The area of the Baños del Carmen beach to be extended. Migue Fernández

Government finally approves extension of Malaga city beach after eight year wait

The 3.3 million euro Baños del Carmen project, which has been in the pipeline since 2015, is expected to be completed after the summer of 2024

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Friday, 12 May 2023 | Updated 14/05/2023 08:18h.

After an eight year wait, the Spansh government has finally authorised the extension of the beach at the Baños del Carmen in Malaga.

The Ministry for Environment approved the plan, through the publication of an environmental impact statement on Thursday, 11 May, giving the green light to the project which had been in the pipeline since 2015, and aims to rejuvenate Malaga city's old beach spa.

About 3.3 million euros has been earmarked for the project. The works will involve a large beach on the current small cove, next to the spa and will extend from the point of El Morlaco to the esplanade of the restaurant.

A 193-metre breakwater will be constructed and start from El Morlaco, with an initial raised section and then a submerged section, from north to south, forming an open V-shape.

That will then allow works to start on the beach, which will be refilled with 73,837 cubic metres of sand. The beach currently is 27 metres wide, but after the extra dumping of sand, will be 37 metres wide.

A new access ramp to the beach from the Morlaco point platform will also be built. The current main access point, which leads to the restaurant, will be redesigned to suit people with reduced mobility.

The works will be put out to tender in September of this year, with a completion period of nine months. It should be ready after the summer of 2024.

There will also be measures to protect the environment, such as a special work timetable to make sure works don’t interfere with wildlife in the area. Fencing and signposting will also be installed in areas where the species Limonium malacitanum grows, a flower native to the Malaga coast.

The environmental impact statement also focused on the endangered sea snails, Patella ferruginea limpet, which is a protected species. Measures will be taken to prevent "shellfishing or any kind of occasional collection, either from land or from the sea", it was mentioned in the report.

Special measures will also be taken to protect other endangered and specially protected species, such as the date mussel (Lithophaga litophaga), or remains or evidence of nests, hatchlings or eggs.