Senda Litoral de Malaga - Malaga Coastal Path

Boardwalk, Marbella, Malaga © Michelle Chaplow
The boardwalk in Marbella, one section of the partly-completed 163km-long Malaga Coastal Path along the Costa del Sol.

Senda Literal de Málaga - Malaga Coastal Path

The Senda Litoral de Málaga (Málaga Coastal Path) is a 160-kilometre path under construction that will follow the entire coast of the province of Málaga, from Manilva to Nerja. Once completed, it will be a major tourist attraction for the Costa del Sol and Andalusia.

The coastal path is being created by linking the existing town's seafront promenades; building new paved paths, incorporating paths which, for many years, have been a requirement on beachfront property developments, and by constructing wooden boardwalks.  

The path's reference is GR92, it has its own logo and website (www.sendalitoral.es). The starting point at km 0 will be the emblematic Balcon de Europa in Nerja, and the finishing point was originally the Castillo de la Duquesa in Manilva, but has been extended to Punta Chullera on the provincial border with Cadiz. It is hoped that it will be extended to Sotogrande Marina.

 

 

Official Announcements

There have been hundreds of official announcements since the end of 2014, when the path was announced as a €30m, five-year project by the Diputacion de Malaga (Malaga provincial government). In principle, they would finance the work and the 14 coastal town halls would project manage the sections.

In the spring of 2015, the Diputacion of Malaga announced that the path was 75% complete; in April 2016, they announced that 100 km (i.e. 61%) was complete; on 26 January 2017, the Diputacion de Malaga announced that the path would be completed in 2019; in the summer of 2017, they announced that 80% was complete. On 17 January 2019 they said it was 85% complete and hoped it would be finished in 2020. In 2020 the cost so far was €11m. From 2020 to 2022 the project lost momentum. In 2023 they said it would be 90% complete and the cost so far was €21m.

Francisco Salado of Malaga Diputacion opening the Arroyo Vaquero section in Estepona on 4 July 2022, said the path was 85% open and he wanted to give the project an important push.

At the same opening Estepona mayor said that the path in Estepona was in use for over 90% of Estepona's 22km coastline. Andalucia.com's assessment was that only 15.4 km (69%) was complete, 1.3km (5%) walkable and for 5.5km (24%) construction had not started.

Andalucia.com Assessment of Malaga Coastal Path

Since the official figures appeared to be creative, we have maintained a Google map (see below) with the coastal path annotated since 2017.  

Completed Senda Litoral de Malaga: 105km (Green on map below)
Functioning Walkers Path Senda Litoral de Malaga Sections that pass through marinas, pavements, rough terrain or temporary decking. These are fine for walkers but not for wheelchairs, cyclists or prams: 25km (Orange on map below)
Uncompleted sections where you would need to walk inland around along streets: 8km (Red on map below) 
Uncompleted sections where you need to walk along the beach and traverse rivers: 20km (Blue on map below).

The Diputacion's official map offers a simpler system of 'in project' or  'in use' thus it is not clear which sections are actually complete to the original 2m wide multiple use path specification.

Andalucia.com updated (December 2023) assessment measured in over 100 sections and concluded that the path is 73% complete. The final completion date is not likely to be until 2027. Some of the more challenging sections still remain to be built such as the coves west of Benalmadena where landslides have proved a problem. The least complete areas are east Estepona, west Benalmadena, Velez-Malaga and west Nerja coastlines.

Total complete or functioning path: 114 km   (73%)
Total incomplete sections: 35 km    (20%)
Total Coastline 156 km 

Completed long sections Of Malaga Coastal Path

Several long sections are now completed.  

  • Benaharafe to Malaga city - 40 km
    Benaharafe - Rincon de la Victoria - La Malagueta - Muelle Uno port - Playa San Andres & Playa de la Misericordia promenades - River Guadalhorce estuary crossing - Playa Guadalmar.
  • Torromolinos - 9 km
    Los Alamos beach - La Carihuela - Sunset Beach Club
  • Fuengirola - 7 km
    Entire length of Fuengirola promenade
  • Mijas Costa - 7.km
    La Cala de Mijas to Cabopino port.
  • Marbella - 14 km
    Los Monteros - Rio Real - Banana Beach - Bajadilla fishing port - Marbella town centre - El Ancon - Rio Verde - Puerto Banus - San Pedro promenade.
  • Estepona - 14 km
    Benamara - Guadalmansa - Avenida Litoral - La Rada Beach - Marina - Playa del Cristo - Costa Natura
  • Casares and Manilva - 8 km
    Torre Sal headland - Sabinillas promenade - Castillo de la Duquesa - Urb. Playa Paraiso.

