A curious slice of Mazarrón history: This is the port's 100-year-old 'pim-pam' canal, nestled between two popular beaches

Salt farming went on from the Roman era until the 20th century

The entrance to the old salt farm channel

Did you know that there used to be a large salt farm in the Port of Mazarrón during the 20th century?

This activity, which probably dates back to the Roman era, took advantage of the area’s unique geography to extract sea salt using evaporation of seawater in shallow tanks. 

The cycle was seasonal: in spring the dykes and walls were built; in summer the salt was collected; and in autumn the salt evaporation ponds were opened to drain them, damaging the structures in the process meaning that they had to be repaired the following year.

Nowadays, one of the most curious vestiges of this industry still remains: the channel through which the seawater entered, where a pump used to operate which everyone knew from the sound it made, the famous “PIM, PAM”.

It is located at the end of Playa de la Bahía, next to Avenida Don José Alarcón, very close to the roundabout at the start of Playa de la Pava, and you can still see it today.

So the next time you are walking through the Port, remember this salty tradition!

Image: Mazarrón Turismo