We started this dune project during 2017-2018 with the endorsement of Marbella Town Hall and the various administrative bodies involved. Unfortunately we did not get very far. We hope that now we can get this job underway before the main work on the future Coastal Path begins. This will link up with the Coastal Path from Mijas to the Cabopino Harbour in the Marbella townland.

Currently an area that could be a place for relaxation and meditation with unbeatable views over the Alboran Sea is in a terrible state. It is nothing but a rough place to park cars and motorhomes on.

We want to change all this with our project, to get it back to its natural state where there once was wild plant cover. There is an interesting gradient of about 3 – 4m which will have to be reforested. Both on the flat area and the leading edge of the location, we intend to install three benches that will tempt passers-by to rest awhile and enjoy the beautiful views, the flights of birds and who knows? Maybe even see a fish jump.

To reforest the gradient we will ask the Junta de Andalucía for shrub seedlings of autochthonous species such as: marram or European sea grass (Ammophila arenaria) and rosemary (Rosmarinos communis) that will fix the slope very well. We will create a green space with stone pines (Pinus pinea) and native shrubs such as mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) and juniper (Juniperus turbinata) from the leading edge where the benches are to be located to the two rows of cars. Safety for visitors being a priority, we have planned on having wooden railings installed to separate the cars from the dune.

There are still some restoration jobs to be done before work on the coastal path gets underway:

• where a bulldozer has dumped several cubic meters of earth on it, the slope will have to be rebuilt
• the Coastal Demarcation Marker must be relocated by a surveyor, since the original line between the Maritime Terrestrial Public Domain (DPMT) and the Traffic Easement Marker has been modified.

Saving the embryonic chain of dunes on the beach

Together with the recovery, rehabilitation and reforestation of the dune gradient and acclimatising the green space so visitors can enjoy it, we are taking the pertinent steps with all the Administrative bodies involved to ensure that between all of them the survival and the safeguarding of the embryonic chain of dunes which is in the Maritime Terrestrial Public Domain (DPMT) is guaranteed.

This embryonic chain of dunes is located to the east of Cabopino and its survival must be a priority to be defended by everyone. It does not get in the way of the Coastal Path development, neither preventing it nor affecting it in any way.

Once all the work has been completed, we will make the necessary arrangements to have this new dune environment included in the Marbella Ecological-Dunes Reserve.