A very popular Q for Quality beach on the Mar Menor in Santiago de la Ribera

Playa de Barnuevo is one of the main beaches in Santiago de la Ribera, at the southern end of the Mar Menor coastline of San Javier, and is 400 metres long and an average of 30 metres wide. It is a high occupancy beach due not only to its size, but also to its proximity to bars and restaurants, the ferry service across to La Manga and as a focal point for the activities taking part in Santiago de la Ribera.

The Explanada Barnuevo runs behind the beach, a shaded walkway offering seating and a place to stroll along the seafront. Lined with bars and restaurants, the promenade is also a centre for community activities, and during the summer and the local fiestas a stage and marquee are erected and the area becomes the focal point of events: for example, it is from here that the annual Carnival procession departs.

Facilities

The range of facilities includes a children's play area, footwashes, drinking water, hire of both sun loungers and sun shades, ramps, toilets, a beach bar, bins, recycling collection points, netted bathing areas, walkways and ramps down onto the beach, auxiliary medical cover and lifeguard protection during peak months as well as assisted bathing service for those with disabilities who can use specially adapted bathing chairs.

In the summer there are also additional services, such as a "bibliobus" book lending service run by the municipal library, and other activities as part of a summer cultural programme. These include trips, tournaments, open-air dances, fireworks and gymnastics for senior citizens.

Disabled facilities

This beach caters well for those with disabilities, offering parking, wooden ramps down to the water's edge, a cordoned-off bathing area, amphibious crutches, toilets and changing rooms with disabled facilities, bathing seats with a hydraulic lift to aid the transfer from a standard wheelchair, and First aid personnel who are happy to assist those supporting disabled bathers or those with limited mobility.

Security and first aid personnel are on hand from the June to September. For information on assisted bathing outside these dates, please contact the local Protección Civil.

During the summer the beach is also protected by anti-jellyfish netting, and the combination of these facilities leads to it being awarded the Q for Quality flag year after year.

Behind the beach is the Paseo Marítimo which runs all the way along the seafront offering areas of shade and seating. This particular section of the beaches has ample shade, with lots of seating as it is right next to the main bar and restaurant area of Santiago de la Ribera.

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.

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

There is a bus-stop nearby, which offers 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 behind the beach.

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.

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.