Monday, 27 October 2025, 14:11
Salobreña on Granada province’s Costa Tropical is to have a park and ride facility in order to reduce traffic in the old town. The work began at the beginning of August and is expected to be completed in mid-November.
The project forms part of the Junta de Andalucía’s plan for sustainable tourism and is being financed with European Union funds. It includes the creation of 278 parking spaces, the development of a new road and the planting of trees and landscaped areas.
The car park will have entrances from Avenida Gabriel Guirado and from a roundabout to be built at the north-western end of the site, as well as a road connecting with the industrial estate next to the petrol station.
Mayor of Salobreña Pedro Javier Ortega Prados highlighted the strategic importance of this work within a wider plan to improve transport: “When we designed the ideas for our municipality, one of the key concepts was to reduce vehicle traffic in the old town as much as possible. It is not enough to restrict access or install cameras; it is also necessary to provide adequate parking spaces,” he explained.
Sport centre
The town hall plans to award the new public transport contract this autumn and the car park will serve as a departure point for shuttle buses to the old town, the beach and other strategic points in the municipality. “The idea is that people who park here will not need to drive into the centre, but will be able to travel conveniently by public transport, which will help to significantly reduce congestion in the old town,” said the mayor.
In addition to its function as a park-and-ride facility the space will serve as a car park for the neighbouring sports centre. “We have a first class sports complex on the coast, with many schools and activities that attract numerous users. This car park will allow us to meet the demand for these events and improve accessibility without creating parking problems in the area,” explained the mayor.
The design of the car park incorporates trees and landscaped areas that will provide shade and improve the area. “We don’t want a row of cars to be visible from the road, but lines of vegetation that integrate the car park into the urban landscape,” said the councillor for the area, Juan Francisco Gutiérrez. He added that the project combines “functionality with aesthetics and is a strategic investment which, although simple, is fundamental for transport and the image of the town”.