic Islands
A longer, more explanatory tour of the lagoon’s five volcanic islands, leaving from the San Javier side of the Mar Menor rather than from La Manga. Handy if you are staying on the mainland shore or flying in and out of the region.
- Barón, Perdiguera, Ciervo, Sujeto and Redonda
- Commentary on the lagoon’s history and nature
- Departs from the mainland shore
Boat tour from €22 Mar Menor 5 Islands Route
The best-reviewed boat trip in the area: a relaxed cruise across the Mar Menor that skirts all five of its volcanic islands. The lagoon is shallow and sheltered, so the trip is smooth even when the Mediterranean side is rough.
- All five islands of the lagoon
- Calm, sheltered water
- Easy for children and non-swimmers
