Date Published: 11/11/2025

La Manga faces tough choices over its future development

San Javier Council estimates there is enough land to build 20,000 more houses

La Manga del Mar Menor is reaching its limit for new construction and the local council is now considering how best to manage what little land remains. Incredibly, around 80% of the area belonging to San Javier is already built up with homes, hotels and apartment blocks.

If the remaining landowners choose to develop their plots, San Javier’s planning rules would still allow around 20,000 more homes to be built. That space is roughly the same size as Vatican City or the equivalent of 56 football pitches.

Of the land that can still be developed, about 71% is reserved for residential buildings, 28% for hotels and just 1% for commercial use.

The San Javier Council has commissioned a detailed infrastructure and communications plan for La Manga to understand how much more the area can realistically handle. The study, awarded to the company Imacapi for €50,766, will assess roads, sanitation, water supply, electricity and transport systems to identify what improvements are needed.

Mayor José Miguel Luengo explained that the goal is to determine “what absorption capacity the area has” before any further development takes place. He said he would prefer the remaining land to be used for projects that support tourism rather than additional apartment buildings.

Traffic and parking are among the biggest concerns. The council’s report warns that serious congestion and a lack of parking are already harming the natural quality of the environment, especially during the summer months.

The plan will also review road layouts, pedestrian access, turning lanes and parking areas, as well as evacuation procedures in case of emergencies.

Last year, San Javier Council granted licences for 504 new homes in three separate developments, but renewed interest from investors has brought new proposals, particularly beyond kilometre 13 where more undeveloped land remains.

For now, the future of La Manga depends on how private landowners choose to use their plots and how far the council can guide growth without facing large compensation costs.

In other news: Life is good for those over 60 in San Javier, a new study finds

Image: Freepik

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