Los Alcazares 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 beaches in Los Alcázares are 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 southernmost in the municipality and extends 400 metres from the former seaplane base to Calle José de Fontes, overlooking the marina and sailing club. On average it is 20 metres wide.

Of all of the beaches in Los Alcázares this 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 busy as it is 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 launch ramps, with parking including three disabled bays, but due to the high volume of traffic during the summer it is advisable to park several streets back and walk the last few metres.

Among the sporting events are 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. The paved promenade stretches all the way to Playa de las Salinas 7 kilometres away, and is very popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists throughout the year.

The mild year-round climate in this part of Spain, the shallow waters and the prevailing winds in the Mar Menor make the area a mecca for all types of water sports and activities. Separated from the Mediterranean by the 22-kilometre strip of La Manga, it is only 7 metres deep in the centre and the shallow fringes and lack of tide and waves make it safe for families with young children as well as attractive for novices in sports such as canoeing, sailing, windsurfing and kayaking.

The Club Náutico (sailing club) of Los Alcázares is located at Playa de la Concha, so there are usually plenty of activiteis here. 

Access from the promenade to the sand is very easy 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 amphibious bathing chairs during the peak summer months.

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 health reasons but also in order to prevent discarded butts from remaining on the beach and then contributing to marine pollution. 

Safety precautions at Mar Menor beaches

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 there is also a danger as the calm water means that many elderly bathers bathe alone. This in itself is not dangerous, but every year there are unnecessary fatalities when bathers suffer heart attacks, strokes, faints or dizzy spells, slipping into the water without anyone else being aware.

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!