San Pedro del Pinatar beaches: Playa de Villananitos

A very popular urban "no smoking" beach at the northern end of the Mar Menor

Playa de Villananitos is one of the Mar Menor beaches in the municipality of San Pedro del Pinatar, and is located in the district of Lo Pagán. 

This is a large urban beach with high occupancy during the summer, and is opposite the zone known as Las Charcas, which includes the popular Baños de Lodo, or mud baths. These are used throughout the year so after washing off the mud, bathers frequently choose the beach of Villananitos to relax in the sun.

The mud baths themselves are a magnet for those seeking natural healing, and have been used for centuries, the mineral rich muds used a natural and gentle healer for all types of complaints including  rheumatism and arthritis. (For full information click Baños de Lodo.)

This beach runs into the Playa de la Mota, beginning in the corner by the Molina de Quintín, a windmill which is a popular local landmark.

The Playa de Villananitos is 840 metres long with an average width of 30 metres, with a fine, sandy surface. As it's in front of the holiday apartments and villas which fringe this stretch of coastline, it has high occupancy in the summer, although this also leads to it having all the facilities an urban beach normally offers: thse include the hire of recreational sporting equipment, sunshades and loungers, toilets and changing rooms which are adapted for disabled use, footwashes, ramps and shaded gardens as well as chiringuitos, or beach bars.

There is also a children's play area.

Wooden walkways lead down onto the beach during the summer, there is parking for disabled vehicles, bathing chairs are available for disabled bathers during peak months and personnel from the Cruz Roja offer assistance to disabled bathers during the summer.

There are also lifeguards and medical personnel on the beach between 11.00 and 20.00 during peak occupancy, which is the beginning of July to the end of September, but please check with the tourist office on 968 182301 if this is an important consideration when selecting a beach, as this does vary year on year.

There is no specific car park for the beach, although there is plenty of parking in the nearby urban streets except during the summer, when the apartments near the beach are occupied.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the sand, as well as other shopping facilities and an attractive shaded paeo walkway.

No smoking

In the summer of 2019 Villananitos was designated by the Town Hall of San Pedro del Pinatar 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 nine beaches involved in this scheme on the Costa Cálida, the others being Playa del Rihuete, Bahía and El Castellar in Pureto de Mazarrón, Playa Mistral in La Manga, El Pesdador and el Castillico in Santiago de la Ribera, La Higuerica in Águilas and Playa de la Concha in Los Alcázares.

Safety precautions at 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 San Pedro del Pinatar, or for more local news, events and information in the San Pedro del Pinatar section of Murcia Today.