Work begins on section 14 of Estepona's coastal path - Las Dunas de Matas Verdes

Work has already begun on the construction of section 14 of Estepona's coastal path. The section corresponds to the Playa de Baños-Matas Verdes area, which has received an investment of 578,758 euros to connect with Punta de Baños-Casasasola and Playa del Saladillo.

Malaga-based A7GR Servicios y Obras - the company responsible for the work - has already fenced off the area where Senda Litoral is to be extended. Heavy machinery is already working on removing some of the trees.

Residential unrest

For mayor José María García Urbano, "this sustainable urban development initiative means preserving this area of the coastline, which will become a new tourist attraction for the municipality".

Environmental and residential groups, however, are extremely concerned, because the area where this section of the Senda Litoral is to be built is of "high ecological value", as it consists of Atlantic dunes in a Mediterranean area, close to the Strait of Gibraltar. The area has great biological value and diverse fauna, both in the aquatic environment and on land. Until now, it has been in a good state of conservation. According to activists, the project violates both national and European environmental legislation.

"The area has gall oak and cork oak groves, as well as mastic trees, myrtle and other Mediterranean species. The aquatic fauna is also diverse and rich, with an abundance of phanerogam meadows, which are the richest and most complex marine ecosystems on the planet. In Spain, they are included in the list of wild species under special protection regime," said environmental sources.

They add that the area is of high ecological importance, as it is a "breeding area for many species", a "hotspot of marine biodiversity" and a fundamental land "providing stability to the coastline and preventing coastal erosion".

The Senda Litoral is currently 95% complete, connecting 21 kilometres of coastline. The project has included the installation of 17 large wooden bridges over rivers and streams along the route.