San Pedro del Pinatar Salt Flats

At the north end of the Mar Menor (Murcia), San Pedro del Pinatar Salt Flats was designated a regional park in 1985, valued for its natural elements. As well as the salt flats, there are sand dunes and important flora and fauna, particularly birdlife, which are explained at an Investigation and Conservation Centre in the park.

The area was created by its unique location between the Mar Menor, the largest saltwater lake in the world, and the Mediterranean Sea. Sand dunes give way to marshland with a high salinity, providing the perfect conditions for salt flats. However, the relief of the land is subject to constant change due to the movement of the waves and the wind. The shallow waters are abundant with algae and marine flora, while the varied fauna includes marine birds, rare birds and those native to the area, as well as some small reptitles and insects. What many people come here to see though are the flamingoes.

Although this is a regional park, its natural elements are carefully put to use. The salt flats are exploited through a system of evaporation of water from the Mar Menor by the sun, and at the southern limit of the park Las Encañizadas takes place. This is a non-intensive traditional form of fishing using cane and reeds to guide the fish from the sea to the lake, where they are caught in a trap. (By “Whats on when”)