El Portús: Beach, Coves and Coastal Paths

The Parque Natural de la Sierra de La Muela, Cabo Tiñoso y Roldán surrounds El Portús, which lies on the Mediterranean. There are specific local points of interest for each of these highlights.

A beach between the Mediterranean and the nature park

El Portús beach is wide and consists of grey sand and pebbles. It is located in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de la Muela, a protected area of high ecological value. You can reach the beach on foot, by car or by boat. The access road is at kilometre 2.000 of the N-332, on the Cartagena–Playa del Portús–Isla Plana–La Azohía route.

The beach has a beach bar, foot-washing stations, walkways, accessible toilets, and a first-aid and safety station. These facilities are open from 11:00 to 19:00. Swimming is possible at the beach of the Ermita de la Virgen del Carmen de El Portús. This lets you combine time by the water with a visit to the small hermitage, without treating the two places as one and the same.

Coastal paths and coves

The PR9 route runs from Playa del Portús via Campillo de Adentro to La Azohía. Campillo de Adentro is 10 km away, and La Azohía is 12 km away. Check trail conditions locally before planning your route.

The GR92 coastal path runs from El Portús to Punta de la Azohía. Several remote coves lie along the way and can be visited on foot or by boat.

Watching the sea and kayaking

Bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and common dolphins, as well as Risso’s dolphins and pilot whales, can be spotted off the coast of El Portús. Kayak trips depart from El Portús or La Azohía and stop at coves along Cartagena’s western coast.

The hermitage and the history of the Jábega

The small Ermita de la Virgen del Carmen in El Portús is a rectangular building dating from 1924 and was restored in 1991. The hermitage offers views of the Mediterranean. Together with the opportunity to swim at its beach, the site combines an architectural feature with a direct connection to the coast.

Every summer, residents of El Portús stage a reenactment of the Portusium Jábega. They use a floating net and then return all the fish they catch to the sea alive. Jábega also refers to a former fishing practice in El Portús bay: fishermen hauled the seine net ashore from the water using a pull rope. This original practice is no longer carried out. The summer reenactment and the former fishing method therefore represent different periods and activities.

Discover more destinations: Sangonera la Verde, Corvera, Lo Pagán, La Tercia, La Puebla De Mula, Águilas, Puntas De Calnegre, Santiago de la Ribera

For the main travel overview: Murcia.