Many residents of the beautiful town of San Pedro Alcántara, Marbella have made the feelings known and their general dissatisfaction with the current state of the beaches, describing many areas as “muddy”.
Social media accounts have been inundated with many posts expressing surprise and disapproval following the recent work on the beach and in particular the renewed sand that was implemented by Marbella town hall to the San Pedro coastline. Numerous residents interviewed by the local newspaper SUR criticised the sand, comparing it to clay or mud. “They haven’t used this type of sand elsewhere in Marbella,” they asserted.
Many have said that “This summer, if you go for a swim a few times and then lie on your towel, you’ll have to discard it because the sand sticks and turns into putty in the water,”
The reddish hue, texture, and moisture of the soil make it look distinctly different from the usual sand, causing discomfort among the locals. “It looks more like earth than sand. It’s more suitable for a garden than a beach,” remarked on elocal resident.
Memes and videos have begun circulating on social media, accompanied by criticisms of the sand quality. Many have noted this situation as indicative of the disparity between San Pedro Alcántara and Marbella, suggesting that “not all residents are treated equally” and that “Marbella’s beaches receive better sand”.
Technical Controls
Marbella town hall stated that “the sand, sourced from the dune belt area of the municipality in the Elvira region, has undergone all necessary technical controls and chemical analysis for lead and chromium levels. It has an excellent texture and very good granularity. The sand contains no mud, does not stain, and will lighten in colour over time”.
Javier Martos, a spokesperson for Ecologists in Action Marbella (Ecologistas en Acción), mentioned that “people have an idyllic view of what beach sand should be, but in reality, rivers and streams naturally bring soil, plants, pebbles, and stones to the beach, where the wind and waves wash and sediment it”. He added, “there is no such thing as perfect sand”.
Photo courtesy of Sur In English