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La Manga's abandoned shopping arcades face demolition this October
San Javier Council pushes to clear decades-old eyesore near Doblemar Hotel
The Ayuntamiento de San Javier is set to demolish 39 dilapidated premises of the former La Manga shopping mall opposite the Doblemar Hotel, beginning October 6. These neglected buildings, covering nearly 1,900 square metres, have long blighted the area, posing safety risks and detracting from the popular Mediterranean beach path.Earlier in 2024, the council ordered demolition of nine similarly unsafe premises. After repeated inaction from owners, primarily the Balearic group Roc Hotels who own about 60%, alongside smaller local stakeholders, the council opted for subsidiary demolition work and will bill the owners around €145,000 for dismantling and debris removal. This cost adds to the €44,000 spent on last year’s initial demolitions. Should the owners fail to repay, enforcement actions including foreclosure or public auction will be pursued.
San Javier’s Urban Planning Councilor Antonio Martínez Torrecillas explained, "Multiple owners have neglected their obligations, forcing the City Council to intervene urgently for public safety and to improve the area’s appearance. We will ensure the costs are recovered, and if necessary, take enforcement action to reclaim municipal funds."
The demolition will leave a cleared 3,000-square-metre commercial plot between the hotel and the beach. Although once linked to the Doblemar Hotel via an underground passage, it has been closed for some time.
This project follows the costly removal of the infamous Lagoymar ghost hotel at kilometer 7.5, for which the council is negotiating repayment of the €1 million demolition expense from owner Tomás Maestre. Other recent demolitions include the old Telefónica building in San Javier, with further plans pending in Santiago de la Ribera, marking the council’s firm commitment to urban renewal, public safety, and tourism development.
With these decisive actions, La Manga is poised to move beyond decades of neglect, making way for renewed vibrancy and better experiences for residents and visitors alike in one of Murcia’s busiest coastal tourism hotspots.
Image: Ayuntamiento de San Javier
Address
Calle Padre Juan. Centro Cultural Principe de Asturias 30720 SAN JAVIERTel: 968 571 704
Oficina de Turismo de San Javier
The municipality of San Javier has three main offices giving tourist information to visitors, as well as two information points. The tourist offices are located in Santiago de la Ribera, on the ground floor of the town hall in San Javier and at the start of La Manga. There is also a summer tourist information point located on the seafront in Santiago de la Ribera as well as one at kilometre 12-13 of La Manga del Mar Menor next to Playa Mistral.
Due to its location on the fringes of the Mar Menor and Mediterranean, San Javier has a period of intense summer tourism activity during the peak summer months, although it is popular with retirees of all nationalities out of peak season.
Tickets for the annual San Javier Jazz Festival can be purchased at the Festival office in San Javier Town Hall, Plaza de España.
Timetables summer 2024:
Tourist office Santiago de la Ribera (Calle Padre Juan 30720, Santiago de la Ribera)
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 21.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.00 to 13.00
Telephone: 661 572285
Email: turismo@sanjavier.es
La Manga del Mar Menor (Gran Vía Km. 0 30380, La Manga del Mar Menor):
May 1 to September 30:
Weekdays 10.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 19.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.30 to 13.00
Telephone 968 128955 ext. 2
Tourist information point of San Javier (Plaza de España, 30730 San Javier):
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00
968 573 700 ext #5351
Email: concejaliadeturismo@sanjavier.es
Tourist information point of Santiago de la Ribera (Paseo Colón on the seafront)
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 21.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.00 to 13.00
Tourist information point of La Manga del Mar Menor (Playa Mistral, km 12)
Weekdays 11.00 to 18.00
Weekends and public holidays 11.00 to 14.00
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
