Living in San Pedro del Pinatar Spain: The Definitive Guide

Are you thinking about moving to San Pedro del Pinatar Spain? If yes, you will love this article

If you are thinking about moving to Spain and settling in the Costa Calida, at Torrevieja Translation, I have designed the perfect tools and services over the years.

But I would like to you read this article… I will let you know at the end of the article about moving to Spain.

Ready?

Here we go!

Before we start… Yours Free

Spain 101 is a free ebook full of unique tips that will save you thousands of Euros when moving to / living in Spain.

Would you like to get it now?

Please click / tap on the image below:

About San Pedro Spain

San Pedro del Pinatar is a small, typically Spanish town along the Costa Calida coast and famed for its tourism, as a fishing port and for the natural sea water lagoon of Mar Menor.

Situated at the northern end of the lagoon the name of the town is from a small church dedicated by fishermen to San Pedro.

Where is San Pedro del Pinatar?

The little town of San Pedro del Pinatar Spain is located on the Costa Calida coastline in the province of Murcia.

It is approximately 50km from the city of Murcia and just 15 minutes’ drive from Murcia airport (known as San Javier), and less than one hours driving time from the larger and busier Alicante airport.

The N332 road passes through San Pedro del Pinatar and another route, the AP7 passes close by.

Other towns and cities easily accessible in the region include Cartagena, Los Alzacares and Mazarron.

(San Pedro del Pinatar Spain, Murcia – Google Maps)

The City of Murcia is only 30 minutes away from San Pedro. You will love Murcia city, the capital of Murcia Region

What is the History of San Pedro del Pinatar Spain?

The history of the town stretches all the way back to the Roman era, in fact some Roman houses, or the remains of were discovered during work on the salt flats of Coterillo.

The area was believed to have been inhabited from as far back as the Phoenicians, although no architecture remains from that era.

General Information about San Pedro del Pinatar

The population of the town is a little over 25,000 and San Pedro (as it is referred to by locals) is located in an area rich in pine trees.

Another attraction here are the mud baths, they are particularly famous and many people travel here purely for health reasons and the benefits from being covered in mud.

The salt flats are in an area of wetland which formed along with the sand dunes and beaches over time protected by the sand spit.

This regional park, one of the oldest to be found in Murcia has become a refuge for more than 100 species of birds, one of those species, the flamingo is regularly seen here.

Other attractions include stately homes such as Casa del Reloj, the Palace of Villar de Felices, the Archaeological Museum and the Fish Market.

The main market in San Pedro del Pinatar Spain is held every Monday.

In addition to this there is an occasional Mercadillo de Artisania, which occurs periodically during the year, details are posted locally and an arts and crafts market takes place in the Parque de los Reyes.

If you are thinking about moving to Spain from the UK, many British citizens love San Pedro del Pinatar Spain, so you it could be a great city to start a new Spanish life

UK citizens have to apply for a visa to live in Spain long-term (more than 90 days), you may want to explore the non-lucrative visa Spain.

What is the Weather like in San Pedro del Pinatar?

The climate of San Pedro del Pinatar Spain is what can be described as a typical Mediterranean one, cooling breezes in the summer and the surrounding mountains offering protection from the cold northerly winds during the summer.

The annual average sunshine is around 3,000 hours of sunshine across 325 days of the year.

The average annual temperature is a little below 20C, and the local climate has been described as being one of the most favourable throughout the world, making this little town an ideal all-year round destination.

Driving south, you will find two other well-known coastal towns with similar weather: Aguilas and Mazarron.

What Architecture can be seen in San Pedro del Pinatar?

The Palace of the Baron of Benefavo is adorned with a neo-Moorish façade, while inside the municipal museum houses archaeological treasures.

The oldest architectural remains are the roman remains found at La Raya.

The clock house is a 19th century villa housing a number of architectural styles.

An attractive 17th Century Church of St Peter’s has been maintained in an excellent condition and is worth a visit. San Pedro celebrates its patron saint St. Peter at a festival at the end of June.

Gastronomy

The incredibly fertile plains of Murcia produce an array of fruit and vegetables, together with locally grown rice comprise many of the ingredients used in local cuisine of this region.

Seafood and game meat are other ingredients used in the cooking around Murcia. Some local dishes include rice with rabbit, rice and ribs, a delicious vegetable paella known as Paella Huertana and a seafood rice.

There are several non-rice dishes including stewed meats and vegetables, Menestra is a dish of sautéed vegetables and several locally produced soups.

Other delicacies include king prawns and a caviar dish known as Huevas de Mujol.

There are several desserts and cakes produced using almonds, ice cream is local and still made using traditional methods and a few locally produced fine wines are not to be missed.

How much does it cost to rent or buy property in San Pedro del Pinatar?

