Los Alcázares beaches: Playa de La Concha

The beach of La Concha hosts the Club Náutico at the southern end of the seafront walk in Los Alcázares

All of the Los Alcázares beaches are located on the shore of the Mar Menor and offer safe bathing conditions, clean and well groomed sand and attractive settings.

The Playa de la Concha is the first beach encountered in the municipality when approaching from the south, and extends 400 metres from the edge of the former hydroplane base to Calle José de Fontes, overlooking the marina and nautical club. On average it is 20 metres wide.

Of all of the beaches of Los Alcázares this one is probably the least crowded, partly because the sand is heavier, coarser and greyer than some of the other beaches and partly because it's on the edge of the urban area, but it's still a busy little beach as it tends to be the focal point for a number of sporting activities.

Part of the reason for this is that it is actually possible to drive a car down to the edge of the beach to one of the laucnh ramps. Here there is parking available including three disabled bays, however due to the high volume of tourists in the area during the summer; it is advisable to park several streets back from the beach and walk the last few metres.

Among the sporting events are many races, walks and community activities, and again this is an ideal starting point for these events because it marks the beginning of the long seafront walk which runs alongside the beaches of the municipality.

This paved promenade stretches all the way along the seven beaches of Los Alcázares to the Playa de las Salinas 7 kilometres away, and is very popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists throughout the year.

The mild yearlong climate in this part of Spain which is an average of 18 degrees, coupled with the warm waters of the Mar Menor make this area a haven for all types of water sports and activities. The Mar Menor is Europe's largest salt water lagoon covering a surface area of nearly 170 square kilometres, with 70 kilometres of internal coastline, separated from the Mediterranean by a 22km long strip of land (La Manga). It is only 7 metres deep in the centre. It has shallow fringes and is safe for young families with children due to the shallowness of the water and the lack of waves (it is not tidal), and this is also why it is an excellent area for activities such as canoeing and kayaking.

This beach hosts the nautical club, so there is always plenty of activity at this point.

Access from the promenade to the sand is almost level with easy access and showers, disabled parking spaces, specially adapted changing areas and disabled toilets are available. There is also the facility to rent both sunbeds and umbrellas, several shaded areas on the promenade, toilets, bins, recycling collection points, footwashes, lifeguards and first aid and even assisted bathing seats during the peak summer months from 11.00 to 19.00.

Bars and restaurants are only a short distance away.

No smoking

In the summer of 2019 this beach was nominated by the Town Hall of Los Alcázares as a "no smoking" beach. 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 when they are washed into the sea. 

There are eight other beaches involved in this scheme on the Costa Cálida, the others being Villananitos in San Pedro del Pinatar, Playa Mistral in La Manga, El Pesdador and el Castillico in Santiago de la Ribera, La Higuerica in Águilas and Playa del Rihuete, Bahía and El Castellar in Puerto de Mazarrón.

Safety precautions for Mar Menor beaches

As this is a Mar Menor beach, it´s advisable to observe the following safety precautions when bathing.

Most of the Mar Menor beaches have very gently sloping shelves, meaning that bathers can walk a considerable distance from the shore and still only be waist high in the water. These shore fringes are also very warm, heating up more than the deeper water and the Mediterranean, particularly during the hot summer months.

Many beaches are also protected by netting to exclude jellyfish. This creates safe bathing areas for families but also leads to a situation which can be life threatening, as the safety of the beaches results in many elderly bathers bathing alone. This in itself is not dangerous, but every year there are unnecessary deaths when bathers suffer a heart attack, stroke, faint or have a dizzy spell of some sort whilst bathing alone, slipping into the water without anybody else being aware that this has happened.

The transition from hot beach to cold water can shock the body, causing dizziness or fainting, so it is advisable to splash the body with water to cool down before wading out into the Mar Menor or Mediterranean.

Even though there are lifeguards, accidents happen and every year there are unnecessary fatalities, the simple rule being 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.

Click for more information about the beaches of Los Alcázares beaches, or for more local news, events and information in the Los Alcázares section of Murcia Today.