# San Pedro del Pinatar - Lo Pagán — San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain

Lo Pagán is the northern tip of the Mar Menor, where the town meets the Salinas de San Pedro. You launch on the sand of Playa de La Mota, at the base of the dyke that separates the lagoon from the salt pans, and ride southwards along the Mota in flat, shallow water.

It works with Norte in winter, when the water stays particularly smooth, and with Lebeche and Poniente, which blow towards the shore. It is a spot for all levels and is suitable for kitesurf, wingfoil, windsurf and SUP.

To the west of the launch area there are moored boats: do not ride between them. The bottom has mussel shells, so wear booties. La Mota borders a regional park, so do not leave the beach towards the salt pans. During the bathing season, the front is buoyed off for swimmers and there are mud baths next to the dyke. After heavy rain there may be seaweed and jellyfish. Forecasts are checked with ARPEGE, ECMWF and ICON.

Photos: "Barcas en el Mar Menor" by Pedro J Pacheco (CC BY-SA 3.0 es), via Wikimedia Commons; "Salinas de San Pedro" by Pedro J Pacheco (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; "MOTA004" by Nioger (CC BY 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons.

- **Sports:** Kitesurf, Wingfoil, Windsurf, SUP
- **Difficulty:** Beginner
- **Location:** San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain (37.81906, -0.77563)
- **Favourable wind directions (where the wind blows from):** N (0°), SW (225°), W (270°)
- **Wind range (knots):** 12–28
- **Best months:** October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June

## Wind by month (% of days per strength)

| Month | <7 kn | 7–13 kn | 13–20 kn | 20–35 kn | >35 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36 | 47 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| February | 27 | 61 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| March | 19 | 56 | 22 | 3 | 0 |
| April | 16 | 65 | 17 | 2 | 0 |
| May | 15 | 81 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 2 | 86 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 5 | 90 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 8 | 89 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| September | 15 | 81 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| October | 28 | 64 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 38 | 47 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 36 | 55 | 8 | 1 | 0 |

## Local winds

- **Norte** — N (0°), 12–28 kn. North wind in winter. It comes in side-on along the Mota and leaves the water very flat downwind of the dyke: it is the classic Lo Pagán day.. Gusty at first; with the wind parallel to the shore, the drift takes you south along the dyke.
- **Lebeche** — SW (225°), 12–28 kn. Southwest wind, reinforced by the thermal in spring and autumn. It comes from the sea towards the Mota and brings you back to shore.. Onshore wind: be careful when launching with the dyke and boats downwind.
- **Poniente** — W (270°), 12–28 kn. West wind. It comes in head-on from the Mar Menor with short chop.. Onshore wind: leave space downwind to launch.

## Zones

- **Launch area** — Launch zone
- **La Mota** — Navigation zone
- **Boat moorings** — Restricted zone

## Points of interest

- **Playa de La Mota**: Sand at the base of the Mota dyke, next to the town: launch area.
- **Moored boats**: Mooring field in front of Lo Pagán, west of the launch: do not ride between the boats.
- **Salinas Regional Park**: Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar, protected area: do not leave the beach towards the salt pans.
- **Molino de Quintín**: Windmill at the end of the southern section of the Mota. Beyond it begin the Encañizadas, with fishing nets and channels.

## Hazards

- Mussel shells on the bottom: wear booties
- Seaweed and jellyfish after heavy rain
- Swimmers during the bathing season
- Narrow launch area at the base of the dyke
- Sludge and mud baths next to the Mota in summer

## Obstacles

- La Mota dyke with breakwater
- Moored boats to the west of the launch area
- Lo Pagán harbour

## Facilities

- Restaurant
- Parking
- Showers

## Restrictions

- En temporada de baño (aproximadamente de junio a septiembre) el frente de playa se baliza para el baño: entrar y salir solo por los canales balizados y fuera de la zona de bañistas

[See it on Ventus Surf (3D map, zones and live forecast)](https://ventus.surf/spots/san-pedro-del-pinatar-lo-pagan-FwiU60Idobb3WjyBAWtB?lang=en)