The project has a 12-month execution timeline from its start and will unlock urban development in the area.
The dream of walking along Salobreña’s beach from end to end without stepping on asphalt is closer to becoming reality. Until now, the short 200-metre stretch separating La Guardia from La Caleta, passing by the sugar factory, had to be traversed over the stone breakwater protecting the Nuestra Señora del Rosario mill from the sea’s force. However, soon the stones and concrete will give way to nearly 8,000 square metres of sandy beach.
The idea is to restore this coastal area to part of its appearance from the 20th century, before the stone barrier was built to shield the sugar factory from waves.
The Directorate General for the Coast and the Sea has announced the tender for one of the longest-awaited projects in the area. With the publication of the tender for the service contract to draft the constructive project and environmental impact study for the incorporation and conditioning as a beach of the lands of the former Nuestra Señora del Rosario sugar factory in La Caleta, the initiative is one step closer to fruition.
Developers and the Town Hall had historically considered building a port facility, but after years of consultations, it was deemed unviable. This opened the opportunity to integrate the lands into the beach, extending it westward to the urban core of La Caleta.
However, after awarding the project and during data collection, technicians discovered numerous specimens of Patella ferruginea, an endangered limpet listed in the highest protection category of the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species, halting progress. The plan was to relocate the limpets to a nearby site on the Costa Tropical with similar conditions.
In 2023, technicians introduced new protective measures not previously included. Now, a new constructive project is sought to build on the existing studies, incorporating these measures while considering factors like maritime climate, coastal dynamics, the impact of works, and viable alternatives. This will allow recovery of the sugar factory lands and assessment of the future evolution of the coastline.
The works involve sand regeneration and replenishment to recover nearly 8,000 square metres of currently non-existent beach on the western edge of La Caleta, along with a small detached breakwater to ensure continuity of the coastal front from La Caleta to the Guadalfeo River mouth.
Parallel to the construction project drafting, an environmental impact study will address all potential effects, including mitigation and compensation measures if needed.