Over the last few years, San Pedro Alcantara beach has lost significant amounts of sand due to tidal activity. The Environment Ministry of Andalucía approved a proposal submitted by the coastal agency in 2015 that aims to protect beaches lining Marbella’s seafront. But the new project has failed to capture the imagination and approval of local businesses and the Town Hall.
New Breakwaters and pedestrian Pathway
The scheme also includes the construction of six breakwaters and a pedestrian pathway running along the seafront between the mouths of the Guadalmina and Guidaiza Rivers. According to the Ministry’s findings, the project would not result in “any significant adverse consequences”, but the property owners and businesses affected by the changes do not agree.
In order to build the new pathway, several existing structures would have to be dismantled, as they are currently encroaching on a stretch of land classified as “maritime public domain”. The structures include restaurant terraces and private properties.
Tourist Attractions in San Pedro Alcantara
Located just a ten minute drive from the city centre, Marbella’s district San Pedro Alcantara is popular with families, for it offers several tourist attractions such as Costa Jump, an indoor trampoline park with a huge arena filled wall to wall with trampolines. It’s a place where kids of all ages can let off steam, jumping around on the 50 interconnected trampolines in the Jump Zone or playing a game of dodge ball with their friends.
Surprisingly, the family-fun centre is not located by the seafront, but in the San Pedro de Alcantara Industrial Park. Plenty of parking spaces and convenient location plus a well-stocked cafeteria make this a popular day trip destination.
Another great attraction, the Cable Ski Marbella centre, is located between San Pedro and Guadalmina, sitting in beautiful surroundings on a huge natural lake. Here Costa del Sol visitors can enjoy waterskiing adventures, go swimming in safe swimming pool environments or sample delicious tapas on the terrace of the centre’s restaurant.
A Pathway that links or divides?
Opinions are certainly divided over the creation of the pedestrian pathway, which will have a varying width of between three and six metres along the route, starting at the end of the current promenade until it reaches the Guadalmina riverside. In order to bypass the Las Bóvedas and Torre de las Bóvedas Roman baths, the pathway will be reduced in width.
Miguel Diaz, sustainability councillor, explained that he was “pleased” the scheme was now making progress, but expressed the council’s reservations about the project. “This is the project that we’ve been presented with. We’re not saying that we’re going to reject it, just that there are some things that need changing.”
Rafael Piña, San Pedro’s deputy mayor, said that the Town Hall hadn’t officially stated their objections yet because the duly appointed period for that process hadn’t started yet. “There are aspects that we disagree with but we will sit down together to discuss them,” he explained.
The Competition never sleeps
However, if this part of the Costa del Sol is to remain attractive to tourists, the Town Hall will have to agree to some changes, or the beach along San Pedro will disappear over time. Given that rival resorts like Torremolinos have big investment plans to increase their share of tourism, places like San Pedro have their work cut out to lure tourists away from this new Torremolinos attraction.
The council of Torremolinos has just approved new town planning regulations that will permit construction of the largest leisure park and shopping centre to be built in Andalucía.
The new family amusement park will have a dry ski slope and giant pool with surf waves. The Town Council approved the new regulations almost unanimously, giving the green light for developers Intu Properties to build shops, restaurants and leisure facilities that will eventually create 4,000 new jobs directly, with a further potential 3,000 jobs following in its wake indirectly.
While potential house buyers looking for a holiday home at the Costa del Sol will be delighted to hear of yet another tourist amenity, resorts like Marbella and Fuengirola will see the new leisure park as serious competition.