No smoking at this Q for Quality beach on the Mar Menor in Santiago de la Ribera

Playa el Castillico is the northernmost of the urban beaches in Santiago de la Ribera, on the coast of the Mar Menor in the municipality of San Javier, and runs for 450 metres between the Jardín del Atalayón and the Playa de la Puntica in San Pedro del Pinatar.

The location is urban but with an average width of 40 metres there is plenty of room on the fine sand, which is cleaned and groomed every day in the summer, and there is high occupation on account of the seafront apartments, hotels and residential streets which stretch out behind the front line towards the town of San Javier.

Facilities

Complempenting its high usage throughout the year, the beach has a full range of facilities. During the summer there are boat and windsurf hire, a sailing school and sailboat hire, bicycle racks, picnic facilities, sporting equipment, a shaded promenade, children's play areas, beach bars, footwashers, beach lounger and sunshade hire, drinking water, bins, recycling collection points, toilets, wooden walkways down onto the sand and cordoned-off bathing areas, and lifeguard and medical personnel are on duty.

Launching Ramp: the Playa el Castillico also has a dinghy launching ramp, although parking for boats and trailers nearby can be difficult.

Disabled facilities: for disabled users there are reserved parking spaces, a cordoned-off bathing area, adapted changing rooms and toilets, disabled bathing seats, specially adapted shaded areas, amphibious bathing chairs and personnel on-hand to assist carers.

The assisted bathing service is available from June to September. 

Access from strret level is straightforward. There are several access ramps onto the beach and during summer months decking is laid up to the edge of the water.

In summer the beach is also protected by anti-jellyfish netting.

Behind the beach is the Paseo Marítimo, which runs right the way along the seafront offering areas of shaded seating.

There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants all within easy walking distance, as Playa de Barnueno is very close to the main bar and restaurant zone of Santiago de la Ribera. The area is popular all year round among both locals and visitors.

No smoking!

In the summer of 2019 this beach was designated by the Town Hall of San Javier as "no smoking" area. No official ban is in place, but bathers and other beachgoers are urged to refrain from lighting up on the sand, not only for the sake of their own health but also in order to prevent discarded butts from remaining on the beach and then contributing to marine pollution. 

Parking

There is very little parking as this area is a pedestrianised zone in summer. It may be necessary to park a few streets back during the summer.

There is a bus stop nearby with connections to Murcia, Alicante and Cartagena. Full details of bus services can be obtained from the tourist information office, and urban buses run to the main streets of Santiago de la Ribera.

Safety precautions for bathers

Most Mar Menor beaches have very gently sloping shelves, enabling bathers to walk a considerable distance from the shore and still only be waist high in the water. These shore fringes are also very warm, noticeably more so than the deeper waters on the Mediterranean coastline.

Many are protected by netting to exclude jellyfish. This creates safe bathing areas for families but also leads to a situation which can be life threatening: elderly bathers should be wary of bathing alone as every year there are unnecessary deaths when bathers suffer a heart attack, stroke, faint or have a dizzy spell of some sort while nobody else is aware that this has happened.

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.

And for all ages, a red flag means DO NOT BATHE.

Click to see an overview of the beaches in San Javier, or to go to the home page of San Javier Today for more local news, events and other information.