Detail Status of Malaga Coastal path from east to west

This is the status of the project in Summer 2022, along the entire Malaga coast from east to west (Nerja to Manilva).

  • Nerja to Torre del Mar - a few sections of path are completed western Nerja district.
  • Torrox Costa - seafront promenade forms path.
  • Torre del Mar - seafront promenade forms path.
  • Torre del Mar to Rincon de La Victoria - half completed; Benajarafe to Rincon.
  • Rincon de la Victoria - Path complete seafront promenade.
  • Rincon de la Victoria to El Palo district of Malaga - path almost complete.
  • EL Palo to Malaga City -  almost complete, with some gaps such as Baños de Carmen.
  • Baños del Carmen to Malaga City Centre - existing seafront promenade and pavement forms path.
  • Malaga City Centre to Guadalhorce river estuary seafront promenade forms path, except  one km road walk by port,   plus Rio Guadalhorce 270m wooden bridge.
  • Gaudalhorce river to Torremolinos Playa Guadalmar complete, Playa San Julian and Playa Campo de Golf yet to start.
  • Torremolinos  Los Alamos beach to La Carihuela - path complete.
  • Benalmadena to Torrequebrada - Promenade and Benalmadena Marina complete.   
  • Torrequebrada to Fuengirola - path partly complete suffering from landslide damage.
  • Fuengirola to Castle promenade - path complete.
  • Fuengirola to La Cala de Mijas - no path.
  • La Cala de Mijas to Cabopino - 6km of boardwalk opened in 2015.
  • Cabopino to Marbella fishing port by Playa el Cable - Only west half complete from Los Monteros to Marbella fishing port.
  • Marbella fishing port to Marbella town centre, El Ancon, Rio Verde, Puerto Banus, Ventura del Mar - extensive section complete; a short inland diversion connects to the San Pedro promenade.
  • San Pedro Promenade - path complete.
  • Estepona Hotel Atalaya Park to Guadalmansa - only one small section of path complete.
  • Estepona -  path complete from River Guadalmansa to Estepona Marina.
  • Estepona Marina to Buenas Noches - walkable to Playa El Cristo then complete to Costa Natura then mostly to Buenas Noches. 
  • Casares Costa - path complete except Playa Piedra to Rio de la Jordana.
  • Sabinillas  / Duquesa - Promenade from Rio Manilva to Castillo de la Duquesa, then path almost complete but walkable to Urb Playa Paraiso. Does not continue to Malaga province limit nor Torreguadiaro nor Sotogrande Marina. 

Andalucia.com Google map - Senda litoral de Malaga  

We have traced the progress of the path's route along the coast, showing the current status of each section.

 

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MAP KEY

GREEN - the coastal path is complete
ORANGE - you can easily walk through a port, marina or other zone,
BLUE - you need to walk on the beach
RED - you can make a safe diversion to link to the next section.  

CYCLISTS

On all sections cyclists (or scaters, scooters riders etc) must give way to pedestrians. Other rules for cyclists vary from section to section, according to each specific town hall's rules. This is a little problematic on Paseo Maritimo (Seafront Promenade) sections. 

In Estepona, cyclists are not allowed on the promenade. The cross Marina route uses a one way street which is not useful for cyclists. West of Marina is an extensive non tarmac route 
In Mijas Costa, cyclists are not allowed on the boardwalk Saturdays, Sundays nor holidays. On Monday to Friday cyclists not allowed from 11:00 to 14:00 hrs and from 16:00 to 19:00 hrs.
In Marbella, cyclists using the promenade must keep to a 10km/h speed limit. Special Marbella street route for cyclists created in summer.

Cadiz coastal Path

Dario Sur newspaper reported in October 2020 that Cristobal Ortega, a Diputado from Delegación de Medio Ambiente, of the Diputation de Malaga had mentioned that there had been meetings with the Diputacion de Cadiz to learn in depth about the project. Cristóbal Ortega was "optimistic" about this interest from Cadiz. This project has been silent since.

Granada coastal Path

Granada Hoy reported in October 2021 that the Gran Senda de Costa de Granada (Granada coastal path) is a step closer as the project had just been officially presented to European Next Generation in a request for EU grants of two million euros. An answer was hoped to be known by November, however by May 2022 there was no published news.

It can be said work on the project has already begun:

In Torrenueva Costa the 'Ruta de los Miradores' is a cliff top nature trail, which will include the construction of the first high level pedestrian bridge with a viewpoint over the sea to be built in Andalucia.

Motril started construction of a wooden boardwalk which will link all its beaches with Salobreña. In Albuñol, Dirección General de Costas, (national coastal agency) will lay down a path once their  regeneration work on La Rábita beach is complete. Work on the Varadero-Santa Adela promenade was tendered in March 2020 and due to start in the summer.

 

 

 

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