Águilas beaches: Playa de la Higuerica

A stretch of golden sand flanked by vegetation and dunes in Águilas

Playa de la Higuerica is one of four beaches in the municipalities of Águilas and Pulpí within the Cuatro Calas area, which is an officially protected part of the coastline on the border between the Region of Murcia and the province of Almería in Andalucía. The other three beaches included are Cala Cerrada (or Cala de los Cocedores), Playa de la Carolina and Calarreona.

Playa de la Higuerica, unlike La Carolina and Cala Cerrada, is a straight stretch of fine sand, looking out to sea in a south-easterly direction with the view broken only by a small rocky outcrop just offshore. It’s not a long beach – just over 200 metres – but is wide, at 47 metres, and like its neighbours in the Cuatro Calas area, is popular both in peak season and during the off-season. In summer the visitors are sunseekers and bathers escaping from the hustle and bustle of the crowded beaches in the centre of Águilas and enjoying the clear water and fine sand of Playa Higuerica, while in winter the dunes behind the beaches of Cuatro Calas are popular with those spending time in the Costa Cálida in camper vans. 

All year round the whole of this stretch of the coastline attracts walkers and ramblers, as the undulating terrain and panoramic views never lose their appeal, and in summer there are bins, a lifeguard and Red Cross point and a beach bar. The facilities stop here, though: the attraction of this and other beaches in Águilas is that they are unspoilt and not over-developed, and features such as showers and amphibious bathing chairs are not provided at this kind of location.

Nonetheless, the efforts to make the beach as clean and accessible as possible have resulted in it being named a Blue Flag beach, an accolade which was added to in August 2018 when the Town Hall declared it an unofficial "no smoking" beach.

There is no absolute ban on smoking – such a prohibition would be against Spanish law as it stands – but beachgoers are actively discouraged from lighting up, and those who insist of doing so are offered leaflets explaining why there are requested not to and disposable ashtrays.

The reasons for this initiative are threefold: to avoid annoying other beach users, to encourage a healthier lifestyle and to help protect the marine environment: one cigarette can contaminate up to 50 litres of water, and the filter takes between 1 and 10 years to decompose in the sea.

Apart from the snacks at the beach bar in summer no food or drink is available here, so visitors should either come well supplied or be prepared for a short drive to Calarreona or Águilas itself at lunchtime. 

With small headlands at either end of the beach and vegetation behind it, Playa de la Higuerica is one of the many attractive locations on the coast of the municipality of Águilas, and is no less attractive for the lack of facilities installed here. The sheltered location makes it perfect for avoiding chilly breezes in spring and autumn, and the easy access along a signposted track from the RM-333 road mean that shops and conveniences are no more than a five-minute drive away. 

More information about Águilas including beaches, what to see, what's on and tourist information can be found on ÁGUILAS TODAY