The cost of rental properties in the local area vary greatly with two bedroomed apartments and even houses being available for just €400 per month, while houses close to the beach can cost in excess of €1,200 per month.

Location and proximity to the beach are major factors in the price of property rentals in San Pedro del Pinatar Spain.

The average price when hiring properties is around €7.64 per square metre.

The price of buying a property is very reasonable in San Pedro, with some properties available from as little as €59,000.

At the higher end of prices, expect to pay anything up to €300,000 for 5 bedroomed houses in prime locations.

The average price for buying a property in San Pedro is €1,251 per square metre.

What are the most Interesting Attractions I should visit in San Pedro del Pinatar?

Palacio del Barón de Benifayó o Casa de la Rusa

This palace is known in English as the Baron de Benifayo Palace or as the House of the Russian.

It is famous for its neo-Moorish façade that was built by the Baron de Benifayo and is similar to another palace on the Isla Mayor del Mar Menor.

The palace on the island has a single tower, whereas this palace comes with two crenelated towers. Housed inside are the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, collections of toys and some cinematographic material. The palace while constructed to look older actually only dates from the 19th century.

Museo Municipal Palacio Barón de Benifayó

The Barón de Benifayó Palace Municipal Museum, is the municipal museum of San Pedro del Pinatar Spain and houses exhibitions and displays dedicated to fossils, ethnography and archaeology of the land and sea.

Roman artifacts found during excavations at La Raya and fossils dating from prehistoric times are samples of what is on display. Information panels are there to educate and inform visitors of the significance of these finds.

The ethnography section of the museum is dedicated to the people who settled here from the end of the 19th century, on their social life, their work and attempts to bring the area up to the levels sustained today, the particular industries are fishing, farming, salt and the salting of fish.

Finca de San Sebastián o Casa del Reloj

The Finca de San Sebastián or Clock House is a 19th century villa worth a visit. It was constructed as a recreation place for the Servet family, a powerful family at that time and is the final resting place of Emilio Castelar, the President of the First Spanish Republic, who died here in May 1899.

The structure was built by Pedro Cerdan, a Murcian architect. The building takes its name from the clock on the main façade.

There are diverse styles used as the upper body is pseudo alpine, other elements are Gothic in style with wooden armour, ornamental curves and ornaments of wrought iron on window sills and support ledges.

Moorish features are illustrated on exposed brick. Internally, the main feature is the staircase while outside the small garden of palms and eucalyptus is impressive but not overpowering. The villa currently houses a restaurant and piano bar.

Molinos de Quintín y Calcetera

The salt mills of Quintin and Calcetera are located on the Playa de la Mota and were constructed to take water from Mar Menor to the salt-works.

A modern pump is now used for this function. Flamingos feeding here are a regular sight among the reeds of the salt flats. The mills were built in the early 20th century and were in use until the 1970s when they were replaced by the electric pumps. Access is limited to the exterior only.

(Old windmill)

Yacimiento Romano La Raya

The La Raya Roman Site was uncovered during excavations that began in 2002 and will continue indefinitely.

The perimeter of the Roman town has been found, though not all uncovered although several sections including some remaining walls have been excavated.

Some sections of ceramic materials have been unearthed. The section that the public can see is probably the outer edges of the town and covers an area of 10,000 square metres.

These structures were believed to house lords and their servants, were work areas, along with defensive towers and stables. The site is believed to have been both a recreational and commercial villa due to its being positioned so close to the Mediterranean Sea. Visitors are not permitted onto the site, only to view from the perimeter.

Baños de lodo

Banos de lodo are mud baths, located along the coast and reputed to be very therapeutic and a good cure for aches and pains or skin ailments.

The most famous of the mud baths are at Lo Pagan, just outside San Pedro.

The mud is a combination of centuries of sunshine together with the waters of Mar Menor being high in salinity.

The mud is believed to help suffers of conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism, there is free access although some people prefer to follow specialised treatments at centres set up in the area.

(Promenade + mud area to the left)

Beaches

In San Pedro del Pinatar Spain, there are some excellent beaches, such as Playa de la Torre Derribada or Llana beach, both contain a sports harbour, restaurants and lots of car parking.

The views particularly in the early evening over the distant mountains, the Mediterranean and Mar Menor are amazing, as is the sunset if you wait around until then. Another beach area is located at Lo Pagan, with its best beaches being Villananitos, La Puntica and La Mota.

Golf

There are some excellent golf courses close to San Pedro including Villamartin and Campoamar just to the north, offering challenging good rounds of golf.

If you can get on it, La Manga (often fully booked) is a world-famous course and has three fabulous courses you can try. In addition to La Manga, the courses at Roda, La Torre Golf Resort and Mar Menor Golf Resort are less than a fifteen-minute drive from San Pedro.

Credit image: Tinnyaw

Yours Free