Puerto Mayor project in La Manga cleared to move ahead after appeal rejected

The Ministry for Ecological Transition can continue the €25.7 million project to dismantle the abandoned port and restore the Caleta del Estacio

The project to dismantle Puerto Mayor in La Manga del Mar Menor and restore the Caleta del Estacio is back on track after a legal challenge from the Murcia Builders Association was rejected. The association had argued that the contract for the works contained errors, especially around the estimated cost of removing hazardous materials used in the port’s construction.

On March 19, the Central Administrative Court for Contractual Appeals ruled in favour of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, allowing the tender process to continue. The court found no mistakes or unfairness in the way costs were calculated and confirmed there was no evidence of bad faith. It also agreed that the CO2 emissions estimates were accurate.

With the legal obstacle cleared, the Ministry’s Directorate General for Coast and Sea can continue with the tender. The association could still take the case to the National Court’s Contentious-Administrative Chamber.

Cleaning up and restoring La Manga

The Ministry plans to invest €25.7 million in the project, which is expected to take about 18 months. The work is part of the government’s extended plans to recover the Mar Menor, and brings to a close a process that began over 50 years ago. In 1975, Puerto Mayor S.A. was granted a concession to build a marina, which was never completed. The land returned to public ownership in 2021.

The project will remove over 2,500 metres of sheet piling on land and in the water, clear debris, fences and billboards, and extract nearly 100,000 cubic metres of infill and contaminated soil for safe disposal. The southern breakwater will be partially dismantled, abandoned boats removed, and sediments cleared to restore the natural coastline.

Environmental restoration will also see the Estacio dunes rehabilitated, invasive plants removed, and native species replanted. Wooden walkways and fences will guide visitors without harming the landscape. The project will end with an experiment planting Posidonia oceánica, a seagrass vital for marine biodiversity, to help the lagoon’s underwater meadows recover.

Image: MITECO