Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar

The Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar Regional Park is a wetland with sand flats in the northern part of the Mar Menor, in the Region of Murcia. It was created by Law 4/1992 of 30 July, and had been a nature reserve since 1985; it covers 856 hectares between San Pedro del Pinatar and San Javier, and has been a Ramsar wetland since 1994 and a Special Protection Area for Birds since 1998.

It has dunes and coastal sand flats, with a 7 km dune ridge, and sea lavender, glasswort, juniper of the dunes and Mar Menor asparagus grow here. The greater flamingo and the Spanish toothcarp, the latter endangered, live here.

The salt pans have been worked since Roman times and Alfonso X incorporated them into the Crown in 1266. Inside there is a port and working salt pans; in summer the beaches fill up, and there is a tradition of mud baths. Since January 2002 the 'Las Salinas' Visitor Centre has been open.

Source of the information: Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar (Wikipedia)