A €8.6 million seafront redevelopment gets underway

One of Torrevieja’s best-known beachfronts is set for a major transformation. Work at Playa de Los Locos has entered its first visible stage, with plans for a greener, more accessible promenade designed around pedestrians and better connections to the beach. For anyone who regularly walks, swims, eats out or lives around Playa de Los Locos, the changes will be significant. The redevelopment covers more than 1.1 kilometres of coastline and 21,044.75 square metres, from Calle La Sal and Avenida de la Purísima towards Avenida Roentgen. Torrevieja Town Hall awarded the construction contract to Pavasal for €8,592,352 including VAT.

Much more than a new pavement

The plan is to create a seafront promenade on two levels. The upper level, closest to the buildings, is designed as a broad pedestrian route with seating and space for businesses and restaurant terraces. Its light stone surface will give it a more urban character.

Closer to the sea, a narrower, wood-like route will rise and fall between beach level and the upper promenade. Landscaped terraces between the two will provide greenery, places to sit and trees for shade. The aim is to make the waterfront a place to spend time as well as a route through the neighbourhood.

Greenery, playgrounds and access to the beach

The plans include three children’s play areas, space for outdoor exercise, and small removable platforms extending towards the sea. Two removable units are planned for public toilets and first-aid facilities. Restaurant terraces are to be more clearly defined within the new public space.

Accessibility is central to the design. The existing promenade sits roughly 0.7 to 1.5 metres above the beach, depending on the location. The two-level layout is intended to create gentler connections between the city and the sand.

What happens to traffic?

The project is intended to give pedestrians more room along Avenida Dr. Mariano Ruiz Cánovas, with ordinary through-traffic redirected to streets behind the seafront. Vehicle access to garages will remain, as will access for municipal and emergency vehicles.

In its 2023 project presentation, the council also proposed moving bicycles and personal mobility vehicles, including e-scooters, to cycle routes on the streets behind the promenade. That is a design proposal from the earlier presentation; local traffic arrangements should be checked as the work advances.

A challenge beneath the surface

The redevelopment also has to contend with heavy rain. Torrevieja Town Hall identified Curva del Palangre and Avenida Roentgen as places that receive substantial runoff during intense downpours. The design has been coordinated with water company Agamed and the municipality’s stormwater planning.

The first section is now underway

The current first work area runs from Calle La Sal to Curva del Palangre. According to the council’s 23 September update, Avenida de las Habaneras is being kept open so traffic can continue along Mariano Ruiz Cánovas beyond the affected section.

Playa de Los Locos in January 2022, before the redevelopment. Photo: Simo Räsänen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for this document.

Construction is planned as four consecutive sections, with only one main work area active at a time. Each section may reopen provisionally before the next begins. Within each section, crews will work in two phases: first on the sea side while retaining the pavement by the buildings, then on the building side after the completed area has been opened temporarily.

The council says protected pedestrian corridors will maintain routes to the beach. In the later phase, temporary walkways will provide access to homes and businesses, while steel plates will allow cars to reach existing garages. Access to homes, garages, shops, restaurants and the beach is intended to remain available throughout the works, although the arrangements will change as construction progresses.

Bus Line 8 has a temporary diversion

As of the council’s 23 September announcement, Line 8 CENTRO–LA MATA has a changed outbound route from central Torrevieja towards La Mata. The return journey was, for the time being, still following its existing route. Travellers should check current signs and bus information before setting out, as further changes are expected during the project.

How much will it cost and when will it finish?

The original tender budget was €10,067,284.73 including VAT. Eleven bids were submitted, and Pavasal’s successful offer was 14.65% below the tender price. The awarded contract is worth €8,592,352 including VAT.

The project dates back several years. Design work was tendered in 2021, architect Juan Ignacio Fuster Marcos received the design commission in 2022, and the proposals were presented publicly in 2023. Pavasal was awarded the construction contract in May 2026. Preparatory surveying and ground investigations began after the formal setting-out record was signed on 2 July 2026; the first major closure followed in September.

The contract has an 18-month construction period. The council currently expects completion on 1 January 2028. The work will bring disruption to one of Torrevieja’s busiest coastal areas, but it also promises a markedly different place to walk, sit and reach the beach.

What do you think of the plans for Playa de Los Locos? How will the changes affect the way you use this part of Torrevieja?

Sources and image use

Article facts were checked against Torrevieja Town Hall’s public notices and project presentation. The first image was supplied by Torrevieja Plus and shows the work area on 25 September 2026. The second is an older reference photograph of the beach.

Council construction update, 23 September 2026

Council contract award, 8 May 2026

Council tender and design, 31 October 2025

Council design presentation, 3 April 2023

Image 2: Simo Räsänen, 2022

Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 licence

Playa de Los Locos in January 2022, before the redevelopment. Photo: Simo Räsänen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for this document.
For the second image on the website, retain the photographer, original image link and licence link. If cropped or changed, note the change. The supplied JPEG has been resized from the original.
Barriers, a temporary walkway and construction equipment along the Los Locos seafront, 25 September 2026. Photo: Anton Åkesson / Torrevieja Plus.